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Sleep had been evading ht at the bar two days earlier I was still unsure why Destry had stood up forhis mouth One minute, he’d been hot for me; the next, he tried to blowup foruy was the epito with hih to havewith hi ht since he’d takenkiss on the roadside, I’d had trouble finding sleep, and when I finally did drift off, I’d had variations of the sas towith anyone else I had no idea es
Unable to tolerate it any longer, I crawled out of bed and turned off the alar downstairs to see what the day held
"Morning, sunshine" Austin s black coffee the moment I walked into the kitchen How the boy was so chipper before the sun had even cohed "You’re fast becoing the cup back up to old in my hands and wandered off
"I resent that" Braxton pouted with a cute look on his face as he put a steas on the table
"Oh, don’t pout, honey I have to tell hihed and sat across the other side of the table as Austin called out, "I heard that!"
"I think you were meant to," Braxton jibed at him The relaxed, easy e’d all slipped into a routineand sweet I felt comfortable in a way I’d never experienced Ellie-May chose that moment to wander in and plonk herself down at the table with a scowl across her pretty face Austin and Braxton took one look at her, looked at each other and slid a large stack of pancakes and a bottle of maple syrup directly in front of her The entire table was silent while she du pile and stabbed her fork into them like they’d personally offended her
Both boys loaded up a plate quickly and quietly before slinking away and dashing out the back door I sat there looking around completely confused, just before I opened , Destry’s thick voice sent a rush of warh me as he whispered in my ear, "I’d make a break for it while you still can" I turned htly to find his face inches fro ht between htly lost in a dreaht
Destry’s ling in the s between us It was inore what had happened between us I tried and failed Nothing I did could ta like a storm I wanted to feel his soft but calloused hands all over ain I wanted to fly apart while he drove intoeyes at each other now or should I take breakfast elsewhere?" Ellie-May’s annoyed inquiry made us both jolt away from each other like we’d been burnt
"I’ll be out back when you’re ready to go, ‘Melia" I’d had the nickname ‘Melia by one person or another before, but never had it made me feel warm and comforted I watched as Destry stepped out the back screen door, and when it sacked back against the wooden frame, I poked around at the food that’d been put on my plate
"Sorry I don’tat her pancakes
"No har black coffee that afting up towardI wasn’t over stepping irl sucks and I’ The reason behind the boys’ hasty retreat became clear My brain translated her otten attempts at sisterhood with Nikki
"PMS?" I asked quietly, picking up h
"Yes, I hate it It turnsher fork up to her lips and shoving a dripping piece of pancake into herit At that h to have a relationship with me
"You wanna talk about it?" I asked my little sister Nikki from the doorway of her bedroom
"No, I don’t want to talk to you, Little Miss Perfect," she screamed into her pillow
"Come on, Nikki, you know it isn’t like that" I really hated when she calledas I had always felt like the outsider of the fa the part in ridiculous dresses, perfectand be bike riding with the boys I wanted freedom and the power to choose what I did withsociety of snooty wo men