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"What the hell are you doing here?" I heard Zach mutter as I came to a stop.
I didn't need to look around him to know who it was. I'd recognize that voice anywhere, and Zach had spoken the exact words that were running through my mind.
I stepped up beside Zach and looked at the brunette who stood before us. She wore a form-fitting white angora sweater and black leggings, her curves filling out both pieces of clothing perfectly. She had grown into quite a beautiful woman, and I couldn't help but allow my eyes to run over her a couple more times before her blue eyes sought mine.
What the hell was Lexi doing here?
Chapter 7
Alexa
"Alexa,what the hell are you doing here?"
I was just about to answer when I saw Drew come up behind my brother. Drew, the boy I'd had a crush on ever since he pushed my brother for acting like a total boy.
I was eight and we had all been playing on the playground one afternoon. Zach had decided that it would be fun to surprise me with a present. He had come over with his hands behind his back, Drew trailing behind shaking his head. He had told me to close my eyes and hold out my hand, claiming he’d found a special caterpillar he wanted to share with me. Being the naive younger sister who trusted her brother, I did as he asked. Only when he dropped the item into my hand and told me to open my eyes, I was faced with a huge, slimy earthworm that slid and twisted in my hand.
I started screaming and crying, Zach started hysterically laughing, but Drew? Drew got angry. He shoved Zach hard onto the ground and told him to stop picking on me. From that day on, I had crushed on Drew something fierce, all through high school, college, and until the day I left home, but it didn't matter because to him I would always be Zach's little sister.
Stepping off to the side, I let the boys in. Zach stepped inside and placed his boots and helmet off to the side. He then grabbed me, wrapped me in his arms, and pulled me in for a big bear hug. Then he let me go, removed his jacket and boots, and stepped off to the side to allow Drew to come in.
"Hey, Drew." I waved awkwardly, looking into his blue eyes.
"Hey, Lexi." He held his arms open for a hug.
At first, we awkwardly bobbed and weaved, and then I stepped into his arms and he wrapped them around me, pulling me in close. I expected a quick hug, but instead he surprised me by holding me tight for a little longer. I couldn't help but inhale his scent as I buried my face into the crook of his neck.
"Welcome home, boys!" Mom called out from behind us. Drew instantly let me go to greet my mother and father.
As I watched my mother and then my father greet both of the boys, a sense of peace came over me. Something about being home at this time of year warmed my heart. I was glad that I had decided to come home for two weeks and spend Christmas with everyone.
"You boys are just in time for dinner! Roast beef, potatoes, vegetables, how does all that sound?" Mom asked, taking Drew's coat from him and fixing the collar of his shirt, something she had always done when he was growing up. Then she placed her arm around Drew and walked with him upstairs and into the dining room.
I stepped out onto the front porch as the boys followed my parents to the kitchen and pulled their bags inside. Then I leaned against the door and locked it. I closed my eyes for a second and inhaled deeply, looking up into the dining room. I watched as Drew sat down, smiling at my mother as she handed him the bowl of mashed potatoes. He really had it all: looks, body, brain, and a kind heart.
"Lexi, are you coming?" my mother called out, looking rather impatient. "We would like to eat."
"Yes, Mom, I'm coming." I walked up the stairs and over to the table while staring at Drew. However, there was no use in wanting what I couldn't have. It was a dead-end road with him, I already knew that.
I flopped down in my usual seat, which happened to be beside Drew, and waited until Zach passed me a bowl of vegetables.
All through dinner, Dad basically grilled Zach and Drew on some of the legal happenings that were going on in the world. I was pretty much oblivious to all of them. That’s what happens when you live in another part of the world—you become disconnected from everything—but I listened intently and practically hung onto every word Drew said.
Chapter 8
Drew
I sippedon a cup of coffee and took a bite of the huge slice of apple pie that sat in front of me. I had really missed having home-cooked meals and family to eat them with. Normally for me it was whatever I could whip up quickly after a long day and generally involved a microwave while looking over legal documents. However, I knew that these two weeks would be filled with amazing homemade meals, wonderful desserts, and feeling like I once again belonged somewhere.
I was thankful that during dinner tonight no one asked about Laura. Even though I knew they would have my best interest at heart, I really didn't care to talk about her. Plus, it had been nice to be able to forget about her and not be coddled by family, even though I would have preferred if anyone were to do it, it be them. I relaxed back against my seat, taking another bite.
"Anyone want any more coffee?" Barbara asked, coming over with a fresh pot.
"I'd love to, but I can't. I have to meet Ann Marie tonight," Zach announced and glanced at his watch. "And it’s already close to seven, which means I'll be late if I don't get ready and leave in fifteen." Zach drank down the remainder of the coffee in his mug and got up from the table, taking his bag to the basement, to his old room to get ready.
"Well, I have nowhere I need to be, so I'll have another one please," I said, placing my mug near the edge of the table and smiling.
"Sure thing, dear," Barbara said, filling my mug along with Lexi's and returning the pot to the coffee maker.
