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Peter fiddled with the straw of his drink wondering just how he got himself in this mess: sitting in front of his ex-girlfriend of seven years who he still misses. Just why is he such a masochist?
“So,” LJ said after clearing her throat, “how are you doing? I saw your last game, you were great.”
He sighed, that familiar warmth he feels when he is happy erupting in his chest. This is exactly why he liked LJ, looks aside, her warmth, how genuinely kind she is.
Goddammit! He still loves her, how can he simply stop loving her after all this time?
“Thanks,” Peter mumbled, feeling his face heating up.
Oh dear Lord, have mercy.
LJ scoffed a little laugh. “This is weird, isn’t it?” He nodded, not daring to meet her eyes. “I just wanted us to clear everything up before you come for dinner.”
Peter sighed, forcing the embarrassment aside. “I don’t have to go, you know right?”
LJ rolled her eyes, smiling a little. “You already saw Kitty, didn’t you?”
Peter tried not to cower, it’s not like he did anything bad, he has nothing to be embarrassed about… He still feels like a naughty child.
“Come on Kavinsky, I know my sister, there is no way anyone can change her mind. If she invited you over it means she already talked with you.”
He sighed. “We met a few days after she arrived.”
And she grew up so damn much. The little girl he met is growing up awfully fast: living abroad and getting a whole ass boyfriend. To think he once helped her with homework (or tried to, at least).
“She is growing up too fast,” LJ said as if she read his mind. “She changed a lot in the months she was away, can you believe she now cleans her room everyday?”
Yeah, no.
Peter tried not to sigh again, feeling old already. “What is the boyfriend like?”
LJ giggled (he can’t see what’s so funny). “Evan Whittemore. Tall, handsome, British, and a good cook to boot.”
And Peter doesn’t like him already. He just knows he is corrupting his littlest Covey, he has to be.
“You like him,” Peter accused the traitor.
LJ loudly slurped her pasta, finding joy in his misery. Peter rolled his eyes at her antics and would nag her if they were still together, but now he has more pressing issues, such as the bastard that is sweeping Kitty off her feet. He sounds dangerous.
“Be real, he is staying at your house and Kitty mentioned something about sharing rooms. Why are you not more worried?”
Lara Jean took her time enjoying another mouthful of her food before answering (much to his chagrin). “I am worried, but I decided to trust Minho will take care of Kitty.”
Peter sighed, deflating at the argument. From the corner of his eye he saw LJ fiddling with her phone, he ignored her in favour of his cooling food.
It’s somewhat disheartening not to have any arguments against that boy other than he doesn’t like him (and still doesn’t know him). Peter just knows that boy drove Kitty to the cafe they met at and that, according to Kitty, “Minho treats her well”. It’s just… he remembers being that age and madly in love. He knows first loves make you look at That Person through pink tinted glasses. That boy sounds way too good, as if he is hiding something and doing everything to cover it up.
“Oh, here,” LJ said, handing him her phone. “Just look at the video.”
Peter took the phone and watched. It looks like a security camera footage from a group of dancing girls in colourful dresses, the merry image changed in the matter of seconds, from smiles to panic as a machine malfunctioned and two girls’ dresses caught fire.
His stomach dropped, he now knows exactly who is in the video.
Kitty’s on the floor, the fire expanding on the fabric of her dress at an alarming rate while two girls panic next to her. A boy appeared, desperately patting down the fabric. Peter can’t see exactly what happened next, he just saw the boy ripping fabric off and stomping on it, immediately returning to Kitty’s side.
He returned the phone, unable to stomach whatever happened next. He can’t see how scared Kitty was, he just can’t.
“I know,” LJ whispered, briefly resting her hand on his. “I only have this video because dad couldn’t stop seeing it and we need it for the lawsuit. That boy is Kitty’s boyfriend, he got second degree burns on his hands, some fabric melted on his left palm when he ripped the dress off.”
“Oh,” is all Peter can say.
Suddenly all his misgiving about the boy feel silly. After all, he literally put his hands in fire for Kitty, how can Peter dislike him?
“Yup, that is why dad and Trina love him already. He also helped Kitty a lot when she was feeling homesick and is still helping her with her Korean.”
Peter sighed, defeated. “Okay, I get it. I guess I would like him too if I was in Dan’s place.”
LJ’s smile widened. “Dad loves him, genuinely cares about him. He and Trina installed a dozen gadgets in Kitty’s room for Minho.”
“Do you think they will last?”
LJ shrugged, Peter can’t exactly judge her for her not answering. They thought they would make it, they almost did, maybe they could have if it wasn’t for the distance and different life goals.
“They still like him, a lot more than they ever liked anyone else.”
Peter clutched his chest. “You wound me, Covey.”
Then again, there was a borderline pornographic video of him and LJ when they started dating while there is a whole rescue video of Kitty and her boyfriend. Dan may have a really good point.
“At least they like him more than Josh?”
LJ snorted, almost choking on her drink. “Definitely. Margot had to have her door open when Josh was over and we were in the house, but dad literally has no rules for Minho and Kitty. It’s a little unfair,” she ended up admitting.
Just a little?
Dan was always nice to him, but even he wasn’t allowed to be alone in LJ’s room unless everyone was out, then Dan bluntly told him to lock the door and use protection. Peter is still embarrassed seven years later.
Oh well, he needs to meet this Minho boy to properly dislike him.
Peter checked his reflection for the tenth time in less than an hour. He hopes the car mirror is distorting his face somehow because he doesn’t feel ready enough. Then again, how is he supposed to prepare to have dinner with his ex-girlfriend’s family?!
“Oh God,” Peter whispered, seriously considering just driving away.
Should he even be here? LJ and him broke up months ago (nine weeks, to be precise), he really should not be visiting her family for the holidays.
His phone buzzed, Peter gratefully took the chance to distract himself. A message from his littlest Covey welcomed him.
“Made them myself and got your fave ice cream” followed by a picture of a tray of brownies.
Right, Peter now remembers why he agreed to this whole circus in the first place: Kitty Song Covey, a total menace that he absolutely loves. How can he not when he saw the girl grow? She is the little sister he never had.
Peter thanked his foresight and not taking a single bite of food today because he feels rather queasy walking to the Song-Covey-Rothschild household. Maybe it has to do with how huge the place is.
Intellectually speaking, Peter has always known LJ’s family lives comfortably. Dan is an experienced obgyn and Trina owned her own house before getting married, it just didn’t hit him how comfortable the family truly is to afford a place like this in the heart of Cali.
At least he doesn’t need to worry about anyone stealing his car.
Peter knocked on the door, fighting himself to keep in the bile rapidly rising up. He feels like a teen picking up his date for the first time.
A rather disgruntled guy pulled open the door. Peter’s eyes narrowed, this guy looks Korean enough, is he the boyfriend? Because he looks older than him, if so love truly is blind.
“Hello there,” the guy almost asked, covering the entrance with his body.
Weird guy.
“Uh, yeah, I’m Peter?”
Jeez, he may just be back at the first middle school dance and making a fool of himself.
The guy let out a strangled sound. “This will sound weird but you need to get in fast or the cat may get out and you and I will be kicked out.”
Cat?
Peter didn’t overthink and allowed the guy to pull him in the house. An overly Christmassy living room welcomed him, all red and gold, with a huge tree visible from here. Yup, right house.
“Sorry about that, Dan and Tri got a cat. She disappeared two days ago and we were going crazy, turns out she was sleeping in Margot’s sock drawer. Alex, by the way. Take off your shoes, everyone is in the kitchen.”
The guy looks friendly enough, awfully comfortable in this house. Who is he again?
“Wait, Alex?!”
The guy turned, smiling a little. “The older brother, yeah.”
This is so weird! LJ has an older brother who is not actually her brother but Eve always talked about. LJ did confess she was terrified of meeting the guy, things managed to work out despite the messy situation.
Hollywood writers would give a kidney for this story.
Peter followed the guy, looking around. This place looks like a Who wet dream and smells like a bakery, Kitty most definitely had a hand in the decoration, all the sparkles scream Kitty Song Covey. He truly misses that girl.
“Peter!”
He was almost tackled by a girl that barely reaches his chest and is at most half his weight. Without thinking Peter twirled his little menace the way he did when she was younger. Now it’s not as easy as it once was, but he doesn’t mind the effort just to hear his little girl laugh.
Peter finally put Kitty down, smiling at the girl. “I missed you, littlest Covey.”
Kitty laughed, all dimples just like he remembers. “I missed you.”
Peter took his time greeting the whole family. Last time this happened it was only five people, now there are some additions. Alex, his fiancée, his parents (both look like kind grandparents), and finally the one Peter wanted to meet the most: Kitty’s boyfriend.
“And he is my boyfriend, Minho.”
Peter met the guy’s eyes, realising with increasing distaste the dude is just as tall as him. Drat, there goes his plan to intimidate him with height.
“I heard a lot about you, please make her stop,” Minho said, extending a hand.
A very much bandaged hand. Peter looked at his other one, then tried not to grimace. The left one looks way more bandaged than the right one.
Peter went against his original plan and gently shook the boy’s hand.
“Could say the same, nice to meet you.”
It doesn’t feel like a lie. Peter may not like the guy, he is his littlest Covey boyfriend, how can he like him? But the guy did protect Kitty, that does make all the innate dislike melt away.
Drat.
“Want some?” Dan asked from the counter, signalling the minibar.
“I drove.”
And he needs to set the example for his littlest yet wildest Covey.
“You can stay over, we have a room empty,” LJ offered, filling her glass with some whiskey.
Hot damn, Lara Jean has always had that sweet face, the kind that makes her look innocent. She is not, he knows very well. And she knows her whiskey.
There is a reason you should not meet your ex so soon after the breakup, Peter thinks.
Dinner, much to Peter’s surprise, was not nearly as awkward as he imagined. No awkwardness at all, actually. Maybe it has to do with all the people and the dozen conversations around, maybe it has to do with Emma (Alex’s mom) being a rugby fan.
Nice lady, great tastes.
From the corner of his eye he saw as Kitty changed plates with Minho, the plate she took so long to carefully slice. The boy is looking at her with such a tender expression Peter feels like he is intruding.
“Weird, right?” Margot whispered, nudging at the youngest couple.
Peter has to agree. Kitty, while always nice, has always been rather oblivious. Unless you ask her directly for help she won’t notice you need it. Not with her boyfriend, apparently.
“It only gets worse.”
Margot was right. Minho went straight to the stove with the empty plate of mushrooms and refilled it. Kitty snagged at least half of it. Kitty literally shoved a jalapeno in Alex’s mouth when he started teasing Minho for not liking mashed potatoes, suffice to say the poor guy was too busy stuffing himself with water to tease them again.
What took the crown though was the way Kitty put her portion of brownies on Minho’s plate. Kitty giving up on dessert? Unheard of! And if that wasn’t teeth rotting enough, Minho gave his portion of ice cream to Kitty.
First of all, ew. Second, he feels single.
Peter stole a glance at LJ, who is merrily talking with Alex’s dad. He misses her. Jeez, who could have thought heartbreak would make him a sap?
Dan cleared his throat, all conversations came to a halt. “I would like to thank everyone here for coming. Emma, Oscar, thank you for travelling all the way here.”
Emma smiles, eyes wrinkling. “How can we not want to meet Alex’s family?”
“Alexander, thank you for giving us a chance to be a family.”
Peter is sure there is something huge he is missing as Dan suddenly looks ready to burst in tears, Alex is not far behind. LJ, the eternally sensitive one, is already crying.
He quietly pushed the napkins to her.
“And Minho, as long as I am alive you will always have a home to return to. Welcome to the family, my son.”
The guy, Minho, barely nodded. Peter dared not to say anything when he noticed Kitty handing him some napkins and him immediately using it.
Weird, the guy looks tall and is almost as broad as him. Handsome as fuck, what a bastard. Strange to think a guy like that is so sensitive.
At least he is not the only one.
“Peter, now that we live in the same state don’t hesitate to drop by. Remember that you are not only connected to the family thanks to your past relationship. You are a son to me, a brother to Katherine. You will always be welcome at this table.”
Peter smiled at Dan, throat clogging up. Perhaps Dan is another reason why the breakup was so hard. Dan is kind, very gentle and understanding. He was almost a father to Peter for so many years, stepping up when he had no responsibility to.
Yup, he definitely was hurt at the idea of the unavoidable rift that had to form them after the breakup. Silly of him to realise it hasn’t happened yet, it most likely never will.
The breakup was hard, he still misses Lara Jean every single day. Peter is pretty sure it will take a long, very long time to heal, but he will heal.
He promises himself to become a better man, the kind of man that can look at Dan in the eyes with pride. The kind of man Lara Jean Song Covey deserves.
The kind of man Peter wants to be.