Ryder the Love Expert | Protector 2.1

Chapter 54

Chapter 54

       Every year when the school year was finished, we got all of our family over; Graeme and Thalia and their kids, my aunt Ginny and her fiancé Nick, my aunt Gale and her husband and son, Tony and Charlie and Julia, Mom's parents, and even Elizabeth and her family since her mom was Dad's cousin.

       They all showed up a bit after noon and Grandpa immediately began talking about my and Mae's wedding.

       I sighed. "Really? Can't you talk about Aunt Ginny and Nick's wedding? They are actually engaged."

       "Yes, after ten years of dating," Ginny said, glaring at Nick.

       "Well, sorry, but both your dad and brother scares me," Nick said. "I don't know how many times your dad told me not to propose because we're apparently related."

       Ginny and Nick weren't really related. Nick was Laughlin's younger brother, so Nick's sister-in-law was Ginny's cousin. They weren't blood related at all, but Dad's dad kept saying they were.

       He was irrelevant anyway, so Ginny didn't care.

       Jerome came down the stairs, stopping when he saw everyone. "Ooh, a party," he said. "Ryder, stop being rude and introduce me."

       I rolled my eyes. "Everyone, this is Jerome. He's my an Mae's friend and he's moving into an apartment with us next week."

       "He's also Nolan's friend," Alan said, nudging Nolan with his elbow. "Right, Nolan?"

       Nolan gave Alan a look that told him to shut up, a look he gave probably a dozen times per day. Alan and Orchid kept bugging Nolan about Jerome, and Mae and I kept bugging Jerome about Nolan.

       It was fun.

       "So, Ryder and Mae," Grandpa said. "Planning time."

       I groaned and dug my face into my hands. "We're boyfriend and girlfriend! That's it!"

      "Shush, let things happen," Jerome said before looking at Grandpa. "I planned a lot for the wedding and I've also been looking online for Mae's wedding dress."

       "What, are you serious?" Mae asked. "We're not...."

       "Shush," Jerome said again. "Don't ruin the plans. It's never too early to plan a wedding."

       "You get me," Grandpa said to Jerome. "So, Jerome, how long have you lived in Miami?"

       "About a week," Jerome said. "I'm actually from Quebec, but I moved down here with Mae after I sort of got kicked out of my parents' home."

       Grandpa furrowed his eyebrows. "I never get why someone could do that. In fact, I gladly take in people who were kicked out of their house. Right, Grayson?"

      "I wasn't technically kicked out, I left because I was eighteen," Dad said. "But thank you, for taking me in anyway."

       "Oh, what happened?" Jerome asked.

       "Long story short, my dad is a dick," Dad said.

       "Grayson!" Mom said.

       "What? He is," Dad said.

       "He really is," Ginny agreed. "'Oh, you can't marry Nick because he's your cousin'. Nick isn't my cousin at all. There's this thing called in-laws."

       "Why did your parents kick you out?" Grandpa asked. "Wait, sorry, that was rude of me to ask."

       "No, it's fine," Jerome said. "It's a stupid reason anyway. I told them I was gay, so they kicked me out."