AllFreeNovel
Share Us
One way or another, Blake and Ridge would help make sure Everly had a place to stay where David couldn’t bother her anymore.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Everly
"Twelve!" Blake yelled.
"It's not a competition," Jess shouted back.
"That's what you think.” Blake slapped tape on another box.
Everly smiled but kept her focus on the china she was packing. What was she going to do with her grandmother's fancy china when she didn't have a place to live?
"Where does this one go?" Jameson asked.
Everly read the bold word on the side of the box. "Storage."
"How big is the unit you got?" Ridge asked.
"Ten by fifteen. It was the largest they had available." Everly hadn’t rented a storage unit before, and she had no idea what she was doing. With the boxes and furniture scattered throughout the house, it was hard to tell how much room they would take up in a unit.
Ridge turned to the boxes they'd stacked against the wall in the living room. "And how much furniture do you have going?"
"Not much. A cedar chest, a vanity, and possibly a bedroom set if the place I find is furnished."
The front door opened and closed, echoing through the living room and kitchen where they were packing. "Pizza is here!" Ava shouted.
Ridge and Blake dropped what they were doing and sprinted for the kitchen where Ava was headed with the boxes. She craned her neck to see around the tower that was stacked higher than her head.
Blake took the pizza from Ava and started spreading the boxes out on the counter, while Ridge cleared the space of tape and markers they'd been using to pack.
"I got a large for each of us. I figured if the men ate a whole pizza, there would be some of ours they could scavenge," Ava said as she handed Everly a stack of paper plates.
"Thanks for picking it up. Ridge and Blake's stomachs have been growling for an hour," Everly said.
Jess slid a pizza box in front of her. "This one's mine. Touch it and lose your hand."
Blake peeked into the box as she opened it. "That looks disgusting. Better let me try it first to see if it's okay to eat."
Jess slapped the cardboard lid on his hand as it neared the pizza. She narrowed her eyes and whispered, "I will cut you."
Blake looked up with a playful smile on his face. Not many people liked getting a rise out of Jess, but everything was a game between those two.
"Blake! Bless the food," Ridge yelled over a plate with a stack of slices on it.
Everyone bowed their heads. "Lord, thanks for the food and for the friends and family we have. Please stay beside Everly as she moves on, and bless her path. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen."
Everly stood off to the side, letting everyone else pick through the pizzas. Her throat was tight as she watched her friends smiling and laughing. She had so much to be thankful for on a day that had started out scary and uncertain. Blake's prayer reminded her to appreciate what she had when things got tough.
Blake stepped up beside her and slid a pizza box in front of her. "Your favorite."
Everly smiled up at him. He thought her spinach Alfredo pizza was gross, yet, he always made sure her odd pizza was represented.
She eyed his box. "Let me guess. Meat lovers with extra meat?"
He flipped the box open, revealing a pizza topped with so much sausage and ham that the cheese was barely visible.
"So, Ev, you find something today?" Ridge asked before taking another bite.
