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Grace
Lunch consisted of a noodles place and elbow macaroni hitting the floor when Brandon started flinging his fork. It was extremely comical watching Sydney in mom mode.
“I swear this is new,” she apologized again after sweeping the remaining cheese covered noodles toward the napkin she held in her hand. Brandon was now sitting in Sawyer’s lap across the table from me, Soy’s arms bracketed around the wiggling boy. Just before Brandon could start screeching at his confinement, I watched as Sawyer blew a raspberry to the boy’s neck, sending him into a giggle fest.
God, he was so good with his nephews, and I didn’t think he knew just how good he was.
“Not a big deal, Sydney bean,” Sawyer said as he pulled away from Brandon, his face split in a huge grin. His arms were still crisscrossed around Brandon when his fingers started in at the torment, tickling Brandon in his sides.
Sydney laughed lightly as she brushed her hands off, all the wayward noodles on the plate that was no longer being used. “He’s super ticklish, Soy. Be careful.”
I grinned and stretched my legs out under the table, my foot accidentally hitting Sawyer’s sneaker. I quickly snatched my leg back and sat up straight but not quick enough, as Sawyer smirked across the table at me before addressing his sister.
“He’s super ticklish because you’re super ticklish, Syd.” He relented his tickling though, allowing Brandon’s giggles to calm.
“Caleb is too, so the B’s really have zero luck in that department,” Sydney said, looking over to her two other, still sleeping, children, a quiet smile on her face.
Sawyer’s own face fell so fast, I had to refrain from laughing. His face was now one of unrestrained disgust. “Yeah. I don’t need to hear that your husband is ticklish. Way too much information.”
“He’s got this spot—” Sydney began to taunt her brother.
“Sydney!” Sawyer’s eyes were wide, his brows high, as he stared at his sister across the table. “TMI.”
“Are you ticklish?” I asked Sawyer before I could think better of it. I wanted to bite my tongue; instead, I folded my lips in and looked down at the table. I glanced up with my eyes to see if I could still catch his reaction.
“Nah,” Sawyer answered, his face dropping to pay attention to Brandon. “How’s Brody holding up?” he asked, changing the subject quickly and making me wonder if indeed the man was ticklish.
And why the hell I cared if he was or not.
Sydney looked back to the double stroller beside her, where Brielle was in her car seat on top and Brody was buckled into a lower toddler seat. “Out. It’s his naptime.”
Brody had taken a bite of broccoli and eaten two single noodles before asking for his pacifier. The not quite two year old zonked out shortly after.
“Should we head out?” Sawyer asked, to which Sydney nodded.
“Probably. He’ll probably fall asleep the moment we hit the freeway,” Sydney said, referring to Brandon. We all piled away from the table and, with Sawyer holding Brandon and Sydney pushing the other two in the stroller, I felt insignificant. I didn’t have a purpose.
Even though it was more than obvious that Sydney and Sawyer were siblings, with the two of them with children and me just…there…I felt like the third wheel. The unwanted party member.
I could feel eyes on us and I was curious of what people were thinking.
More than curious, I was afraid of what people were thinking.
Sawyer held open the front door and Sydney slipped out with the stroller, while I followed behind. After I cleared the door, Sawyer shifted Brandon to his other hip as the boy rested his head on Sawyer’s shoulder. I averted my attention from Sawyer. I didn’t want to be caught with my looks lingering too long.
Sydney pushed through the people meandering on the walkway in front of the low key restaurant, moving toward the parking lot. I trailed just after her, with Sawyer walking slightly behind me. I startled when I felt his hand brush my lower back briefly.
“You ok?” he asked quietly, to keep between the two of us I was sure.
I pasted a smile on my face and nodded. “I am.”
He stared at me as we walked, his eyes not leaving mine until I had to break the eye contact in order to walk into the parking lot and not fall into it. The way he watched me, the way his eyes searched mine…
It was a little disconcerting to know that someone could read your thoughts, and that was exactly what Sawyer had been doing. Even with the small time and great distance between us, he knew me so incredibly well.
But maybe that was because I was see-through. Maybe everyone could read my thoughts, could sense my worries, could feel my anxiety.
Maybe—
His hand took mine and my heart rolled in my chest.
All he did was squeeze my hand once before letting go, but the feel of his roughened skin against my own had my heart tightening. As well as other parts.
Sawyer and I had never been hand-holding friends. Hugging friends, sure. Kiss to the cheek friends, yeah. But never hand-holding friends. Not only had he held my hand for the briefest of moments, but he’d brushed my back before, and had held me in a tight hug earlier today.
What was his end goal? Because surely this wasn’t how he was going to go about being my friend again. Granted, I did still consider him a friend, even if I couldn’t talk to him anymore. But after his jealous comment, was he considering—
And once again, Sawyer pulled me from my torment. He put his free arm around my shoulders and leaned down, his lips near my ear, brushing my temple as he spoke low. “Stop thinking, Gracie.”
