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I let out a deep breath. The trouble was what I wanted to do for my parents and what I could do were two very different and far apart things, especially with a wedding approaching. I let out a sigh.
"Zach what is it?" Ann Marie asked, resting her hand on mine. “You seem distracted.”
"Mom and Dad are selling the house," I answered, glancing out the window of the cafe, shoppers rushing by carrying their purchases, smiles on their faces. "They told us tonight at dinner."
"Oh, Zach, I'm so sorry." She placed her hand on my forearm. "Lexi must be a mess! I know how much she loves that house. I also know how hard this year has been on her. Did you ask her what she thought?" Ann Marie asked, now giving me all of her attention.
"You would have cried if you could have seen her face when they told us tonight. She’s crushed. She has been traveling all over, and as you said, it's been a hard year for her, and she comes home to this news. The tears were practically on her cheeks as the words fell from Mom's lips. I haven't had a chance to talk to her about it though. Drew and I left the house right after dinner, and then I had him drop me off at your place. I needed my own time to digest everything."
"That's understandable, Zach."
"I just wish there was a way for us to keep the house for them, or perhaps help them out throughout the year. I know if they had help, they would stay."
"Well, maybe you should talk to Lexi and see if she feels the same way, then perhaps you guys could, I don't know, help out on some level."
"I just don't know how. I mean, she lives in Italy, for crying out loud. It's not like she can just hop in her car and come home for a weekend," I said, letting out a laugh. "Which means the lion’s share would land on me."
"Is she going back?"
"What do you mean? Of course, she is. She is only home for a couple of weeks. Why?"
"Nothing. It’s not my place to say anything, Zach."
"Oh no, what do you know that the rest of us don't?"
"That, my love, is for Lexi to share with everyone." Ann Marie smiled at me and nodded toward the window. "Speak of the devil."
I looked out the window in the direction that Ann Marie had gestured just in time to see Drew and Lexi walk by. Lexi had her camera in her hand taking photos of someone across the street, with Drew walking beside her. "Well, I guess I won't have to wait too long, since they are right over there."
Ann Marie smiled at me. "How about we finish our donut and coffee, and then we can go meet them. It looks like they will be down here for a while anyways." She placed her hand over mine once again in a comforting gesture.
"That sounds great!" I said, leaning in for a kiss. As we parted, the waitress dropped our two fresh donuts in front of us.
Once we finished, we bundled back up and made our way out into the street. "They couldn't have gone very far," I said, looking both ways before stepping into the street with Ann Marie in tow. She grabbed hold of my gloved hand, following me down one of the side streets. As we turned down the third street on our right, I stopped in my tracks, abruptly enough that Ann Marie ran right into my back.
"Zach, what on earth?"
I couldn't answer her. I was in shock. There in front of me was my little sister—my sweet little sister—locking lips with my best friend.
Ann Marie pulled on the arm of my jacket, signaling to me what I already saw. She leaned in, whispering, "Zach we should go. Leave them be." She pulled on my hand to pull me away from the scene in front of me, but my feet were glued to the ground.
Chapter 14
Alexa
It wasas if the world had stopped spinning. The only thing I heard was the whooshing of my own pulse in my ears, my heart pounding hard in my chest as I closed my eyes. The feel of Drew's lips on mine, his taste, the way he ran his tongue through my mouth… I didn't want the moment to end. He was an amazing kisser, soft, gentle, yet I could feel the urgency and want behind it. As his tongue swept across mine one more time, I could feel the intensity of the throbbing between my legs and wished we weren't standing in the middle of a street so he could put his hands on me.
Our lips parted, and I looked up into his blue eyes, the world around us coming back into focus. He was looking down at me, nothing being said between us. We just stood looking at one another for what felt like hours. He leaned in slowly, cupped my cheeks, and kissed me again, his lips gently brushing against mine.
I felt his hands start to move through my jacket, down my back, stopping just above my ass we heard a man clear his throat behind us. Instantly, Drew jumped away from me as if I had bitten him, causing me to jump as well. I was just about to protest when Zach came into focus.
He had been the one to clear his throat, the one who had interrupted our very first kiss. Zach. My brother. I could feel my cheeks heating with embarrassment as Zach's eyes burned into mine, and suddenly I felt like a child caught with something I shouldn't have.
Ann Marie stood there with a small, uncomfortable smile on her face. She said nothing, probably trying to hide her embarrassment for intruding on us. Zach, on the other hand, stood there glaring at me before his eyes turned to Drew.
"Look, Zach, it's not what you think," Drew instantly said, holding his hands up in an innocent gesture, probably afraid Zach was going to hit him.
Ann Marie placed her hand on Zach's chest and whispered something to him.
