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“Car’s here, Kai,” Nate says.
I reluctantly part from Belle to thank him.
“Let’s get back and get some sleep. I’ve got a hot date tomorrow,” Belle says before laughing at her own joke.
I chuckle as I carry my woman out of the venue. I can’t think of a time I’ve ever been this happy. And fuck, it’s terrifying.
twenty-five
BELLE
“Slow down! I have little legs!”Willa calls from behind me.
We’re getting ready to ride our bikes to the ice cream stand in town. Everyone is meeting in our driveway since it’s at the end of the street.
I turn and notice Willa running towards us without her bike.
“I can’t go with you guys. My dad wants me to stay home,” she says when she comes to a stop in front of me.
“He never lets you go anywhere anymore,” I complain and immediately regret it when I watch her face fall. Ever since her mom died a few years ago, her dad has tried to keep her home more and more.
“I know. He just gets scared if he can’t see where I am.”
“Can we come over after?” I ask.
“I’d love that! I have to get back though,” she says and turns around to run to her house before I have the chance to say anything else.
“Her house is so boring,” Cal whines.
“You’re boring!” I retort.
“You’re annoying!” he shoots back.
“Are you guys going to start this again or can we go get ice cream?” Ezra asks. He and Kai are straddling their bikes at the end of our driveway, waiting for us. Kai’s arms are crossed, and he has an amused look on his face, while Ezra is glaring at Cal. He hates when we fight.
“Why do I have to take Belle? She’s twelve. She can go hangout with Willa without me,” he complains.
“She’s our friend too, and we want her to come with us,” Ezra says, making Cal pout more than he already was. Our mom has always made Cal take me everywhere. I feel a little bad about that, especially during the times I didn’t want to go with him. But Kai and Ezra are my best friends too. No matter how much that annoys him.
“Fine. Let’s go,” Cal grumbles.
We sit on a sticky, red picnic table with our ice cream in hand. Chocolate for me, peanut butter Oreo for Cal, mint chocolate chip for Kai, and a monstrous abomination for Ezra. He gets one scoop of pistachio and one scoop of bubble gum. Then he mixes and mashes it together into some sort of melted ice cream vomit. He swears it’s good, but none of us will try it.
I know the current silence is because we’re eating ice cream, but I’m still feeling a little awkward. Am I intruding on my brother hanging out with his friends? Are they just being nice to Cal’s little sister and not really my friends?
“What are you thinking so hard about over there?” Ezra asks me.
“I’m sorry that I always have to come with you guys, and you can’t play with Cal alone,” I blurt out.
“Aren’t we your friends?” Kai asks, surprised by my confession.
“Well, yeah. You were kind of forced by my mom, though.”
“No one forced us, Belle. You’re our friend and we’re yours.” Kai elbows Cal, who is sitting next to him, in the ribs.
“Ow! What was that for?” Cal asks while rubbing his side dramatically.
“For making your sister feel like she’s bothering us, you dick,” Ezra says, not bothering to look up from his ice cream. They have that weird twin thing going on. He didn’t need to see Kai elbow Cal to know it happened.
