Natalia's POV

"Natalia, love. Where are you?" I hear my mother's voice ring into my ear.

"I'm on my way, Mami. Is Papi already cooking?" I ask.

"He's done. Prisa." She says, trying her hardest to get me to rush.

"Grayson is in the shower. He has a whole process in getting ready. There's no rushing this man." I laugh.

"Well, hurry and get here. The food is going to get cold!" She says.

"No it won't." I laugh, shaking my head at the exaggeration of this all. 

"Your brother is going to be here soon, too. He's always late." She complains.

"You better tell him to leave Grayson alone, Mami. Otherwise, Grayson and I will be leaving." I tell her.

I've already explained this once to Nathanial. I'll say the same thing to my parents. I'll tell everyone until it finally sticks. Grayson isn't just some guy that I'm going to let everyone step all over. I'm not going to let my family ruin this for me. Especially not my brother.

"He will, he will. Your father already straightened him out. Nothing to worry about, Mija." She assures me.

"I'm not kidding, Mami." I warn.

"I'm not either. Don't worry. Relajarse." She huffs.

"I think I hear him getting out of the shower." I say, listening for the shower door to close.

"Put me on speaker." She says.

I do as she says and instantly, her voice fills the once silent room.

"Grayson!" She yells loudly, trying to get Grayson to hear her.

He pokes his head out of the bathroom and gives me a confused look.

"It's Mami. She wanted to talk to you." I laugh.

"Oh. Hi?" He says with pleasant confusion laced in his voice.

"Hurry, amor! You're missing out on the food!" She teases.

"I'll hurry." He says with a laugh. "We'll leave in five minutes." 

"Promise?" She asks.

"I promise." He adds.

"Okay. I'll see you two here soon. Adios!" She says before hanging up the phone.

"You know, she likes you." I tell him.

"Does she?" He asks.

"Yeah. Papi does, too." I tell him.

"Now if only I could get Nathan to not hate me." He adds, slipping a black shirt over his head. 

"He doesn't hate you." I say. "He's just protective." I remind him.

"I know." He says. "You sure you want me to go today? I don't mind staying here. I know you guys haven't had family time. With just all four of you." He says, looking at me with concern.

"Do you not want to go? I asks.

"I want to go if you want me to go." He says.

"I want you to go." I say.

"Then I will go." He nods. "Come on." 

-

"Finally! Come in!" My mother exclaims in excitement. 

"Thank you for having the two of us." Grayson says, giving her a very tense hug. I'm not sure if he'll ever get used to hugging my mother the way that she likes hugging everyone.

"Anytime! Let me take this for you. Sit, sit!" She says, taking his jacket from him. 

"Where's Nathanial?" I ask.

"He's right here." Nathanial says, stepping into the room with a bright smile. "Come here, you." 

I go over and hug him tightly. Despite the arguments we've had recently concerning my relationship, I love my brother. He has taken care of me when it feels like no one else had. I know he means well. He just has a shitty way of showing it.

"I've missed you." I mutter into his chest.

"I've missed you, too." He whispers in reply, kissing the top of my head.

When I pull away, I turn to see Grayson standing in the background nervously.

"Grayson. Good seeing you again, man." Nathanial laughs as he offers Grayson his hand. Grayson shakes it quickly in greeting and then looks to me for support.

"Grayson mentioned that he saw you last night." I say, trying my best to make conversation.

"Yeah, he did." Nathanial says, still not letting go of Grayson's hand. "You remember any of that, man? You were pretty wasted." He says before letting go.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Grayson says, shaking his head in embarrassment. "I don't think that will be happening again." He explains.

"Sorry for what? Getting drunk or trying to fight me?" Nathanial asks with sarcasm laced in his voice.

"What?" I ask, looking at Grayson for an answer.

"I...yeah. Both." Grayson stutters, looking upset.

""What are you talking about?" I ask.

"Nothing, it's nothing." Nathanial says, shaking his head. "What was done in a drunk fit is nothing I'm holding against you." He answers with a joking smile.

"Nathanial." I say, not sure exactly what I'm waiting for him to say. 

"It's nothing, Natty Light." He says, using my old nickname from my first year in college. 

"Natty Light?" Grayson asks with confusion.

"It's what the girls used to call her in the sorority house." Nathanial tells him.

"Oh." Grayson nods.

"Kids! Dinner is ready! Come, come!" Mami says as she enters the room once more, ushering for us to come to the kitchen.

"It smells great in here." Grayson says as we enter the kitchen.

"Thank you, amor. We've tried something new." She smiles at him in reply.

"Did you guys grill?" Nathanial asks, looking at the burgers quizzically.

"Si! We made some grilled chicken for you, Grayson. I know you hate red meat." She smiles in reply. 

"I really appreciate that. Thank you." He smiles.

"Of course. Natalia, make Grayson a plate, si?" She asks, giving me a knowing look.

"Si, Mami." I reply as I pull the chair out for Grayson and take the plate from his place at the table.

"I can get it, I don't mind." Grayson says, grabbing the plate at the same time as I do.

"Nonsense! She's more than capable of getting it." My Papi interrupts. Grayson looks uncomfortable over this, but he doesn't try fighting against it.

"Thank you." He says softly, releasing the plate from his grasp.

Nathanial follows me to the kitchen with our mother's plate in his hand.

"Nathanial, be nice." I whisper softly enough so that Grayson won't hear.

"Natty. I've got it." He groans.

"I'm not kidding, Nathanial." I snap.

"Okay, well your boyfriend isn't so innocent either, you know." He snaps in reply.

"He was drunk, leave him alone." I say, rolling my eyes.

"So just because he's drunk makes it okay to push me in a bar?" He asks with a laugh. 

"Nathanial, stop." I repeat.

"I'm just saying, he's not all that innocent either. You didn't see the shit he was doing that night, Nat. I did. Just watch out, okay?" He warns.

"Grayson! Do you want any corn?" I call out, ignoring my brother completely. 

"Yes, please." He calls back in reply.

"Fine, if you want to ignore me, then that's fine." He snaps. "Don't say that I didn't warn you." 

"You're going to have to get over this weird hate that you have for my boyfriend, Nathanial. It's childish." I sigh in response.

"It's not childish to want my sister to have a good relationship. One where it isn't going to mentally drain her down the line." He replies.

"Let me live my own life, Nathanial." I reply. 

"I am." He replies.

"Without meddling." I add.

"I'm your older brother. All I do is meddle." He laughs.

"I'll see you at the table." I sigh as I walk back to the kitchen table.

The dinner itself was nice. I missed having time with my family. I feel as though it hasn't been the four of us in a long time. Although Grayson is here with us, he stays quiet for the most part. Every so often I'll grip his thigh to show that I'm still there. I know he likes it when I do this.

"Mami, Papi. I have some news." I saw, looking for any ounce of courage I can muster up.

"Si, amor?" Mami replies, waiting for me to speak.

"Okay. So I know you've been paying my rent. I really appreciate too." I begin, waiting for them to stop eating. 

"Yeah..." Papi says cautiously.

"I was talking to my roommate yesterday." I begin, swallow a drink of water that is very much needed at the moment. 

"God, spit it out." Nathanial groans impatiently.

"Hush!" Mami says, brushing him away.

"He wants for his boyfriend to move into the apartment with him." I explain.

"Okay, so the payments are changing." Papi says, taking a bite of food.

"Yeah, kind of." I say, gripping Grayson's leg for my own comfort. I haven't even told Grayson this yet. Hell, maybe I should have told him first. "I'm moving in with Grayson." I spit out.

Nathanial nearly chokes on his drink before looking at me with wide eyed disbelief.

"What?" Papi asks, looking between the two of us.

"You're fucking kidding me, right?" Nathanial asks, standing up from his seat.

"Nathanial! Sit down!" Mami snaps, motioning for him to hush.

"No! This is fucking bullshit. I'm not going to let my baby sister move in with someone she's been dating for two seconds!" He yells.

"This isn't your choice, Nathanial!" I yell in reply.

"Stop yelling!" Mami yells, trying to calm the two of us down.

"Are you going to tell her what you did the other night? Huh?" Nathanial spits out, looking at Grayson with pure disbelief.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about." Grayson stutters.

"Oh, you don't remember? You don't remember getting a lap dance from Brooke and making out with her, right in front of everyone?" He yells.

"What is he talking about?" I ask, looking to Grayson for an answer. Grayson would never do something like that. Nathanial is so obsessed with trying to break us apart that he would go to lying about him to keep us away for one another.

"Tell her. Tell her all about how you just couldn't wait to to get Brooke in your lap. Tell her that while she was sitting at home, you were at the bar kissing Brooke." He yells.

"Grayson?" I ask, feeling my parents eyes on me.

"Nat, I didn't. I swear, I didn't." He says, looking at me with pleading eyes.

"You're really going to sit there and lie to her face?" Nathanial asks, disbelief written all over his face.

"I didn't, Natalia. I swear." Grayson says, begging for me to believe him.

"Fucking unbelievable." Nathanial grumbles before grabbing his phone and scrolling quickly. I stay silent as I watch him, dreading for whatever is about to come next. "Fucking look." He snaps, sliding his phone my way.

Grayson and I both look down at the screen immediately.

"No. No, that's not..that's not me. I mean, it's not..." Grayson stutters as I look down at the picture in front of my eyes.

"Now do you really want to move in with a fucking cheater?" Nathanial spits.

Grayson ignores his comment, trying to take the phone from my hand, but can't once I jerk it away. 

"We're leaving." I spit out, sliding the phone back to Nathanial. "Sorry. We need to leave. Now." I mutter quickly as I gather my things and stand up from my spot at the kitchen table.

I don't let anyone's words stop me as I walk out the door.