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“We’re going shopping,” Mom informed me with a sht, don’t you?”

“I’, Mom,” I told her What I really wanted to do was crawl into my dad’s lap and soak up his love for a few hours while atched crappy old movies

“Your dad went golfing with your uncles,” Moer kids are all over at Shane and Harper’s, and Arella is getting ready to go with us So, hurry your ass up We’re leaving in five minutes”

Sighing, I looked down at my outfit Skinny jeans with a hole in the left knee and the hoodie I’d stolen from Braxton the first week I’d moved in with him It was ot really cold back in Northern Virginia

“I’m ready,” I told Mom

“Really?” Her brown eyes skimmed over my attire, and her lips pressed into a fire that hoodie?”

“This is Braxton’s hoodie I’ it”

Her eyes softened, and a sly grin teased at her lips “Of course it is Okay, then Get your beautiful butt in the van while I go make your sister hurry up”

“We’reEmmie and Mia at the ot into Mom’s minivan It was spacious and always clean, no matter how hard Damien tried to destroy the interior every day

I climbed into the back with Aunt Lucy, and by the tier sister was dressed in a skirt I knew our dad would have freaked over and a red sweater with thigh-high black boots Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, but she’d curled the ends With the makeup she had on, she looked like she was ready for a date, not a si with her family

Knowing Arella, though, I i to see friends fro but perfect around them

We er, their bodyguards, ith them but thankfully dressed in casual clothes rather than their normal suits

As soon as she saw me, Aunt Emmie threw her arms around me “Happy birthday, sweetheart,” she said as she kissed my cheek

“Thanks, Aunt Em,” I murmured

As she stepped back, she put her arm around Mia’s waist “Where to first?”