Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
It was that realization that snapped me out of my pout. We’d been spending every day together for so long that it had somehow become a necessity. I loved spending time with Bas, and at the end of the day, I wanted to go home with him—but I needed to start building my own life, too.
If I was going to make a life in Eugene, I needed to actually do it. No more isolation.
Moseying out to the main room, I found my parents talking to Auntie Rose and Uncle Mack.
“Hey, we ready to go?” I asked cheerfully. “I don’t have any luggage, so I’m set.”
“We’re waitin’ on all the food your mom ordered,” Dad replied with a grin.
“Well, I didn’t know we’d be leaving tonight,” Mom huffed.
“Did you tell Kara that they were ordering food?” Auntie Rose asked Uncle Mack. “If she brings the kids down, she won’t have to make dinner.”
“She said she put somethin’ in the slow cooker this mornin’,” Uncle Mack replied apologetically. “But she said if you want to make them dinner tomorrow, she’s in.”
“Good.” Auntie Rose turned to my mom. “You just wait. Grandkids are the reward for having kids.”
“Don’t look at me,” I said quickly. “Gray and Frankie are first.”
“Gonna be hard to have babies in a convent,” my dad joked.
“You’re very funny,” I replied dryly, pointing over my shoulder. “I’m going to go over there.”
Turning on my heel, I marched toward a group of tables where a bunch of my cousins were sitting. I’d barely seen Meg and Olive since I’d been in town, and it was the first time I’d seen Forrest at all. Brody and Jamo were teasing Myla about something when I stopped at the edge of their table, and one of them kicked out a chair for me to sit in without even glancing my way.
“About time,” Brody said. “You’ve been up Bas’s ass since you got back.”
“I have not,” I argued, dropping into the chair. “Most of the time I was lying on Mom and Dad’s couch, reading used romance novels.”
“Thrilling,” Jamo joked.
“It is,” I countered. “I’ll teach you to read, if you want.”
Meg snickered.
“Why are you guys all here?” I asked, looking around the table. “I’m stuck here, but you’re not.”
“Moral support and all that,” Olive said with a wink. “We figured you’d find us eventually.”
“I’m here for the food,” Brody argued. “Auntie ordered Chinese.”
“Well, thanks for the support,” I said with a sigh. “Who would’ve guessed that the boring, brainy one would start a whole clusterfuck?”
“Club kids have a tendency to land themselves in deep shit,” Meg said with a shrug. “It’s not that surprising.”
“And who are you calling the brainy one?” Olive asked. “I’m as smart as you, asshole.”
I raised my hands in surrender. “Fair point.”
We fell into our old roles pretty seamlessly, and even though Myla didn’t say much, she also didn’t seem to have any kind of attitude. Eventually the food came, and we piled our plates high, migrating back to the same set of tables so we could all eat together. It was like old times, with the boys stealing food off our plates and each other’s, everyone bullying Forrest into getting us drinks because he was the quietest and the least likely to fight back, and generally causing a ruckus.
By the time my dad came to tell me that we were leaving, I was actually kind of sad about it. I hadn’t had that much fun inside the clubhouse since I was a kid.
“Love you guys,” I said, getting up from the table.
“Don’t be a stranger,” Meg ordered, pointing her fork at me. “We’ll hang out soon.”
“Sounds good,” I replied. “Can I interest any of you in a visit to my parents’ house? My schedule is completely empty for the foreseeable future.”
“None of ya are welcome,” my dad interrupted gruffly, and he shoved me hard enough to make me stumble to the side. “Stop invitin’ people over.”
“You’re such a buzzkill,” I complained, bumping him back.
“We’ll be over tomorrow, Uncle Leo,” Olive called jokingly as we walked away. “And we’re bringing a Bop It!”
I burst out laughing.
“The hell you are,” Dad called back as he slung an arm over my shoulder.
“Oh, my god, I forgot about that,” I wheezed as he led me outside.
“Don’t know how,” he grumbled. “That toy was so fuckin’ loud they could hear it in space.”
I was glad to be home and went straight to my room to grab some clothes and hop in the shower. If I was going to be stuck in the house for a few days, I planned on being comfortable. Soft bra, cozy pajamas, and slippers all the way. Halfway through my shower, I heard something in the bathroom and froze.
“It’s just me,” Mom called out.
Peeking around the shower curtain, I found her sitting on the closed toilet seat.