Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
“There’s a little smudge of butter on your lip,” he says, voice low and guttural as if he’s in pain.
My eyes bore into his as he swipes off the butter with his thumb. I have to bite my teeth together to keep from turning my head and sucking off the remnants in front of all these people.
Get it together, Clara!
You can’t kiss your stepbrother, especially not in public.
Twisted thoughts enter my brain, branding filthy images there. Kissing him on my couch or in my kitchen or in my bed assault my mind. It’s snowing outside and I feel like I could melt anything in a five-mile radius from me.
“Clara!”
I jerk out of my trance and swivel around to search out the source of the voice who called my name. Seconds later, Ruthie launches herself at me. A laugh barks out of me as I catch her and hug her. Immediately after, Layla joins in. It takes them a moment to realize Eric is here too. They both squeal with delight, abandoning me to hug their brother.
At first Eric is stiff, as though he’s shocked by their affection, but then, much like the butter on that bread, he melts almost instantly.
“You remember me,” he says, voice thick with emotion.
The girls both huff in annoyance. Ruthie says, “Duh,” as if he’s dense. He’s a guy. They’re definitely dense sometimes.
“Want to meet our new dog?” I say to the girls. “His name is Frosty.”
They let go of Eric, bouncing up and down with excitement. He turns around and then squats low so they can see Frosty.
I crack up with laughter when Frosty starts licking both of their faces as if they’re covered in peanut butter. It’s cute how happy he is to see them. They gush and praise him for being adorable in his doggie sweater.
“Great,” a deep voice says with a groan. “They’re going to start begging for a dog.”
My stepdad, Mike, pulls me to him for a hug. Mom follows after, but she gives me a big sloppy kiss on the cheek, too.
“He’s really here,” Mom says, with a sigh. “I almost didn’t believe you when you texted me.”
“Is he okay?” Mike asks, pinning his green eyes that match Eric’s exactly, on me.
I glance over at Eric who is grinning at our sisters, oblivious that our parents have walked up as well. He and the girls carry on an animated discussion. When he mentions “dog catcher,” I realize he’s telling them the story of how we came to adopt Frosty.
“He’s going to be,” I assure both Mom and Mike when I pull my attention back to them. “He just needs family.”
When Eric notices who I’m talking to, he slowly rises to his feet and his smile fades. My heart aches to see him hang his head in shame.
“Come here, Son,” Mike grits out. “Give your pops a hug.”
Eric hugs his dad so tight I wonder if he’ll crush the big man’s bones.
Everything is going to be okay because Eric is back with us where he belongs.
Mike grimaces at the prices on Smoke & Sugar’s menu. Mom just shakes her head, winking at me. Always the same with those two. They can afford to eat at nice places, but he still complains. Eric studies the menu, scowling, but I can imagine the wheels turning in his brain. He’s thinking hard about the menu, but it’s not the prices.
Savvy, my neighbor and hostess at the restaurant, makes her way back over to us, grinning. “Vale says it’s fine if he stays.”
Frosty, exhausted from the eventful day at the extravaganza, snores quietly under the table where the girls have made a little bed with blankets for him.
“Thanks,” I say, returning her smile.
This is the first time I have been around her and not felt bitterness toward her. Her pregnant belly is barely showing, but it endears me to her. I guess I was always sort of jealous that she got Travis when I’d been the one to like him first. It feels like a million years ago now. My heart clearly healed because I don’t feel badly around her anymore.
“Oh,” she says, leaning in close to me. “I heard about the Travis fiasco. He’s mortified. Me and Cole gave him crap about it all night. We’ll never let him live it down.”
I’m amused that they teased him about his reaction to the conversation he and I’d had yesterday. “It was funny watching him squirm.”
She gives my shoulder a quick squeeze and then hurries off to greet more people coming into the restaurant. Did we just bury the animosity we have toward each other? Relief floods through me. I’m looking forward to texting Casey about it. With Casey’s husband, Brayden, being best friends with Savvy, it’s always been awkward. Maybe now we can all hang out together without being weird.