Page 31 of Emerson

We both turn to see Emery standing just inside the doorway between the dining room and kitchen. Same pink sash as always, the ‘didn’t die’ a little faded with time. The tiara says nineteen this year.

Nineteen years since Emerson woke up in the hospital after the accident that almost took his life . I didn’t know him when he was four, but just the thought of it makes me want to puke. He says he doesn't remember any of it, but I know Warren does.

I’ll never let Penny climb trees.

“Warren?” Emery says again, this time snappier. His back straightens, and he narrows his eyes at Warren.

“I didn’t,” War says quickly. He pushes back his chair to stand, but all the other Bennets start piling in.

“Man, I was hoping for BBQ this year,” Zane sighs, taking his usual chair next to Jo’s.

“Yo, Dill. I knew you would be here.” Ian leans over the table to give me a hand slap and fist bump. I oblige, but I’m almost too distracted watching Emery. He looks from Warren to me and back again. Hurt pulls his brows down, but only for a moment. Then he sniffs, fixing his tiara before finding his seat by Ian.

I guess I am an asshole.

Jo and Clint are the last to the table.

We all hold hands while Clint gives his usual, unusual attempt at a prayer.

Jo claps, going over all the food choices for this year.

Ian ooos and ahhhs over the spread.

I watch Emery who is actively not looking at me or Warren.

“Can you pass the eggrolls?” I ask.

Come on, baby b, look at me.

He does. He looks at the plate, then at me. He takes one for himself and passes the plate in the other direction.

Brat.

“I think I’m going to adopt a dog,” Ian says to no one in particular, ladling ramen into a bowl.

“That means you already adopted a dog, huh?” Zane asks, chuckling.

Ian shrugs. “I put an application in.”

Emery sighs, biting into an eggroll. “I wish I could just go to a center and adopt a man like that. Read all the profiles, look at them behind a little glass window, and put in an application. Wouldn’t that be so easy?”

“Isn’t that basically just a dating app? You picked a guy out recently, didn't you? Pick bad?”

Emery shoots his sharp brown eyes at me and I smile. “That a yes, baby b?”

His eye twitches and I grin wider.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Dillon? In front of the family? " The table goes quiet. I pull the plate with chicken skewers closer to me and grab a stick. “Do what?”

Emery grabs a bowl from the center of the table; he sticks his fork in and holds it back up. “Spar with me. In front of everyone.” My heart kicks in my chest and I narrow my eyes at his pretty face.

“You don’t scare me, Emerson.”

Jo snorts. “Oh, honey.”

“No, but we will be discussing this later,” Emery sings, waving the fork around with a spark of something in his eyes I’m not sure I like, but I shrug.

“Go on. Do your worst, Em. Since when do you ask permission to sass in front of the family?”