“Thank you!”
Sam throws a smile back at her cousin, before continuing, “Marion found other ways to get attention.”
Zoe whispers, “That’s why outsiders are mean to our family. They wish they were a part of the circle.”
I can’t argue with that logic. I’m one of the few ever invited to their infamous BBQs. There are so many cousins that they were born with friends. And their dads, six brothers who’d take a bullet for each other, married women who get along. Why outsource love when you’ve got so much? There are some friends, but not a need for many.
I remember Hannah letting it slip once that snakes wear masks. But with their family, you never needed to worry because nobody wears one.
We jump out, shutting our doors off beat. Lexi tosses her key fob in the air, catching it and she replies to Zoe’s comment, “Well, if they weren’t such assholes, we would let them in. Duh.”
Zoe jogs up to walk beside her.
Samantha matches my pace. “Why were you going home early tonight?”
“Just tired.”
“I thought you were fantastic.”
I cut a glance to see her expression, and find it open and filled with sisterly love.
Dammit.
“Thanks Sam.” I run distracted fingers through my hair, wondering how I’m going to deal with this whole Asher situation. “How was that kiss, huh?”
She smiles on a shrug, “It took me by surprise.”
“A good surprise?”
“Yeah.”
That smile on her face! It tears me up.
I should be making her smile like that.
You can’t make someone love you.
And there is no way she would be telling me this if she did love me like I want her to.
But I love her so much I can’t be near her without wanting to gather her closer.
How do you go from friends to lovers?
Chapter Fourteen
SAMANTHA
P uffy eyes brighten as the hospital room fills with friends. Marion is so genuinely shocked, it’s obvious she never expected anyone to do something like this for her.
But you’ve gotta rise above when it’s the right thing to do. Sure, she belittles me every chance she has. Marion feels important by making others feel small. But I don’t think it’s a chronic condition. Pretty sure it’s something that can be healed with a little love.
And some hard boundaries.
It’s partly my fault it’s gone on for this long. I just ignored it, so how could she know how intensely her constant digs annoyed me? Or see how much other people knew what she was doing and therefore developed a dislike of her in general.
Her eyes fill with fresh tears as she gasps, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe you guys are here!”
A couple of the singers take credit for it, but my sister isn’t having any of that.
“It was Samantha’s idea,” she interjects with enough volume to make it clear she means business.
Marion locks eyes with me, face a mess from crying. “This was your idea?”
I nod, a lump forming in my throat.
“Thank you!” she whispers and covers her face as her shoulders shake.
Some of the guys start shouting, “What kind of pizza are we having?” “I’m starving!” “Me too!” Toppings fly out on a wave of enthusiastic suggestions.
Asher strolls into the room, and we lock eyes. I give him a smile. He goes to Marion to ask how she feels. Lexi chooses now to tug me toward the door, demanding this instant, a private conversation.
It’s gotta be hard working in a hospital the way our brother, Caden, does. It feels like they’re always this busy. And so much pain. I wouldn’t be able to handle it. I’m not that tough.
Lexi’s bright green eyes zip over serious faces of nurses and doctors heading in different, urgent directions. “I could never be a doctor.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
“The hours are too long.”
I laugh, “You mean the ones in college?”
“And there’s that.”
“I don’t think it feels like long hours when you love what you do.”
She shrugs off the persistent fact that she hasn’t found her purpose yet, “I wouldn’t know,” and leans to me while darting a quick look around. “So this guy Asher.”
Double checking we aren’t being spied on, I whisper, “He kissed me tonight.”
“I know, I watched the performance!”
“Before the show.”
Lexi grabs my arm. She knows it’s been forever since I’ve dated anyone I liked. “How was it?”
“Good. But Dad and Mom interrupted before I got a chance to really find out. Logan was with them. You should’ve seen his face. He felt so bad they caught me.”
Her eyes widen. “Logan saw you kissing him? How did he take it?”
I frown, “How did he take it?”
Lexi jumps out of the way of a racing gurney. “You being kissed by some other dude. I know you are just friends.”
“Don’t do air quotes when you say that, Lexi, we are just friends.” She tilts her head like I’m being naive, so I insist, “He’s a brother to me. You know that, come on! It’s like we have four brothers, not three!”
“Maybe when we were kids, Sam. I don't know if you noticed, but he is not a kid anymore. You want to talk about gorgeous, look no further.”
“Gross.”
She stares at me and shakes her head, turning on her heel for Marion’s hospital room. “I need pizza.”
I follow her, annoyed she’s joined the Mom-and-Dad-train suggesting Logan would be a great boyfriend for me.
I can’t even imagine us kissing.
I’ve known him my whole life.
Every awkward phase.
He’s seen.
I’ve seen.
Kissing is out of the question.
We would crack up!
Gag.
Promise never to do it again.
Asher turns around as I walk in. He puts his hands on my waist and backs me up until, hello again, hallway!
Glancing over his shoulder to make sure Marion’s hospital door has firmly closed, he pulls me further up the corridor and says, “Finally.”
He’s so handsome, my insides go squishy when he
