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“I didn’t fade away.” I rolled my eyes with a smile on my face as I walked up behind Lucy and helped her with the cart. “I find this a curious topic for someone who was adamant about showing his dislike for kids.”
“I’ve had a change of heart,” he murmured behind me as we strolled through the store. “I think I just like the ones you birth.”
I laughed, momentarily lost to his touch as his palm splayed against my lower back. I liked that he didn’t mind staying close even in public. “I think you’ve never given one the chance until Lucy,” I informed him.
“He’s not allowed to. I don’t want him to like others. I like it with just us.” Lucy glared up at me. Her bright-blue eyes caught me off guard with how serious she seemed to be.
I glanced over at Elijah and could tell he was way too pleased as he beamed down at her. I liked how much she adored him too, but I didn’t want her to be hateful about it. “What about when your cousins meet him? Or if you ever bring friends home? They won’t like him if he’s mean.”
Lucy frowned and turned away gripping the handle on the shopping cart. “I don’t want anyone to steal him away. Can we not show him to cousin BeeBee, please?”
At the mention of Briana, the blood drained from my face. “Who’s Briana?” Elijah smiled completely unaware until he caught my expression and it faded from his face. He sensed it then. The sourness in my stomach didn’t come from the betrayal. I no longer felt any sort of thing for that moment in my life. The bitterness came in the realization that night still lived in Lucy’s mind, and the way she perceived it was heartbreaking.
“Lucy, want some bananas?” Elijah stepped over to the bananas and grabbed some. He watched me carefully. He didn’t say anything about it, but those deep-abyss eyes revealed the promise of words later.
“Can we get some apples, too?” she piped in, letting the subject drop.
“Should I cook so your mom doesn’t have to today?”
Lucy stuck out her tongue and gagged. “You suck at cooking.”
“I saw you picking your nose yesterday,” he deflected. I fought a smile as I grabbed the shopping cart that Lucy left in the middle of the aisle since she was too worried about arguing with Elijah now.
“I don’t pick my nose!” She did, but by her clenched fists, she was very embarrassed about it.
“Don’t lie. It’s unbecoming,” said Elijah.
“What’s unbecoming?” Lucy asked.
“Guys!” I hollered and all three heads turned along with a few passersby. I pointed toward the chips.
“The last melon,” Lucy mumbled slowly as her eyes took in the last bag of Funyuns.
“Melons? You mean Funyuns, nose-picker,” said Elijah.
She huffed at him. “It’s Ice Age, the movie.” When his brows furrowed in confusion, she palmed her forehead like it was the end of the world. “You haven’t watched Ice Age?” When he shook his head, she continued, “We have to watch it!”
I snorted a little as I watched Elijah and Lucy hustle toward the last bag like an angry mob. Eli grinned. He didn’t have a clue why he was being bounced around in Elijah’s arm, but Eli liked it all the same. Probably getting a kick out of the two he was stuck with.
Lucy tossed the chips in the cart once I reached them. Dragging the cart around made me feel like the fourth-wheel.
“You know what we need?” Elijah glanced at Lucy.
She smiled. “Ice cream?”
He shook his head. “No, but that sounds good too. Chocolate milk.”
“Let’s go get it!” Lucy bounced.
Yep, I was the extra. The only one grabbing real food as they tossed in a lot of junk we didn’t need, but those donuts Elijah tossed in made me salivate, so I wasn’t going to complain.
“What is this?” I recognized Lilly’s hateful voice.
