AllFreeNovel
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Kastle hops out of the car. I stay behind and tug his jacket more firmly around myself. It was the only thing that didn’t get completely soaked in the water war that broke out at the beach today.
I smile at the memory of Kastle grinning and laughing, his troubles far behind him. I live for those moments. When I can see the burden of being a Jameson leave his eyes and his expression. When he’s just Kastle. Just a boy.
Not an orphan.
Not a reality TV celebrity.
My best friend.
I shrug his jacket tighter around me and join him in front of mom’s garden. She tilts her hat back and sends me a beaming smile. “Looks like you two had fun. In the middle of the week. On a workday.”
“Kaelyn’s a bad influence,” Kastle teases.
“I try to be.” I flip my hair and salt water goes flying.
Mom squeals as it hits her pale skin. “That’s cold.”
“Sorry.” I laugh.
She grins back at me with blue eyes that are so light they almost look grey.
When I was a kid, I used to cry about the fact that I didn’t have pretty eyes like mom. So, being the stupid but resourceful kid that I was, I decided I was going to change myself.
I remember the day mom caught me trying to open the bleach so I could pour it on my eyeballs. When I told her that I wanted to lighten my eyes so they looked like hers, mom was absolutely horrified.
She sat me in her lap and told me that I was beautiful just the way I was. That I had the most beautiful brown skin and brown eyes and that I should never, ever change it. She made me promise.
Then she hid all the bleach in our house.
Mom dots at the sweat on her brow. “Kastle, I thought you’d pull her to the good side.”
“The dark side’s too much fun.”
“That’s me.” I throw my arm out and stroke a finger over my brown skin. "The dark side.”
Mom rolls her eyes.
Kastle laughs. “Is it just me or do you look younger every time we meet, Ms. Vanessa?”
Mom blushes. “I’ve been using this new skin cream and trying to avoid direct sunlight—”
“Mom, don’t feel too special. He’s trying to butter you up for free pie.”
Mom shakes her head as she bursts out laughing. “Well, it worked. Unfortunately, I haven’t started baking yet. Why don’t you come back tonight, Kastle? We can have dinner. Catch up.”
“Sounds good.” Kastle turns to me. “I should go.”
I frown as disappointment slams into me. Kastle’s like my oxygen. My energy. A few hours in his company is not enough.
I want to spend every moment of the day with him.
I wish I could curl myself around him and stay glued to his side.
His eyes hold a similar reluctance to leave. “I’m coming back tonight.”
“I know.”
He takes a step back.
