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She searches my eyes. “You think I’m closer to them?”
I huff. “You and I have a special bond, but Iama guy and they’re girls.”
She’s quiet for a little while. “That’s true, I guess. It bothers me that you’re left out a lot, but I guess that’s just how it is.”
I nod slowly. “It helps that Xavier and Aidan have joined the group. I’m not so alone anymore. But I’ll probably never be as friendly with them as I am with you and the others. I mean, we grew up together.”
“Yeah.”
And in a few years, we’ll all go our separate ways. Growing up sucks sometimes.
“Ooh!” Rylee says as she skips into the kitchen and hops onto the counter. “What’s cookin’? It smells good…wait, there’s nothing other than water.” She frowns. “I’m starving.”
I give Chloe a pointed look. I was right about the hungry elephants. She just smiles.
“It won’t take too long,” I tell Rylee. “Want to help?”
She frowns. “Do I look like a kitchen maid?” Shaking her head, she hops off the counter and hurries out of the room.
“Kitchen maid?” I ask Chloe.
She shrugs. “I didn’t put that idea into her head. There’s nothing wrong with making food for the people you love. Shows what a great person you are.” She gives me a wide smile that makes my heart skip a beat. I drop my gaze to the boiling water on the stove. I really need to get a move on this or dinner won’t be ready for hours and I know the Barringtons are starving.
Chapter Fifteen
Liam
Dinner with the Barringtons is great and fun. Chloe’s family isn’t quite as noisy as my house. Noah mostly keeps to himself—a closed book, as Chloe claims—Rylee doesn’t talk much, too busy gobbling down the food. Kara and Brayden discuss various things, from school to sports to news going around town. No one brings up my slowly-healing face, which I’m very glad and relieved about. Though I catch Kara giving me worried looks from time to time. The Musketeers and their husbands are like second parents to us, so we all care for one another like one huge family.
After dinner, Kara puts Rylee on dish duty as part of her punishment while the parents continue resting on the couch with a movie. Noah leaves to hang out with his friends, and Chloe and I go up to her room.
“What do you want to do?” She asks as she bounces on her bed. “Unless you want to go home?”
“Nah. It’s Friday and we can stay up however late we want. I kind of wanted to do something with you, but I’m not sure you’d be into it.”
Her eyes overflow with curiosity. “Fix your recipes?”
I nod slowly. “Yeah, I should probably get started on that, but not tonight. I have something else in mind.”
“What? You’re killing me, Liam.”
I give her an unsure look. “WatchSwords and Legendswith me?”
Her eyebrows furrow as she thinks it over. “Sure, I’d love to.”
My eyebrows shoot to the moon. “Really?”
“Why not? I’ve always been curious about it and Lily tells me and the others over and over how awesome it is. So why not? And watching it with you will make the experience so much better.”
I just stare at her. What exactly does she mean by that? Because I’ve sort of become an expert and can explain things she might not understand? Or maybe I can give her inside scoop about all the behind-the-scenes I’ve watched online and read in articles?
“Liam?” she asks. “I feel like you disappeared for a second.”
I snap back in. “What? Oh, sure. Yeah. What did you say?”
She laughs. “I said I’d love to watch it with you. Let me get my laptop.” She fetches it from her desk and plops down on her bed. Giving me an odd look, she says, “Why are you just standing there?”
My fingers plow through my hair. I guess I didn’t realize we’d be sitting on her bed, so close to each other…
