Chapter Twenty, Keep Your Judgement

Grace’s Point of View

As I drove up to park on the side of the road, I was astounded by what I saw. Xavier noticed me, and I could tell because he left quickly. Lillianna was going to be furious. Clearly, Xavier was just as enamored with Rei as she was with him. Rei’s plans for an adventurous, risky, one-night-only public intimate encounter might not come to fruition after all - it looks like my friend has developed a serious infatuation. I can only hope that Xavier Woods won't break her heart... for his own sake.

As I stepped out of my vehicle and approached the house, I let out a sharp whistle, and cat called out to my friend. Rei looked around in surprise but soon burst into laughter, realizing it was me.

"Hey, look at you coming home in last night's clothes! Your parents are going to have something to say about that," I teased in a friendly tone.

Rei's expression turned somber as she chewed on her lip, lost in deep thought. The question had struck a chord, even though it had been posed lightheartedly. What would their response be?

After Rei married Greg Ravenscroft, Mr. and Mrs. Draven seemed to have vanished from their lives. There were murmurs about whether they knew about Rei's children, Shiloh, Onyx, and Salem, but no one could be certain. Rei never mentioned her parents, and the children didn't seem to know much about their grandparents other than they lived far away. There was a noticeable absence of birthday cards, Christmas cards, or even phone calls from them. It was all very peculiar, and I felt a strong urge to investigate but was warned against doing so. Despite distancing myself from the organization, following such warnings was ingrained in our nature for good reason.

“I’m just kidding, Rei. You know that, right?” I asked my best friend tentatively.

The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her feelings or make Rei doubt herself. I’d worked so damn hard to help build her back up again I would never intentionally do or say anything that would do that. Maybe that comment wasn’t the best to make. No, it wasn't, judging by how she is still chewing on her lip.

“I’m sorry, Rei. I shouldn’t have said that,” I said sincerely.

She just nodded and gestured for me to follow her into the house.

“I’m going to have a shower and change out of these clothes. The boys are on the couch playing their game, and Shiloh is in the kitchen. I’ll be down in a few,” Rei said quietly and silently went up the stairs.

Fuck. That wasn’t good.

Rei’s Point of View

I had put on a smile and brushed it off, but truth be told, I couldn't shake the discomfort that lingered after my daughter's less-than-welcoming reception of Xavier, whom I had invited in for a coffee. But, what truly weighed heavily on me was the callous remark Grace made. It brought back a flood of memories about my parents' absence from pivotal moments in my life, such as the rehearsal dinner and the wedding, and their apparent disinterest in getting to know my children. It was painfully evident to me that they did not care. I realized that Greg had reached out to my family and friends, instructing them not to attend the wedding and informing them that I wanted to sever ties with them, but to my dismay, everyone seemed to accept this without question. No one bothered to ask for my side of the story, nor did they try to contact me.

Last night was the first time I had ever done something wild and promiscuous, and it wasn’t something I planned to do again. Did I regret it? Absolutely not. I used protection, I knew who the guy was, and my friend knew where I was, so if things went horribly wrong, she would have gone for help. I never thought that Grace, of all people, would judge me. But her comment made me feel like shit.

I put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and walked slowly down the stairs to join my best friend and daughter in the kitchen after my shower. I could hear their voices whispering, and I lingered just out of sight to hear what they were saying.

“What did you think about Xavier?” Grace asked my daughter.

“I wasn’t sure about him at first. It’s just that Mom has never dated before, and it’s always been just her and us. She’s never brought a man home before, much less wearing the same clothes she went out in. I worry about her getting taken advantage of. My mom has a huge heart, but she doesn't let too many people in," expressed Shiloh.

“Knowing that Xavier was the biker who stopped to help us years ago was pretty cool. I’m glad he and my mom reconnected after all this time. I can tell he likes her, and Xavier is very handsome,” my daughter giggled.

Grace responded, “I think your Mom likes him too,” and I couldn't help but groan inwardly.

The exchange between my best friend and my daughter felt entirely inappropriate, especially considering that I hadn't broached the subject with Shiloh yet. I was on the verge of storming into the kitchen when my daughter said something that stopped me in my tracks.

"Oh, I know. Onyx and Salem saw it, too. We were peeking through the window, and Onyx was on my back so he could see outside. We all witnessed her kissing him," Shiloh explained.

I take it back: Grace is an awesome friend. When I came back into the house, none of my children gave me any indication that they had seen anything. Mind you, I did go straight up the stairs.

Grace inquired, “Did that upset you or the boys?”

“No, we liked him. The kiss was pretty tame, too. I’ve seen much worse in the mall,” remarked Shiloh

"That's so true!" Grace chuckled. "I couldn't help but laugh when we saw the serious ‘tonsil hockey’ going on with the people in front of us last time I took you and your brothers out to the movies."

My daughter burst out laughing, saying, "It was so funny when Salem threw popcorn at them and said 'Ewwwww' before you made us move seats!"

Grace asked, "So if your Mom dated Xavier, you and the boys would be fine with it?"

"I would be fine with it. The boys really like his bike and think Xavier is awesome," Shiloh replied.

I was surprised to feel a gentle tap on my shoulder and see that Salem was standing beside me, listening in.

“Are we done eavesdropping yet? I wanted a muffin in the kitchen, but I didn’t want to interrupt,” my youngest whispered.