Page 41 of Sing For Me

“Maybe I’ll make you flash cards or something,” Will says, and I feel a little flutter at the idea. Does he think I’m going to be around long enough to get to know his family?

“Pretty good crowd, this year, huh?” Fox asks, looking out over the ballroom as he slides half a slice of pizza into his mouth.

“Aunt Sam told me we raised almost thirty percent more than last year,” Rose says, sounding proud.

“I suppose that’s worth putting this monkey suit on for,” River says, tugging at his already loosened tie. “Even though I still don’t see why we can’t change it up once in a while.”

“It’s a gala, River,” Rose says. “What the hell else are we supposed to do?”

“I don’t know.” He shoves more pizza in his mouth then mumbles through the food, “reg ah ahmuzmuch pah.”

Rose glares at her little brother. “You are vile, you know that?”

He swallows. “Isaid, we could rent an amusement park. That at least would be fun.”

“It would also be expensive as hell,” Alex points out. “The whole point of the gala is to raise money, not spend it, genius.”

“River bitches about the gala every year,” Everly tells me. “He’s very fragile.”

He flips her off. “Excuse me if I don’t like putting on this torture get-up and standing around watching rich people fawn over our dads and try to get close to us just because we’re related to them.”

“That part does blow,” Fox agrees. “Which is why we inevitably end up hiding away just like this.”

“Every year,” Everly agrees, raising a slider into the air like a champagne glass. The others hold up their food, pretending to toast.

I remember what Will had told me about his cousins coming in waves. These six must make up the older group. Which means these are the people Will grew up with. His best friends. I watch them interact, laughing and teasing each other, and wonder what that would have been like. To have had a support system like this. How much different would my mom’s death have been if I had family like this to rely on?

How much different would my own recovery have been?

“You okay?” Will asks, nudging my knee with his.

I smile up at him. “I’m good.”

His eyes search mine. “Having fun?”

“I am,” I tell him honestly. I can’t remember the last time I felt so comfortable with a group of people I didn’t know well. Sitting here with Will and his family, I almost feel normal.

Once we’ve destroyed a majority of the food, Everly pulls a pack of playing cards out of her purse. “Texas Hold ’Em?”

There’s a general murmur of agreement, River already moving to clear off the table, and Will looks at me. “You up for it?”

I make a face. “I don’t know how to play.”

“That’s okay,” he says easily. “You can be on my team.” He leans over and whispers in my ear, so only I can hear. “You’ll have to sit really close to me, though. So you can see the cards.”

His warm breath washes over the sensitive skin below my ear, making goosebumps erupt all up and down my arms. I even shiver a little, then smack Will when he chuckles. Of course he noticed.

Time for a little payback.

I lean into his ear this time, dropping my voice a little so it’s huskier. “Are you sure I’ll be able to see from there? Maybe I’ll need to sit in your lap.”

He lets out a little strangled noise, and it’s my turn to laugh, leaning back.

“Evil,” he mutters, but his eyes are sparkling with amusement.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rose watching us. Her expression is strange—she almost looks worried. I try to push that thought away. Will’s cousins have been nothing but welcoming to me.

As it turns out, I’m pretty damn good at poker. It only takes me a few rounds to get the hang of it and start playing my own hand without Will’s help. An hour after we started playing, the others are all giving me dirty looks.