page6 (1/2)

I watch until she's out of sight, pull my own blank ht smile "What's up?"

He waves toward the stove "Don't do that"

"Do what?" I ask pleasantly

"Family dinner shit," he says with another careless wave, and he proves to me that he still has a whole lot of asshole inside of him

"Family dinner shit?" I repeat

Marek takes a step toward ood father to Lilly I'ood dad without falling into your little faoing to be with us"

The rage rises within ed him, Gracen Suck it up Let him have his moment

When I feel like I can speak without scratching his eyes out, hly of yourself, Marek This dinner wasn't for you or for any warped idea I hts on that four years ago This is for Lilly A tradition we had atto continue it for as long as we stay here And epolite and inviting you to join us if you're hungry But it makes no difference to me if you have other plans The meal will be enjoyed with or without you Now, if you'll excuse ot a kid to wash up and a pie to make for us"

I turn away before I can even gauge hoords ht affect hi out"

I wheel on him so fast his chin jerks in with surprise and he takes a tiny step back I cross the kitchen to hier into his chest for e, Marek I will move out with Lilly I just don't knohen or where that will be or how to acco to stay here for too er I'd rather have my intestines ripped out of my belly button with a crochet needle than suffer your presence on a daily basis Until that tiood dad to Lilly and I'll support your right to do that You ht just cut your balls off while you sleep"

Marek blinks at ive hiht smile and say, "Nowenjoy your Labor Day party"

I feelproud ofup the stairs I know I have a lot to pay for given what I did to Marek, but I' to take more abuse than I deserve from him

I conjure up an iht and happy on the inside I have Lilly, Owen's out ofreot a backbone with Marek

Oh, and cherry pie How can you not be happy with that on the horizon?

Chapter 5

Marek

My living rooht over the stove is on in the kitchen, and it throws enough of a glow into the living room that I'm not in total pitch black I sink further down into the armchair, the bottohball glass with about two inches of bourbon in it I' it over the end of the armrest I've yet to take a sip, and that's only because I'm pretty damn drunk already Not sure why I even poured it, but since I wasn't tired when I stuured more liquor couldn't hurt

The party at Holt's house sucked Nor with one of e extrovert and social whore He loves people and having theregate thee party frequented by le dudes on the Cold Fury

And there were plenty at Holt's house this afternoon Even etting ready to gut his entire house and remodel it over the course of the season, so this was sort of a last hurrah for him

It was the pits because I couldn't get into it The liquor tasted bland, the food dry, and the women? Well, they didn't seem so hot anymore

Not compared to Gracen, and it's impossible for me not to coht be pissed at her a good chunk of the time, but I'm still attracted to her 100 percent of the time

It's left ht, and perhaps the bourbon will take the edge off I lift the glass toMy arm drops back to the rest and I sink further into the chair while I brood

Lilly

I' far out of my comfort zone that my stomach is constantly knotted when I' that because she looks just like lets of curls is a And she has my eyes

My fucking eyes

Both Gracen and I have blue eyes, but the fact that the color is spelled B-L-U-E is about the only similarity Mine are a deep blue, the color of deni emotion, but I've been told they look like sapphires when the sunlight hits the with at the beach told me that once, but I saw it yesterday with Lilly She picked a dandelion for her mom and held it up for me to inspect She smiled at me as she titled her face back to the sun and her eyes sparkled like gemstones

Gracen's eyes, though, are co around the edge When you look close, you'll see flecks of gold in theical eyeshypnotizing

Used to love fucking her and looking down into those eyes