Page 22 of Frog

“He’s addictive,” Cy said under his breath, but I heard him.

“I’m coming!” I yelled a second time.

I left the kitchen, and when I got to the bedroom, even Tristan was under the covers, the bed moving so hard it looked like it was rolling under the comforter. I lay down, complained about how lumpy the bed was as the laughter got louder and louder. When I threw the comforter off and yelled ah-hah at them, they all screamed at once. Diving down in slow motion, I made sure to miss them completely. They all piled on top of me once I was sprawled out, and the bed was a disaster area after that. We only stopped horsing around when Cy called us all out for breakfast.

LUCKILY for me Cyrus had washed, dried, and folded all my clothes before I woke up so I had something clean to wear. But that wasn’t enough, apparently, because he wanted me to agree to let him pick me up a few things.

“Like?” I asked as I was watching him shove clothes into an overnight bag for the weekend.

“Underwear,” he teased me. “T-shirts, socks. You love to run. What are you planning to run in while you’re here? I didn’t find any basketball shorts or anything else. You don’t even have any shoes other than your boots, which have holes in them.”

I squinted at him. “Maybe I should just stay here while you guys—”

“No.” He shook his head. “There’s a mall on the way out of town. Just don’t give me your usual crap and simply agree to let me get you some staples, okay? Please.”

I shrugged. “As long as I can pay you back.”

“But if you pay me back, then we’re on your budget and not mine, and I hate that.”

“This is your only option,” I said flatly. “Either I keep the receipt so I know what I owe you or we’re not goin’.”

“Why? Why do only you get a say?”

“Because I’m a goddamn grown-up, that’s why,” I snapped at him. “For crissakes, Cy, why are we even fightin’ about this?”

“Stop,” he snarled back at me, whirling around to face me, fuming. “You always do this. You always turn it into a money thing, and it’s not. This has nothing to do with money and everything to do with your stupid fucking pride.”

“You do not take care of me,” I told him, shaking my head. “I take care of me. Period.”

“No, not period,” he almost yelled, which surprised me.

He usually gave in, afraid I’d leave, and I played that card and threatened him to get him to back down. But this time was different because of his sister and because of the boys. He knew he had me, and my honor would never let me leave. I had given my word—unlike with Aidan or his brother in Alaska. Only Carolyn had pressed until she got it.

“You’re not going anywhere, at least not for two weeks, so if I want you to have new jeans since yours all have holes in them, I’ll get them for you. Whatever I want, I’ll get, and you’ll just take it because you have to.”

“I ain’t no doll for you to dress.”

“Why do you always have to fight with me?” he roared, stalking from the room, sputtering with fury.

I sat down hard on the end of the bed and waited.

Minutes later he was back.

I arched an eyebrow for him.

“No one ever makes me as angry as you do.”

“No one else even makes you angry at all, I reckon.” I grinned at him.

He thought about it a minute, and the look I got, full of amazement, made me laugh.

“Jesus, that’s true. You’re the only one who can get a rise out of me.”

I couldn’t stifle the snickering. “Come here.”

“Let me get you some things, all right? Not a lot, I won’t go nuts.”

“Swear.”