Eruption (The Hunted Series Book 3) (6 page)

"I'm just going to pretend you two were actually doing
hot yoga," Bee said and smiled at me. "Your new place looks amazing.
Should we eat while the pizza's still hot and then go on the tour? Mason, don't
go through their stuff!"

"What? I'm just trying to find the champagne
flutes." He was holding an attachment to a vacuum cleaner. "Is this
some weird sex thing that I don't know about?" He held it farther away
from himself as he inspected it.

Bee laughed. "Of course you wouldn't have any idea what
that is."

"I honestly have no idea what that thing is either,"
James said.

"You two are hopeless, you know," I said to James
and Mason. "What on earth would you do without me and Bee?"

"Do hot yoga alone and cry ourselves to sleep,"
Mason said and tossed the vacuum cleaner attachment back in its box.

Bee and I both laughed.

James kissed my temple and whispered, "I couldn't live
without you."

I smiled up at him. I didn't have to say it back. He knew.
Just like I knew how he was feeling by looking into his intoxicating brown
eyes.

He kissed my temple again. "I think I know where the
glasses are," he said and walked over toward Mason.

"And seriously, turn up the AC, or I'm going to take my
shirt off next," Mason said.

Bee laughed. "I'm not going to complain about that.

A few minutes later we were sitting at the dining room table
drinking champagne out of coffee mugs and eating pizza off of napkins.

"Are you two getting nervous?" Mason asked and
grabbed another slice of pizza.

"About what?" I said.

"What do you mean about what? About marrying him."
He pointed his pizza at James.

I put my chin in my hand and looked over at James, pretending
to scrutinize him.

He raised his left eyebrow at me. He actually looked curious
about my answer.

"I'm terrified."

James immediately frowned and Mason laughed.

"I'm just kidding." I put my hand on James' thigh
and squeezed it. "I'm not nervous about our wedding at all. The only thing
I'm nervous about is meeting his parents tomorrow. After that, I'm just going
to be excited."

"You should be nervous about that," Mason said.

I reluctantly tore my eyes away from James to look at Mason.
"Why do you say that?" Maybe it would be better if they knew exactly
what to expect.

Mason shrugged. "They've avoided you like the plague
ever since you moved to New York. Clearly they don't want to meet you."

James put his hand on top my mine. Mason was just saying what
I already knew, but it was still hard to hear.

"It's like they're in denial," Mason continued when
no one said anything. "They still want Isabella to be their daughter in
law. I don't even know why you want to meet them. Besides, James basically grew
up at my house. His parents are horrible. I'm sure you already know you're
going to hate them. What's the point? There are so many better things that we
could do tomorrow night."

"They're perfectly nice," Bee said. "You have
nothing to worry about."

"Wait, you've met them?" I couldn't believe it. Bee
had never mentioned meeting James' parents before.

Bee took a sip of champagne from her mug and then cleared her
throat. "I mean, yeah. At their annual New Year's Eve party."

"You never told me that you had met them."

She took another sip of champagne to avoid answering me.

I looked over at James. "Annual New Year's Eve
party?" James had never mentioned that party to me. We always went out to
dinner on New Year's Eve and walked around Central Park before the clock stuck
twelve. Last year it had started to snow right before midnight and I could
still picture the snow falling around us as we shared our first kiss of the new
year. It was romantic and perfect. But had we only done it because his parents
had told him I couldn't come to their exclusive party?

"It's not that big of a thing," James said.

I looked over at Mason and Bee. "How many people were
there last year?"

Mason shrugged. "Not that many. And it's not even fun. I
doubt Bee and I will even go next year. We only go because my parents go."
Bee was busy pouring herself more champagne, still avoiding eye contact with
me.

"Did they invite you?" I asked James.

"I haven't gone since I broke it off with
Isabella."

I just stared at him. That didn't answer my question.

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Yes, they
invite me every year. But they never extended the invitation to you."

"See, they're the worst," Mason said. "They
try to control everything James does. They're just pissed that he chose you
without their approval first. If I was you, I'd skip the party tomorrow night
just to spite them. Throw the whole thing in their faces."

"Mason, you're not really helping," Bee said.
"And I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Penny. I just didn't know what to say.
The whole situation sucks. I didn't think telling you I had met them would help
anything."

"It's okay, I get it." I hated the way I was
feeling right now. "So, they're perfectly nice?"

"I don't know," Bee said. "They were polite to
me. I don't really know them, though. Well, besides for the fact that Mason
doesn't like them and they refuse to meet one of my best friends. I was just
trying to make you feel more optimistic. But clearly they're the worst. Sorry,
James," she quickly added.

James laughed. "You all already know how I feel about
this. As far as I'm concerned, you guys are my real family."

I smiled. That's what Mason's parents had said in their
letter to me. Our friends in New York had become part of our family. I loved
that James had taken that to heart. He wasn't good at letting people in. But he
was opening his heart so much easier recently. When we had first met he seemed
so cold. I liked this new warmer side of him.

Mason lifted up his mug. "Here's to the start of a new
chapter in our lives."

"Didn't you already start that chapter when you turned
30?" James said and clinked his glass against Mason's.

"I'm only a few months older than you, asshole. Next
month you'll know how it feels."

James laughed and took a sip of champagne. "Well, right
now, I'm still in my 20s, so I get to tease you for another month, old
man."

Mason sighed.

"Speaking of new chapters in our lives, does that mean
the two of you have news?" James and I always joked around with Bee and
Mason about getting engaged. They had been dating for almost as long as James
and I were engaged.

"Unfortunately, Bee has major commitment issues,"
Mason said.

Bee lightly nudged his shoulder. "Yeah right."

Mason smiled at her. "I'm sure we'll make it official
soon."

Bee's cheeks turned even rosier.

"Well, you're not getting any younger," James said.

"Ha. Ha. Let's talk about your bachelor party. We're
running out of time, so we need to decide soon. If you want something more
traditional, we could do Vegas. Strippers, sex, cocaine, that empty feeling you
get inside when you..."

"Woah," Bee said. "Nope. Mason, you're not
planning his bachelor party. There is a zero percent chance that's
happening."

James laughed. "Really, none of that sounds appealing."

"What empty feeling are you talking about?" I
asked.

"You know...like when you hook up with someone and the
next day you wake up realizing how depressed you are that you have nothing real
in your life."

"No, I don't know about that."

"You've never had meaningless sex?"

"No?"

Mason shrugged. "Girls from Delaware are so tight laced.
Well, until you awaken them."

"Mason!" Bee lightly shoved his arm again.

"He's not wrong," James said.

"Both of you are ridiculous." My face was probably
even redder than Bee's. "And both of you have full lives. So you wouldn't
get an empty feeling. Unless we broke up with you after you cheated on
us."

"Here's to that," Bee said. I clinked my glass
against the one she had raised.

"Well, I know that," Mason said. "But James already
vetoed my first several ideas."

"Which were way worse," James said.

"I really don't understand the whole bachelor party
thing," Bee said. "It's your last night as a single guy before you
marry the girl you
chose
to marry. That shouldn't be a big deal."

"Exactly," James said. "Which is why I don't
want one."

"Fine, we'll just go with the first idea I had. I
already have the place booked anyway," Mason said.

James laughed. "I don't think so."

"It's not like we have to participate in everything.
Obviously." He gestured to Bee and me.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Bee
asked.

"Yes." Mason kissed her cheek and put his arm
around her shoulders. "Wait, does this mean you don't want me to have a
bachelor party before our wedding?"

"Um...yeah."

"I need to rethink everything now."

Bee laughed as Mason pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his
arms tightly around her.

"Never mind, you're worth it."

James squeezed my hand and I looked up at him. We had an
ongoing bet for when the two of them would get engaged. He had guessed Mason
would pop the question sometime this summer. It was looking like he was going
to win. He usually did win our bets. But I was always willing to give him the
rewards he requested. I shrugged my shoulders and smiled at him.

"How about that tour?" James said.

"Sounds good. What did this place set you back? I
honestly didn't know apartments could be this big this close to Central
Park," Mason said.

"It was actually two apartments that we had to combine.
So we got everything custom done, which was great."

It was cute that he said we, even though he had kept it a
secret from me until it was already done. I hadn't even known it had been two
apartments before. But that made sense. I had just been thinking that I hadn't
seen an apartment with a second story before.

Recently James and Mason had gotten really into talking about
real estate. I was pretty sure the two of them were trying to buy up all the
prime real estate in the city. Their conversation quickly turned into
discussing copper verses aluminum wire and different light fixtures.

"Do you want a normal person tour?" I asked Bee.

"Absolutely." She stood up and followed me into the
kitchen. "They lost me at light fixtures."

Friday

I opened up one of the last boxes. On top was a small frame.
I smiled and turned it over. It was a picture of James and Rob. James was
smiling brightly and Rob was giving the middle finger to the camera. I couldn't
believe this had been taken two and a half years ago. James didn't look any
different than he did in the picture. I wasn't sure if I looked any older
either, but I felt older.

Rob joked around with me all the time, but I knew he didn't
mean it. He had become one of my best friends. He was like the brother I never
had. He teased me enough to make it true. And James' sister was like the sister
I never had. I truly did fit into James' life. With everyone but his parents,
that was.

"Do you need help finishing up?" Ellen asked and
sat down next to me on the couch.

"No, that's okay." I set the picture down on the
couch, leaned back, and smiled. It was crazy how James and I could pick up our
whole lives and move within a few days. Ellen had been wonderful helping us
pack and unpack everything. I relied on her as much as James did now.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Ellen asked.

I ran the back of my hand against my forehead. I knew I was a
mess. All day I had been delaying getting ready to go to James' parents. Just
thinking about it made me unbelievably nervous.

"Dear, I know you're worried. Just be yourself."
Ellen put her hand on my forearm.

"If they wanted to know me, they would have done it
months ago. No, years ago. They don't want me to be me. They want me to be
someone else."
Isabella.

Ellen squeezed my arm and then stood up. "I laid out a
dress on your bed. How about you go get ready and I'll finish unpacking. James
will be back soon and he won't want to be late."

I knew that better than anyone. It was strange how quickly
the apartment had been transformed into our home. I already felt comfortable
here. James had been right. And I'd never tire of seeing the new view. Our
first apartment had been between his office and NYCU. We didn't need to be near
my school now. And it was really nice to be so close to Central Park. I sighed
and stood up. "You're right. Thanks for all your help this week. I don't
know what we'd do without you." It was strange going to meet James' mother
when Ellen really seemed to fill that role.

"Go on and get ready." She waived her hand in the
air, shooing me away.

***

I drummed my fingers against the kitchen counter. When I had
come back out after my shower, Ellen was gone. She had picked out a sundress
that was a little more sophisticated than the other ones I owned. It was white
with a modest neckline and a lacy skirt that stopped a few inches above my
knees. I had put on the diamond necklace James had gotten me last Valentine's
Day, which made the outfit look even fancier. And I chose white heels instead
of sandals. Hopefully it would be fancy enough. I looked around the kitchen at
the shiny stainless steel appliances. It was odd being here alone.

I looked down at my phone. Normally when I was nervous about
something, I'd call Melissa. But she had avoided me all week. She hadn't even
stopped by to see the new apartment even though I kept asking. When she'd
decided to move to New York after graduating, I had pictured spending a lot of
time with her. I thought I'd be getting my best friend back. I hadn't even
gotten to spend any time alone with her to talk about her dating Tyler.
Hopefully I'd be able to pull her aside tonight.

James had said there wouldn't be more than 30 people or so at
the party. It was just supposed to be close friends and family, and I'd know
most of them. I was pretty sure his parents were the last people in his life I
hadn't met. The thought just made me more nervous. And I couldn't stop thinking
about all the things Mason had said last night.

I quickly answered my phone as soon as it buzzed. "Hey,
James."

"We just pulled into the parking garage. Do you want to
just come down?" He sounded tense.

"Yeah, I'll be right down." I was in the elevator
before I even hung up the phone.

The car was waiting near the elevator door. James was
standing by the open door, staring down at his phone. He was dressed in a navy
blue suit with a white dress shirt underneath. The top few buttons were undone
and he wasn't wearing a tie. He looked casual and I instantly felt more
relaxed. I'd need to thank Ellen for picking me out a perfect outfit for the
occasion.

He smiled when he saw me and put his phone back in his
pocket.

"So they haven't canceled yet?" I asked.

"Not yet." He kissed my cheek and gestured for me
to get in.

I climbed in, scooting to the middle seat so he could slide
in next to me. As soon as our seatbelts were buckled, he wrapped his arm around
my shoulders.

"I like this," he said, running his opposite hand
along the lace of my dress.

I smiled to myself. If he liked the lace on this dress, he
was going to love the wedding dress I had picked out. "It's okay for
tonight?"

"Absolutely." He grabbed my hand and ran his thumb
along my palm. "Are you nervous?"

I looked up at him. Even if I tried to sugarcoat it, he'd be
able to read how I was feeling. "Yes."

"Don't be." He gave me a small smile. "It's
going to be fine, I promise."

"What if they don't like me?" I laughed awkwardly.
"That's a stupid question. They already don't like me."

"It won't change anything."

"Yes it will. I don't want to be the reason that you're
not close to your parents, James."

He lowered his eyebrows. "They're the reason I'm not
close to them. Just be yourself. I fell in love with you. If they don't like
you, it's their loss, not the other way around."

I took a deep breath. I couldn't go into this with
preconceived notions about them if I expected them not to have them either. I
just needed to pretend them avoiding me for the past couple years hadn't
happened. This was a fresh start, just like the new apartment. They were going
to be my family.

My knuckles brushing against James' lips pulled me out of my
own head. I smiled up at him. "I'm sorry about how much this has been
weighing on you. I know that I was annoying you, pushing your parents to meet
me."

He kissed the back of my hand again. "Nothing you do
annoys me. I just want you to be happy."

"I am." I rested my head against his shoulder. And
nervous, excited, angry, and anxious. I needed to calm down. James' cologne
always seemed to soothe me. He continued to stroke his thumb against my palm.
It didn't take long for me to calm down.

As soon as we pulled up to his parents' house on the
outskirts of the city, though, I could feel myself getting tense again.

"I thought it started at seven." James looked at
his watch.

We were half an hour early, but the gate was already open and
there were tons of cars parked along the long driveway. It looked like there
were going to be way more than 30 people inside. I had already seen the outside
of the house. It was more of a mansion than a house really. And I had been
nervous about what I was going to say when it came into view because James
didn't know I had come here one day and seen it already. At least I could still
be surprised when we got inside. Luckily he was too distracted to notice my
silence. It was hard not to stare at the immense building though. It was made
up completely of gray stone and reminded me of an estate that had been turned
into a museum back home. No wonder James wanted a bigger place if this is what
he was used to. Our new apartment would make him feel claustrophobic soon
enough as well.

"They said they wanted to meet you one on one first,
without everyone else around." Now James sounded tense too. "Maybe I
got the time wrong."

That was doubtful. James was rarely ever wrong. And even if
he was, he never admitted it. I pulled my eyes away from the house. "It's
okay. I'm sure I'll still have plenty of time to talk to them." But my
heart wasn't in my words. Maybe they had told us the wrong time so they
wouldn't have to talk to me at all.

Ian pulled the car around to the front. James quickly got out
of the car and put his hand out for me. He didn't look tense anymore. He just
looked pissed. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me to my feet.

"James." I grabbed both sides of his face.
"It's okay. But please, please don't leave me alone in there."

He smiled and gave me a quick kiss. "I don't know what
my parents are up to. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

I laughed. "You make it seem like they're planning
something evil."

"We should get inside." He interlaced his fingers
with mine and walked me toward the door.

His words made my heart beat even faster. I knew his parents
didn't really want to know me. But it didn't seem like they were trying to get
rid of me. They were throwing a party for us. We had just gotten the time
wrong. Everything was going to be fine.

We walked up the front steps, which were a matching gray
stone. A man standing outside the front doors grabbed the door handle, but
paused before opening the door when he saw us. A huge smile spread over his
face. He let go of the door handle. "You must be Penny," he said.

James squeezed my hand. "Eric, this is Penny. Penny this
is Eric. He's worked for my parents for as long as I can remember. And he's a
good friend."

Eric walked down the few steps that separated us and stuck
out his hand.

I immediately shook it. "It's so nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine, Penny. James has told me so
much about you. You are just as lovely as he said."

"Thank you, Eric." If everyone was this friendly
inside, I had nothing to worry about.

James clapped Eric on the back. "The party was supposed
to start at seven right?"

"No, it started at six. A last minute change. You didn't
know?"

James laughed, but it wasn't his normal contagious one. It
sounded forced. "I must not have gotten the memo."

"Well, you two better get inside. Everyone's waiting for
you." Eric ran back up the steps and opened up the door for us.

I heard classical music playing as we stepped into the foyer.
The floor was marble and it lead toward an ornate twisted staircase. It really
did feel like I was in a museum. There were even old portraits hung up on the
walls around us. I looked up the ceiling, where an enormous chandelier hung.
"I can't believe this is where you grew up." I almost tripped when I
felt the resistance of James' hand on mine. He had stopped directly in the
middle of the foyer.

"What's wrong?"

James was just staring straight ahead. I turned to see what
he was looking at.

"You can't be serious." Rob was standing by an
older couple in the foyer. Someone else was directly in front of him, but he
was blocking my view. "He'll never forgive you. You do realize that right?
You can't do this. Please don't do this."

"She's still part of this family, whether you like it or
not. I believe James knows that better than anyone," the woman I didn't
recognize said.

"Won't you just listen to me for one second? You haven't
even met Penny. Is this really how you want to meet your future daughter in
law? This is supposed to be the start of your relationship, not the end."

"Enough," the older man said. He looked a little
like James. He must be his father. "You will not treat a guest in our
house like this."

The woman, who I assumed was his mother, cleared her throat
and nodded toward James.

Rob's face was red when he turned around. He looked directly
at me. He looked more sad than upset. His eyes landed on James and he shook his
head.

James' grip tightened around my hand.

A hand wrapped around Rob's arm, pushing him to the side.
Isabella was standing there with a smug look on her face. She looked me up and
down and then whispered something to James' mother. Both women laughed.

"Hippopotamus," I whispered. When we had first
moved to New York, James had always made me promise to tell him if I was ever
uncomfortable. That was our word. Whenever I said that, he knew I wanted to
leave. I had never used it before. When we had chosen it, we thought that
whatever the situation, it would make us laugh. Neither one of us was laughing
now.