I smirk at him, knowing he’s not just referring to food. “You mean you prefer Alandra, Anna’s daughter.”

Gabe stops at the door and grins while his free hand rests on the handle. “I haven’t seen Alandra since she went away for college on the East coast.” His eyes get lost, and almost have a dreamy appearance like he’s remembering some long lost dream. “I wonder what she’s up to? I bet she’s hot now.”

I shake my head and nudge his shoulder. “Come on, Romeo. Let us in.”

The heavy, wooden door swings open with ease as soon as Gabe turns the handle. The house is just as immaculate as always. The gleaming, white tiles in the foyer make the double, grand staircases stand out against the stark walls. The round mahogany table between them matches the wood throughout the house perfectly, while the bright yellow and pink flower arrangement resting on its surface gives the room a pop of color.

“Wow,” Zach says as he takes in the large space. “If MTV ever brings Cribs back and wants to come to my house, I’m bringing them here instead. This puts my place to shame.”

“I’m sure it doesn’t. I can’t wait to see your place,” I say.

A wide smile stretches across his face. “Soon.”

The sound of high heels clicking against the floor catches my immediate attention and I stiffen. “Good land of the living, is that my Aubrey I hear in here?”

Mom appears in the room in a pink knee-length skirt and matching blouse, her pearls on display around her neck. Her auburn hair hangs loose above her shoulders, and as always she looks very put together. I smile as I set my purse on the table and step into her outstretched arms. “Hi, Mom.”

She pats my back. “Darling, it’s so good to see you. Let me take a look at you.” She steps back and grabs each of my wrists, effectively spreading my arms away from my body for her once over. “Charles, dear, you must come greet our unexpected visitor!”

I freeze as my mom calls for my father to enter the room. In an instant, my father is there, dressed in his khaki pants and long-sleeved button down shirt—his typical casual Sunday outfit. His salt and pepper hair is neatly trimmed and styled like he’s stuck in the eighties.

The Judge smiles. “There’s my little princess. Why didn’t you tell us you were coming, honey?”

I cringe at him referring to me as his princess. It only solidifies what Zach was saying earlier about me being spoiled.

“It’s good to see you, Judge,” I step into my father’s awaiting hug.

“Dear, would you pay the poor cab driver so he can leave,” Mom says to Dad while clutching her pearls, and I instantly jerk away from the hug.

“Here you go, young fellow.” Dad reaches for his wallet and I shake my head placing my hand on his arm, stopping it mid-motion. “Don’t be silly, Aubrey. I’ll pay your fair.”

Without warning the Judge takes a couple steps toward Zach and stuffs a wad of cash in his hand. Zach’s eyebrows rise as he stares down at the money. My face heats up and I know it’s fifty shades of red as I feel embarrassed that my family is so close-minded to think my man is nothing but a hired hand. I want to crawl into a hole and die.

I reach over and touch my father’s shoulder. “No, Daddy. He isn’t the cab driver. This is Zach, my boyfriend.”

The Judge eyebrows pull together in confusion. “Boyfriend? Honey, I don’t understand. Have you seen this man? I thought your mother and I raised you better than that.”

“Daddy, please!” I scold my father while anger that he would treat the man I love this way boils inside me. I step to Zach’s side and wrap my arm around his waist while he throws his arm over my shoulders. “I love him and I would appreciate if you could all to treat him with the same respect you show me. Besides, he’s not some riff-raff off the street, he’s—”

Zach holds up the hand holding the money, cutting me off mid-sentence. “Let him think what he wants about me.” In a swift motion Zach stuffs my father’s money in the front pocket of his jeans and my heart thunders, knowing this is his way of telling my father to fuck off. “He is The Judge, after all.”

The Judge narrows his eyes and raises a pointed finger at Zach, ready to fire threats like he always does when he’s challenged. I grip my man’s side preparing for my father’s wrath.

I hear my mother gasp and my mouth hangs open just before her body goes limp and she collapses to the floor. She was never good with conflict, passing out at anything the slightest bit stressful.

“Honey?” My father lands on his knees next to my mother’s side holding her head up while my brother uses his medical training to assess her.

Zach and I stand in my family’s foyer wrapped together in a show of solidarity. No matter what they say, I’m going to be with him. Like he said earlier, it’s him and I against the world. If my parents don’t want to support that, I might have to make one of the most difficult choices I’ve ever had to face and cut them out of my life.

***

The third time her cell phone rings, Aubrey shuts is off and tosses it in her purse. She closes her eyes and leans her head back against the headrest. Her long auburn hair falls over her shoulders in full waves while her mouth pulls into a slight frown. Getting in the car with me and leaving her family behind wouldn’t have been easy for her. I can’t imagine telling some of the most important people in my life to fuck off because they don’t approve of the person I’m in love with, but I’m glad she did. It’s got to be the hardest thing in the world for her. I swallow hard as I think about how it’s possible she might hate me for the little stunt I pulled.