AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Or horny.
Both?
I shake my head free of all those insanely crazy thoughts and glance to Clara, my baby sister, and an overwhelming feeling of love flows through me. I stayed in the cult, married to that awful man, so I could keep her safe. That was, until she found me bloodied, and then she begged me to leave since she would be following in no time. I still have such guilt about leaving her, but my love for her overtakes that.
Clara sits beside Elliot in jogging pants and an athletic top that shows off all her gorgeous skin and tight muscles. She has gotten into fitness since moving to Knoxville and has been working out like a fiend. Her thick, dark hair is up in a high ponytail, while her blunt bangs hang over her dark-blue eyes that shine behind full lashes. Like Elliot’s, Clara’s lips are thin and her jaw sharp. Both are gorgeous, and I’m so thankful we are all free of those demons.
Eliza, Austen, and I dealt with the worst the cult brought down on us, but Clara and Elliot didn’t experience as much and weren’t subjected to the abuse we older girls experienced. We took their places a lot, trying to distract everyone from them, because we had no other choice. We didn’t want them to feel what we did, and I don’t regret that. I hate that they still need to go to therapy and that they still fear that the Grandmaster or our mother might try to come find us again.
But I know we’re safe. I made sure of it; Peepaw made sure of it. No one knows where we are, and if they do find us, then we’ll deal with it. As a family. This is our chance to have the life we deserve, and I won’t allow anyone to touch my sisters.
“Austen said we can stay with her this weekend while Dimitri is on his road trip,” Clara says after taking a sip of her smoothie. “We could go do a huge sleepover with raunchy TV and snacks.”
Elliot shoots her a look. “Real snacks? Or carrots?”
Clara glares. “Both, since apparently you guys don’t know how badly you’re messing up your bodies with the junk you eat.”
I have muffin sticking to my lips as I toast it to her. Around a full mouth, I say, “I’m here for a good time, not a long time.”
Clara’s glare deepens, and I snicker as Eliza rolls her eyes. “Either way, that sounds fun,” Eliza quips, tucking her feet under her as she blows on her tea. “I’m down. Can we close, Lou?”
“I don’t know. I’d rather not,” I say as I lean back in the fluffy chair. We are all the way in the back, away from everyone with their judgy eyes and low opinions of us. I hate that my sisters get shit on because they’re associated with me. But most of all, I hate that no one sees how great my shop is. All those men with their negative opinions are probably getting laid now that their wives are shopping at my store. Assholes. “I have a lot of shipments coming in on Saturday, and I don’t want to miss them.”
“Can Peepaw come and get them?” Clara suggests, and I think that over.
“He could, but I have that new shifter romance coming out Tuesday, and I want to make sure everything is ready. The preorders are out of this world, and I don’t want to be behind.” Clara’s lips pucker as Elliot’s face falls. I hate disappointing them. “You guys go,” I suggest, even though I hate that I won’t get to see Austen. I don’t want to take away from my sisters. “This is a busy month for me, release-wise, and I don’t want to be playing catch-up. Everyone already hates me. I don’t want to not be able to produce what I say I’m gonna have.”
The girls share a look, and I know they don’t want to leave me out. “Truly,” I stress, taking another bite of my muffin. “I want you guys to go. I’ll be fine. I’ve got so much to do this weekend.”
I look to Eliza for help, and thankfully, she smiles. “I’m down if you two are. I miss Austen and don’t want to miss a chance to hang with her.” Then she looks back to me. “Unless you need me to help.”
I wave her off. “Not at all. I’ll be fine. Go. I really want you guys to.”
Clara isn’t convicted. “But you’ll be alone.”
I scoff at that. “I have my TBR. I’m never alone.”
Total lie. I’ve been experiencing that lonely feeling for a while, but I don’t want my sisters to know that.
“We could leave today,” Elliot suggests. “Dimitri flies out this afternoon.”
“Yeah, you should. Beat the weekend traffic.” I sound way more excited than I feel. I share the apartment above the shop with Eliza, while Clara and Elliot still live at home with Peepaw, so it’ll be weird to have the whole apartment to myself, but I want them to go. Austen needs us just as much as we need her.
“Okay. Are you sure?” Eliza asks me, and I nod.
“Absolutely, go.”
She sends me a grin, and they agree, thankfully. I take a sip of my lotus tea just as Eliza lowers her voice and leans toward us. “The guy behind the counter plays for the Bears and is the coffee shop owner’s son.”
We all follow her gaze to where a rather lean and tall blond with the brightest blue eyes is making an espresso. His shoulders are massive, and his arms are ripped with muscles. He is stunning, even with his missing front tooth.
“He wasn’t even drafted. He tried out for the Bears and made the team,” Elliot supplies. “He’s really nice. Coleson Katz is his name.”
I see the dreamy look on Eliza’s face as she watches him. “I wonder if he’ll train me so we can open my coffee bar within the year.”
Eliza and this damn coffee bar. Girl doesn’t have a clue how to make coffee, only that she loves it and wants to serve it at the shop. She’s absolutely right that coffee goes with books like peanut butter goes with jelly, but I can’t even help her since all I know how to do is drink coffee. I’ve been trying to put her off from it because I don’t think she knows what she’s getting into, but she is as persistent as she is optimistic.
And a total pain in my ass.
