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Her eyes shone with tears, and Archer grabbed his neck, stepping back. “Don’t you dare cry. Then Thea will cry. And the kid probably will too. Just think of what you’re setting into motion.”
He was, unfortunately, right. As soon as anyone around me cried, I joined right in. I’d been trying my whole life to stop, but so far, I’d been unable to hold back the tears.
I could already feel my eyes misting, looking at Everleigh’s distraught face.
Lucius stepped forward, pulling Everleigh into his side, narrowing his eyes at Archer. “Nothing wrong with missing your brother. Stop making her feel like shit and pull your head out of your ass.”
Turning a now-crying Everleigh back to face the door, he waved a wide-eyed Sofie over to hug her and place a soft kiss on her head. “Love you,principessa. Call me if you need me.”
“Love you, too, Papa. Take care of Mama.”
Hugging Everleigh’s legs, she kissed her arm. “Love you. Don’t cry over a stupid guy. He’s not worth it.”
Everleigh let out a distorted laugh through her tears, hugging Sofie to her. “You’re right. I’m glad you remembered what I told you. Have fun with Thea.”
Lucius nodded at me, and Ever waved as he led her outside, his arms secure around her. Archer hadn’t moved at all, watching the room, detached from what was happening.
Where has the sweet boy gone who couldn’t bear to see his sister cry?
Turning my back to him, I held my hand out to Sofie. “Let’s drop your stuff in my room, and then we’ll go see what we can find in the kitchen.”
She fitted her smaller hand in mine, and I took her backpack from her. “Do you know what movie you want to watch?”
“Something scary,” she replied reverently, knowing she could talk me into anything, even scary movies she wasn’t allowed to watch. “Can I sleep in the hammock again?”
I had a hammock set up in my room that Sofie claimed as her own whenever she was over. I didn’t know how she could sleep in it, but somehow, she was always the first one to nod off.
“Of course. It’s all yours.”
We chatted the whole way up to my room, Sofie telling me about a boy in her class who she liked. When she saw my latest project, she clapped her hands and skipped to the easel set up near the window. “This is my favorite one.”
Chuckling, I joined her, looking at my latest painting with critical eyes. I’d drawn a wildflower field with a river in the background. It used to be my secret hiding place when I was still living at home. The trailer park might have been filthy, but the fields and forests surrounding it had been mostly untouched.
“You say that about all of them.”
“That’s because they’re all my favorites. Can we paint tomorrow? I want to learn how to paint a dog. And a cat.” Her face lit up, and she rushed over to the hammock and climbed in.
I held out a present I’d gotten her.
Tearing apart the wrapping paper, her smile grew impossibly wider. “You bought me a hammock?” she squealed, the noise deafening. “And it’s pink with unicorns on it.” Hugging the present, she slid back out of my hammock. “I love it so much.”
Rushing over, she hugged me, the box squashed between us.
Brushing my hand over her hair, I smiled for the first time today. “Let’s find some food. I’m hungry.” I hadn’t eaten much all day and was suddenly starving.
We left my room and headed to the kitchen. As soon as we stepped into the giant pantry, I reached for a packet of chips. Sofie loaded up on cookies, ice cream, popcorn, and chips.
She put the popcorn in the microwave, then prepared two huge sundaes. She used enough chocolate sauce to feed five people, but I didn’t stop her.
“Sprinkles?” she asked, her forehead furrowed in concentration, her attention on the huge bowls she was busy filling up.
“What sort of question is that? Have you met me?”
Giggling, she poured half the container in our bowls. We carried our loot into the theater room, spreading it between us on the seats. The sofas were wide enough for two people, but with all the food, we usually sat on two different sofas so we could spread out.
I settled in for a night of teen movies and one or two horror flicks. It was almost enough to stop my thoughts from wandering to Archer.
But I couldn’t reconcile the angry, brooding guy with the boy I once knew. I couldn’t believe it was only because I’d left. Back then, I’d been sure he would find someone else. Someone better. Someone less damaged.
