Page 8 of Under the Same Sky

Chapter Five

Thorin

Jessica blinks up at me from beneath her fake lashes, and places her hand on my chest. Naturally, I want to step back, but she’s got me cornered against someones cherry red Super Duty F250—who the fuck would want a truck this color, anyway?—and I’m trying to be polite. The house is empty now, aside from my bandmates who have made themselves at home in the living room, and if I could just get rid of Jessica, I’d be quite fucking happy to join them. But, Jessica is as fucking relentless as always and I ask myself for the millionth time what the hell I ever saw in her. Sure, she could give great head, and being the horny fucker I was in high school, I thought her pussy was fucking magic. But I was stupid back then, for not realizing that she was vapid and shallow—which hasn’t changed—and a downright mean bitch. Especially to Reese. The thought of Reese makes my skin tighten. We’ve been avoiding the fuck out of each other all day, aside from the encounter with Jessica at the church. I’d been sweating fucking bullets all morning about seeing Reese, and when I finally caught sight of her, with my newborn nephew strapped to her chest, I felt the urge to shove everyone out of my way and go to her. But then Mom was in my arms, and well, I remembered why we were at the church to begin with. Now though, I have no reason not to talk to Reese, but Jessica is persistent, and eventually, my patience runs out.

“Look, Jess,” I pull my hand over my hair, “I appreciate you coming today, but I really need to spend time with my family.” I’m hoping she’s at least smart enough to catch the hint.

“Of course,” she replies, putting her hand on my exposed forearm. I’d ditched the stuffy jacket, and tie hours ago, and have my sleeves rolled to my elbows. It’s cold outside, but being around so many people, having to plaster a fake ass smile on my face all damn day has me feeling hot, and uncomfortable. “I can stay a little longer if you need me to, I don’t mind.”

God. Someone rescue—

Someone clears their throat, and when I glance to the side, my mother is standing a few feet away, her hands on her hips. Her timing is perfect, and she looks pissed, but you’d never think it until she opens her mouth. “Oh, bless your heart, Jessica, but you need to get goin’. My son has a nephew to meet, and a family to catch up with.” It’s the bless your heart that gives her irate mood away. Everyone knows it’s an insult when a Southern woman utters those words. It’s code for go fuck yourself, get the fuck of my property, and get your filthy paws off my son rolled into one very small, dynamite-like package. Jessica’s quick step back is a knee-jerk reaction to my mother’s snippy tone, and at least she has the grace to look somewhat embarrassed by Mom’s less-than-subtle request to leave. “Sorry, Mrs. Decker, I didn’t mean to overstep.” She takes another step away from me. “And again, I’m sorry for your loss.” She teeters on her heels, and starts for her Lexus. “Thank you, Dear,” Mom replies, her smile saccharine but her tone harsh and unwavering. “You drive safe now.” She never liked Jessica, made it quite obvious when we were dating too. Hell, my entire family hated her, and I never understood why. I mean, Reese hated her too, but that I understand. Guilt, unwelcome and unexpected, washes over me. Jessica made Reese’s life hell in high school, but I was so far gone, I missed the signs until it was too late to stop the train-wreck in progress. Mom interrupts my trip down memory lane when she slips her arm in mine, and we start walking towards the house. “I’m glad you’re home, baby,” she says quietly. “I’ve missed you.”

I lift my arm, wrap it around her shoulders and kiss the crown of her head. “Me too, you did good today.”

She snorts. “I had no hand in today, Thorin. Reese planned it all before I got here.”

I stop at the bottom of the porch steps, and my brows furrow. “She planned it all?”

What the fuck?

“She had no help at all?”

“Not a bit,” replies Mom. “Except for the food, she did everything.” Something in her eyes reveals her pride. I, on the other hand, feel like asking Reese why she didn’t want help, it couldn’t have been easy doing it alone.

But she was always stubborn.

And then there’s also the fact that Penelope—fucking Penelope— didn’t tell me Reese had been calling several times a day for a week. Maybe if she’d gotten through to me I would have been able to come home sooner and help her. I rub my hands down my face, feeling tired as fuck.

“I need to talk to her,” I mutter, looking down at the ground. “Seems we have a lot to catch up on.” Like how she’s been living with Ryan and Mel since graduating from college with her business degree, and how my brother had built her a house on their property without uttering a single word about it to me. He never mentioned Reese in any of our phone call conversations, so imagine my surprise when I find out she’s not only living here, but has her own damn house on the property. That’s not what has me pissed though. It’s the fact that Ryan never told me Reese was back, that she was left destitute when her parents just up and left without a word (which Mom told me), and that she now lived with Ryan and Mel. He should have told me, I had a right to know, didn’t I?

Nope, my brain says simply. My heart follows with, you lost the right to anything Reese-related years ago. Both are right, of course, and I rub at the ache it leaves behind my sternum. Maybe Ryan knew that too, and that’s why he never felt the need to tell me.

Damnit.

“Reese set the guest rooms up for you and the band,” Mom adds. “Y’all can stay here as long as you want.”

“Yeah,” I sigh, looking around at what is a much larger version of my childhood home. “I have a lot to figure out.”

“Better get started.” Mom gives me a smirk—real fucking subtle, Mom—and then tsk’s when I roll my eyes. “Thorin Jude Decker, you may be all grown up and world-famous, but I’m still your mamma, and I will tan your hide if you roll those pretty blue eyes at me again.”

I stifle a grin, but manage a ‘yes ma’am’ before following her up the steps. I’m eager to meet my nephew, Mom won’t even tell me his fucking name, but the guys are still here, including Alex and Penelope.

“Dude, your brother made some sweet fucking upgrades to this place,” Carson says. And he’s not wrong. Ryan expanded the original ranch house Dad bought, and it now boasts six bedrooms, five en-suit bathrooms, a home theatre, an office and I don’t know what the fuck else. I haven’t taken a chance to take it all in yet, but I know Ryan made a lot of changes over the years. And not just to the house, but the entire ranch.

“Speaking of, Reese set the guest bedrooms up for everyone.”

Alex looks up at me from his phone. “It’ll just be for one night,” he tells me. “You’ll all stay here for the night, and Penelope and I will check into the inn across town. I’m already in contact with someone about renting a house for a few months, for all of you.”

“Fuck yes,” Fletch says. “I’m more than keen to stay here for a few months, at least until we’re ready to hit the studio again.” He looks around, and Benji and Carson nod their heads in agreement. “I’m in,” Benji adds. “I’d rather spend a few more months here with you fuckers than go back to my place in L.A. alone.”

“You don’t have to stay here just for me,” I tell them. “I’ll be fine with,” I swallow, and inhale a breath, “Reese.”

Fletch lifts his meaty fingers. “Firstly, we’re not staying on your account, we’re staying because we need the fucking vacation, and secondly,” he holds up his index finger, “is anyone else going to comment on how fucking sexy Reese looks? Je-sus, but time sure has been good to her.”

I lift my hands and grip the door frame between the entryway and the expansive living room, but it’s Benji who responds first. “Shut up, fuck knuckle. You had no fucking clue who she was until I told you, and you didn’t even know who she was back in high school, either.”

Fletch frowns. “Yeah I did, shitface. She was…” he trails off, and looks to me for help. I shrug. “Benji’s got your digits on that one, fucker. The only time you knew who she was in high school was when Jessica did something to embarrass her.”