You Will Be Mine (Forever and Ever #7)(23)

“Hey, she’s my piece of ass,” Slade said. “I can say whatever I want.”

My dad nodded. “That is the rule, dear.”

She sighed. “Why do you always take his side?”

“Because he’s right,” Dad answered.

Mom growled. “This is the shit I have to deal with all day.”

“Good thing I’m here,” I said. “Now you have an ally.”

Mom looked at Arsen. “You better be my ally too.”

Arsen eyed the helicopter on the counter. “But that gadget looks pretty sweet…”

She sighed then threw her hands in the air. “Whatever.” She grabbed the bags. “I’ll show you to your room.”

“I got it.” Arsen took them from her. “But thank you.”

“Well, this way.” She led us down the hall and into my childhood room.

Was she going to let us sleep together?

“I just washed the sheets and it’s clean. I’ll let you guys get settled.” She walked out and shut the door.

Arsen walked around my room and eyed my dressers and bed. There was a stuffed pony next to the pillows. He sat down and played with it in his hands. “This is where you grew up?”

I nodded.

“It’s nice.”

I sat beside him then looked at my old jewelry box.

“They’re going to let us sleep together?” he asked in surprise.

“I guess so.” I turned to him. “I told you my parents are cool.”

“They are really cool,” he agreed.

“I told you that you had nothing to worry about.”

He shrugged. “We’ll see.”

***

We sat around the coffee table with all our supplies.

“Okay, let’s make a strip club,” Slade said.

“No,” Mom said in annoyance. “Let’s make an elf house.”

“An elf house?” Dad asked. “I don’t even know what they look like.”

“Strip club!” Slade yelled.

“Let’s just build something,” I said. “Otherwise we’ll be here all night.”

Arsen watched our interaction but didn’t say anything.

Dad put the fudge on the bottom of the cardboard then arranged the graham cracker walls.

Slade picked up the marshmallows. “I’ll make the prostitutes that stand outside it.”

“That’s not very Christmassy,” Mom said.

“Of course it is,” Slade said. “How do you think the Virgin Mary got pregnant? She was a stripper.”

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Dad said.

“With ignorance like that, you’re going to knock up Trinity,” Mom said.

“Why do you do this?” Arsen whispered.

“We build a gingerbread house every year,” I whispered. “But it usually looks like a mess. We still have fun doing it though.”

“Okay,” he said.

We worked together to build a house that was slanted to the right and looked like it might fall over any second.

“It’s like a ghost house,” Arsen said.

“With strippers,” Slade said, still using the marshmallows.

“I’m going to make a slide out of the fruit roll-up,” I said.

“Who’s going to use that?” Slade argued.

“People,” I snapped.

“Fruit roll-ups don’t even go with chocolate.” Slade rolled his eyes.

“Strip clubs aren’t for gingerbread houses.” I kicked him under the table.

“No fighting,” Dad said. He used the last of the fudge to make sure the house was glued together.

“Well, it looks…nice.” Mom cringed.

“It’s delicious no matter how…odd it looks,” Arsen said.

We all stared at it until the house collapsed.

Everyone started laughing, including my mom.

“Well, dig in,” Mom said.

We grabbed pieces of graham cracker and fudge with marshmallows and devoured it.

“So good,” Slade said. “I’m eating a stripper right now.”

“I like it better when Trinity is here,” Mom said. “You’re a lot more tolerable.”

“Mom, she gives me sex,” Slade said. “That’s why.”

Dad laughed. “Sounds about right.” He turned to Arsen. “We’re an odd family. I hope you don’t judge us.”

“Never,” Arsen said with a smile. “I’m having a great time.”

“People usually say we’re too loud,” Mom said.

“Which is true,” I added.

“So, do you go to school with Silke?” Dad asked.

Arsen suddenly stiffened.

I gave him an encouraging look, telling him to be honest.

“No,” he said. “I don’t. I’m actually a few years older than her.”

Dad nodded. “I’m older than Janice by a few years.”

“Old man,” Mom jabbed.

Dad ignored the comment. “So, you’re working then?”

“Yeah.” Arsen didn’t elaborate.

“What do you do?” Dad sucked the chocolate off his fingers then grabbed another graham cracker.