No Shame (Book 2 - No Regrets)

Chapter Twenty-Four - Creation of Legacies

KATIE'S POV

Shortly after Ella had left, the rest of the boys came upstairs. Grace went out on the back porch to get air, Parker went out to talk to her. By the time, Mr. and Mrs. Gribes got back home from their errands, Grace was cooled down and Logan was getting started on dinner. Mrs. Gribes, having already been notified of her youngest daughter's absence at the dinner, pulled Grace aside to speak privately.

Mr. Gribes stayed downstairs to oversee the diner preparations. Christopher and Sawyer were sent to the dining room to set the table for dinner; while Zeke and Parker helped Logan cook. Evan and I, after awkwardly moving between dining room and kitchen went out to the back patio. The smell of cigarette smoke still lingers in the air. I sat down in one of the rocking chairs while Evan remained standing and looked out at the lawn. Both of us silently scrolling on our phones, occasionally making brief small talk. Neither of us have spent much time together without being accompanied by either one of or both our respective boyfriends. On the rare occasion, he and I are without Zeke or Sawyer, we are only alone for a few minutes that can be easily occupied with small talk.

"Katie, do you mind if I make a call?" Evan asks. "It will be quick. I just need to check on something."

"Oh, not at all." I say. "I will stretch my legs a little." I say getting up to give him some privacy.

"Katie, you don't have to." Evan says. "You can stay here or I can walk around."

"No worries. My legs are getting a little stiff." I walk down the steps from the patio to the yard. The Gribes' lawn is green and soft underfoot, with colorful lively flowerbeds outlining the house and running along the back fence. Sawyer told me his father is passionate about both maintained a neat lawn and a visually-pleasing lawn. Mom and Dad have put work into the landscape and upkeep of our lawn, but none that makes more than a dent when compared to the Gribes family.

Walking around the backyard, I am reminded of my first time visiting this house on that New Years Eve. The night that pushed Dominick toward becoming the father, brother, and son he is now; and also placed me on the course toward ending up dating Sawyer and befriended the members of his family. I touch my neck, remembering the necklace Sawyer gave me that night, my late-Christmas present. The necklace is too expensive and too precious, sentimentally, to me for me to wear it aside from a few special occasions.

When the special occasion worthy of wearing the necklace presents itself, I will often find myself gently twisting the chain around my finger. Remembering the promise I made to Christopher and, in a way, made to Sawyer. Despite how much I cherish the necklace, there are moments where the necklace feels like a chain collar.

I look back at the patio and see Zeke has now stepped out. Zeke's back is to me, he is leaned against the railing. Evan's body is facing toward me, he is leaned over a bit with folded hands resting on the railing while his head is turned to talk to Zeke. I turn my face away to allow them further privacy, I turn my attention back to my phone.

"Katie!" Evan calls from the patio a couple minutes later. I look over, Zeke is going back inside as Evan motions for me to come inside. "We are being summoned."

I briskly walk back up to the patio where Evan stands waiting. Though his expression is unchanged, I feel a tension coming off of him. Inside, the scent of garlic and the warmth from the kitchen engulfs me. Mrs. Gribes is sitting in the living room in a red cushioned chair talking to Parker, who is laying down on the couch. She smiles when she sees Evan and I. "Hello." She says. "Parker, bend your legs. Make room." She says making a sweeping motion toward Parker. "You two, please sit down. Make yourself at home."

"Oh I'm fine, thank you, Mrs. Gribes." Evan says. He offers the seat to me, I take it feeling it would be more awkward for both of us not to.

"Mrs. Gribes that is my mother-in-law and sister-in-laws, please call me Willa." She says with a smile. She puts her hands together and looks back and forth from Evan to me. "Look, I want to apologize that you had to witness Grace and Gabriella's aggressive interaction today." She lets out a small breath as she says, "My girls," she shakes her head. "they inherited my flare for dramatics."