Free Need Us by Amanda Heath

both of us are more clothed than the last time she walked in to wake us up. “I can’t talk about what’s going on with Asher in the room. And I’m not going to talk about it today anyway. Wes and Royal are getting married and we don’t need any more drama than is necessary.”
    “That’s all cryptic and useless. But if what you have to tell me is going to make me upset, then I guess you should keep it to yourself.” Then she turns on her heels and flees the room. Probably going to have coffee with Mom.
    I’m not paying attention, so when Court appears over me I almost screech but I keep it in. “After the wedding is over, you and I are going to talk. We have some things to discuss and a lot of things to apologize for. Then you’re going to move your shit back to the house and you’re going to sleep in our bed tonight, with me.” Then he leans down and kisses my lips. I’m quite shocked by the whole thing so my mouth is open and that means his tongue comes right into my mouth. And like most times I’m kissing this man, my hand reaches up to shift through his long hair.
    He kisses me for what seems like forever. I’m getting kind of hot and bothered, but that’s his point. Court makes it a point to make me hot and bothered every time he kisses me. Even when we’re fighting he makes the point, like now.
    When he’s done rocking my world, he lifts his head and looks down at Asher. “Little man you better get up. Mimi is downstairs with Grammy. I bet they made pancakes.”
    Asher, having the stomach the size of Texas, gets up from the bed so fast I have to catch him before he face plants the ground. “Careful there. We don’t need a trip to the ER today.”
    He looks wide-eyed at me and shakes his head. “Yeah, I don’t want to catch that Ebola guy. He sounds scary.”
    I almost laugh but I keep it in. When he leaves the room I look at Court. He’s bending over to pick his shirt off the floor. “Yell at Channing, not me. I never said anything about Ebola to the kid.” Then he himself leaves the room.
    After I get ready in the bathroom and walk downstairs, I find most of the people who mean the world to me sitting around. Channing, Royal, Mom and Dad, Lily plus Court and Asher. I sit down at the dining room table next to Royal and across from my husband.
    “I can’t believe you’re getting married today. Royal Sanders the biggest player at Meadows. And you’re marrying the most prude-like girl you could find.” I bite my lip to hold back a chuckle when Royal glares at me. “There’s nothing wrong with that. I love Wesley. She’s my sister from another mother.”
    “My Duchess is not a prude. If you only knew the things she does to me in our bedroom.” Mom, Dad and me all make sneered faces at him, almost in sync.
    “Royal Duke Sanders, do not ever let me hear you say anything like that in front of me again. I do realize you’re grown and getting married, but there are things a mother just doesn’t need to hear.” Then she throws her napkin at him. Got to love my mother.
    Then Dad had to go and ruin the joyful feelings around the table. “Lily, is Donovan going to be joining us this morning?”
    You can feel the coldness and tension enter the room. The elephant is named Donovan and he’s the size of the house, so he’s crushing us because there’s no room for him in here.
    Lily looks around at the four of us. Channing stares at his plate, Royal clenches his fists on the table and starts tapping his foot, Court glares daggers at my father like it’s his fault Donovan entered the room in spirit, then there’s me, who’s sitting here on the verge of tears. Though my Dad and Mom look slightly pissed off themselves.
    Then Lily squints her eyes at me. I look away and start cutting up Asher’s pancakes. I have to or he’ll get syrup everywhere and I’d never get it out of his pants.
    “Someone better explain to me what the fuck just happened.” Then she stands up and walks over to Court.