AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fisting my hands in his shirt, I shrug. “I'll survive.”
“You sure?”
“Go.” I shove him away. “You're making me look weak.”
He takes a minute to survey me before nodding, dropping a long but still entirely too quick kiss on my lips before heading out the door.
“Wait, I'll help!” Eliza yells, scampering after him, bidding me a shouted goodbye as she barrels past me. When I turn around, I find Grace has suddenly disappeared too. A sense of dread hits me when I realize I've been left alone with a pile of dirty dishes and Lux.
Shit.
It seems Lux realizes the same thing because suddenly, she looks a million times tenser than she did a moment ago. In an effort to keep my hands still, I cross my arms over my chest, clutching my elbows tightly.
“Dinner was great,” I offer, cringing before the words even leave my mouth fully. “I wish I could cook.”
Lux doesn't respond beyond a dismissive noise. When she gets to work scrubbing the dishes piled in the sink, I try again. “Can I help?”
“I got it.”
Thinking third time’s the charm, I reach for one of the dishes nearest to me. “Come on, it's the least I can do.”
“I said I got it,” Lux snaps, ripping the dish from my grasp like I might steal the damn thing.
Frustrated, I press my lips together, hands curling into fists at my side. “Okay.” A small huff forces its way out as I turn to leave, taking all of a handful of steps before deciding against it. Spinning on my heel, I plant my hands on my hips. “Actually, it's not okay.”
“Excuse me?”
“You don't like me.” Lux opens her mouth, to protest or agree, I don’t know but either way, I don't let her. “I get it. That's fine. I'm loud and abrasive and wild and pretty and apparently, that makes me a terrible person. Whatever. That's your opinion.”
Lux at least has the decency to cringe.
Yeah, Jackson warned me all about that particular phone call on the drive up here. He wanted me to be prepared, and I'm grateful for that, but I kind of wish I could've just floated into this whole messy situation blissfully unaware.
“You don't have to like me, but you could at least try to be civil. Because despite what everyone seems to think, I'm not going anywhere. I really, really like your brother. And he lo-” Shit, I still stumble over that word. “He really likes me. And I want you to like me because you mean the world to him but if you don't, I can live with that. But I need you to at least tolerate me. For his sake.”
I don't have the energy to say anything more, nor do I have the energy for her to shut down my plea, so I don't wait for a reply. Like a coward, I high tail it out of there, scurrying towards Jackson's room as fast as my legs will take me, briefly considering locking the door behind me.
I try not to feel dejected as I pad towards Jackson's bathroom, shedding clothes behind me, praying the hot water is enough to soothe my muscles and my head. But I can't help but feel as though Lux is the one member of the Jackson family that I'll never win over.
And that fucking sucks because I'm pretty she's the most important one.
* * *
Hours later, I'm the only one left awake in the house.
Jackson warned me that ranch work tires a person out. I just didn't think he meant 'dead-to-the-world-by-9PM' kind of tired.
After an hour of tossing and turning and trying so hard to achieve the stellar knockout sleep Jackson is getting, I give up.
Jackson's bedroom door closes quietly behind me as I creep towards the kitchen. I potter around as quietly as I can, silently cheering when I find an unopened box of green tea hiding in the back of a cupboard. Jackpot.
I'm pouring hot water into a mug when the sound of creaking hinges startles me and I almost spill boiling water down my arm. Spitting out a curse, I whirl around just in time to catch a head of dyed hair sneaking in the front door.
Lottie doesn't spot me straight away. She’s too busy giggling and whispering over her shoulder to the boy hot on her tail.
How interesting.
Leaning against the counter and cradling my mug, I clear my throat as loudly as I dare in the otherwise quiet house. “Should've used the window.”
