Authors: Sadie Grubor
"What?" I mouthed almost silently.
"What were you up to?" she whispered.
I shook my head. "Nothing
," I whispered back. Her face was all I needed to see to know she wasn’t buying it.
Once the kitchen was clean
, I tried to avoid being alone with Roni, so I was hanging around Kenneth in the living room. That was, until Roni came in, grabbed my arm and pulled me up to our room.
"Geez
, Roni, did you need to talk about something?" I sprawled out over my bed.
"Okay, spill it
, Fisher!" Roni eyed me. "Tell me why you looked so flustered when you came downstairs and what was that smirk about?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about," I answered innocently, though my smile gave me away.
"Damn it, Chloe! Spill!" She sat next to me on my bed and playfully slapped my ass.
"Well…" I sat up
, back against headboard and legs crossed over each other straight in front of me. "I had a surprise visitor while you were helping Judith. That’s all." I bit my bottom lip.
"You little slut!"
Roni laughed. "Tell me everything and I mean all details."
I laughed at her and then began telling her about Leo’s surprise visit. She asked me a million questions and tried to analyze every angle. I just chuckled at her.
"Chloe, do you know how hot that is?" Roni looked at me with a wide smile.
I shrugged.
"Seriously, Chloe, I would’ve never guessed you had it in you. Well, okay I knew it was in there somewhere, but I would never have thought that it would come out of you so easily. I’ve been such a bad influence…I’m so proud!" Roni giggled and I joined in with her.
After getting a shower and changing into some pajama bottoms and a tank top, I climbed under the blankets of my bed and got comfortable. I heard the bedroom door close and knew it was Roni coming to climb into bed
. I felt my mattress shift so I rolled over. Roni was sitting on the edge of my bed.
"What’s up?" I looked up at her.
"Okay, so I closed and locked our door." She smiled mischievously. I knew where this was going.
"Are you coming back tonight or do I have to cover through breakfast too?" I rolled my eyes.
"I’m going to try to be here before breakfast." She smiled and hugged me. "I have my cell. Text me if I’m not here when you wake up. Please?"
"Of course I will. Now get out of here
, whore." I laughed and rolled back over.
"Thanks, love!" Roni yelled as she headed out the balcony doors.
I swear that our parents had to be completely stupid if they didn’t realize what goes on around here. I’m betting that they tried to just pretend that they didn’t notice. I was laughing internally when I heard whispers outside the balcony doors. I rolled over to look at the doors.
A figured entered and walked toward me.
"That was a quickie. Are you losing your touch?" I laughed quietly.
"I hope not
." His velvety voice responded.
"Leo?" I whispered into the darkness.
My blankets shifted as he climbed into bed with me and wrapped himself around me.
"Who else would it be? Are there other guys I should know about?" He said with mock anger.
"No, of course not, dork." I whispered.
"You know
, I don’t think I’ve been called a dork since I was in grade school." He laughed quietly. The feel of his breath across my skin made every cell in my body instantly ignite. I had to hold in the urge to moan.
"Well
, now you have." I said right before his lips pressed to mine sweetly but firmly.
"You don’t mind sharing your bed do you?" He paused as he pulled my leg up over his hip and rolled us so I was lying against his chest. "I couldn’t sleep in my bed when you are close enough to be next to me." He kissed the top of my head.
We talked in hushed tones for what felt like the entire night. I don’t even remember when I fell asleep, but I do remember waking up.
First, the knocking started. Then the voice followed.
"
Chloe, Roni."
Harder knocking.
"
Chloe, Roni!!"
I shot straight up.
Fuck! It’s Kenneth!
My eyes fell directly to Leo.
"Chloe, Veronica, answer me! Why is the door locked?"
Shit, shit, shit!
Chapter Sixteen
Thanksgiving
Chloe
"
Chloe Michele Fisher!" Kenneth pounded harder on the door. "Veronica Ellen Fisher!"
"Just a min
ute! I’m coming!" I yelled back. Leo jumped out of my bed.
"Where are you going?" I whispered
. Grabbing my robe and a towel, I threw the robe on and wrapped the towel around my head.
"
Shhh…” Leo whispered as he slipped into my closet and shut the door behind him.
I unlocked the door and opened it halfway, keeping my body behind the door.
"What the hell–" Kenneth saw the towel on my head.
"I was trying to get ready for the day,
Dad." I rolled my eyes "I’m still not completely dressed."
"Oh, well…where is Roni?" He nodded to her bed, which was made.
Shit!
"She ran over to Mina’s to get her up so she could come get dressed with us
." I shrugged, mentally giving myself a high-five for such fast thinking.
"Well, your mother needs help downstairs
, so hurry up." He paused, still processing my story obviously. "We need to get over to the Mackeys in a couple of hours." He eyed me for another long moment before turning and heading back downstairs.
I closed the door and leaned against it with my eyes closed, letting out a
sigh of relief. My eyes shot open when Leo’s lips pressed against my neck. I pushed him softly.
"Are you crazy? Kenneth almost caught you in here once. You need to get back over to your house." I pulled off the robe and tossed it over the bed and I
yanked the towel from my head His arms circle around my waist and he kissed the back of my neck.
"If that’s what you want…"
he pouted.
I sighed
, "You're killing me."
He smiled and attacked my lip
s, pushing us down onto my bed.
"I’m afraid it is you
who is killing me, dear Chloe. You really need to stop that." He hovered over me and traced my lips with his fingers.
"
Stop what?"
He laughed and kissed me. "
Being so tempting I'm willing to die for you."
"That is definitely a possibility with Mayor Fisher
." I raised my eyebrows at him for emphasis. "He could bribe the judge for the death sentence." I winked.
Kissing my forehead
before he got up, he grabbed his sweatshirt from the bed.
"I’ll see you later this afternoon," He said quietly as he snuck out across the balcony and tree house.
I sat down to call Roni immediately.
After I got out of the shower
, for real, Roni was sitting on her bed with Mina. I was towel drying my hair as I walked toward the clothes that Mina and Roni had obviously decided I was wearing today.
"So
, Chloe…" Mina started, a grin on her face. "My brother came climbing into my room awfully early this morning with quite a large smile on his face."
"Really?"
I responded innocently and turned to grab my clothes off my bed.
"Oh
, come on, tramp" Roni yelled as she headed to the bathroom. "Spill the details!"
"There are no details
." I rolled my eyes. "He showed up last night after the whore in the bathroom left to fuck Max senseless." I laughed as a lotion bottle came flying out of the bathroom toward me. "I actually thought that it was Roni coming back for something and was completely surprised that it was Leo instead." I shrugged.
"And?"
Mina prodded.
"And
, your brother made himself awfully comfortable in my bed." I gave Mina a stern look.
"And just how comfortable would that be?" Mina raised an eyebrow, clearly fighting a smile.
"Comfortable enough to snore all night," I stuck my tongue out at her. "Nothing happened, he just slept here."
"
God, Chloe, when are you going to jump his gorgeous ass?" Roni vented, walking out of the bathroom.
"Hey
, I think I jumped him enough earlier yesterday!" I shot back and both of them laughed.
"Oh
, just get naked with him already!" Roni chuckled.
"
Ewww….that is my brother," Mina crinkled her face, "not to say that I don’t think that he is a fine specimen, but ewwww. Just ewwww."
Roni and I laughed as we got our clothes on. Mina grabbed me by the hand so she could play stylist as Roni sat at her vanity putting on her make-up.
Once we were all dressed, Mina headed over to her house and Roni and I went down to help Judith. Roni and Judith finished up some last minute cooking and preparation and I started packing up the food so it could be taken next door.
There was a knock on the door and I went to answer it while Roni and Judith finished in the kitchen. I pulled open the door.
"Hey, Max." I said smiling. "Happy Thanksgiving!"
"Happy Turkey Day, Chloe!" He said loudly and walked in. I was closing the door when I felt it shove back toward me.
"Are you going to shut the door on me?" his velvety voice came from around the door as he peeked his head around and smiled at me.
"Sorry." I blushed. "I didn’t see you there."
He smiled and touched my cheek.
"I love that." Before I could ask him what he meant
, Judith interrupted.
"I am so glad that your mother sent you and Max over to help," she unloaded some boxes into Leo’s arms a
s Max came out with bags and boxes.
"This smells amazing
." Max sniffed loudly. I saw Roni roll her eyes as she walked behind him.
I held the door while they both took the food next door. Kenneth appeared next to me holding my coat out to me. "Thanks
, Dad."
"Yep," he answered and I watched him study my face for a minute longer than necessary. I turned and walked out behind Judith.
Walking into the Mackey’s house for a holiday was like walking into a picture from a magazine about holiday decorating. Everything was perfect and had its place.
"Welcome!" Elaine came out from the kitchen looking perfectly put together.
"Happy Thanksgiving!" Carol, Max’s mother, followed Elaine.
"Oh
, Elaine, the place looks fantastic as always," Judith responded and hugged her. We each took turns hugging and then walked toward the kitchen.
"Kenneth, the men are in the basement with the new TV watching football," Elaine smiled and Kenneth politely excused himself.
"Football? Yes! Thank God for Thanksgiving Day football!" Max cheered and grabbed Roni’s hand pulling her with him.
I sat down next to Mina in the kitchen. I noticed that she seemed a little sad. I bumped
her shoulder with mine gently.
"What’s up?" She shook her head. "
Come on, you know better than to try that crap. What’s going on?" She stood up and gestured for me to follow her.
Once we got to the living roo
m, we sat together on the couch.
"What is going on? Are you okay?"
"I just, I don’t know. This is going to sound so stupid!" She put her face in her hands.
"Just tell me." I shook her. "It’s killing me that something is wrong."
"I feel left out." She sighed and looked into her lap.
"Huh? I’m confused."
"Well, Roni has Max and they are so happy and, then, there is you and Leo. I just feel left out." She sighed heavily.
"Oh
, Mina," I hugged her firmly. "I mean…you know that I am not ‘with’ Leo right? We are friends."
Mina rolled her eyes.
"Friends?" She gave me a funny look.
"You know what I mean. It’s just that we aren’t a ‘couple’." I sighed.
"Jesus Chloe, he would probably take you to Vegas and marry you at this point. Are you that clueless? He is so yours, regardless if you have taken on an official title."
I smiled, but it faded when I saw Mina’s face again.
I hugged her tightly.
"It will come." I pulled her face up to look directly at me. "You are too amazing for it not to come." She smiled at me and we sat hugging for a
while.
Robert decided that we should have an early dinner, so we all congregated around the dining room table. Robert sat at one end, Elaine at the other
. Judith and Kenneth sat side by side and across from Carol and Ronald Gallagher. Roni sat next to Max. I sat next to Mina and Leo sat across from me.
I looked up
at him but he didn’t look at me. We all began dinner and light conversation. Leo still wouldn’t look at me or say anything to me. I wasn’t sure what was going on.
After dinner Roni, Mina and I cleared the table and did the dishes.
"Okay, what is up with you bitches? You are both so quiet." Roni stood, looking at Mina and I with her arms crossed over her chest.
"I’m just lost in my
own thoughts, that’s all." I shrugged and looked to Mina.
"I just wish I had someone
." Mina shrugged. Roni hugged her and held on to her as she questioned me more.
"So what are you so caught up thinking about?"
"Just that Leo was acting different. It was like he was ignoring me throughout dinner." I shrugged again. "Maybe I’m just reading too much into it."
"Maybe."
Roni answered. "Okay, let’s grab some pie and cookies for girl time upstairs." She smiled large and we started grabbing forks and desserts.
We got up to Mina’s room and lay everything out on the floor. "Shit! We forgot the
Cool Whip." Roni exclaimed.
"I’ll go get it." I yelled back as I ran down the back stairs to the kitchen.
I pulled the Cool Whip out of the freezer and shut the freezer door with my elbow. I turned around and jumped, dropping the Cool Whip container to the floor.
"Jesus Christ
, Leo!" I put my hand on my chest, trying to catch my breath.
He stood there with a scowl on his face.
"What’s wrong?" I asked.
He just looked at me and even though the scowl softened
, it was still intense. I leaned down to pick up the Cool Whip but he grabbed my arm.
"What?" I asked again.
"We are friends," he said partially as a question but also as a fact. I nodded. "Is that all I am?" I stood staring at him. His hazel eyes burning into mine, I swallowed loudly. "Is it, Chloe?"
I pulled my arm away gently
. He let go, putting both hands against the fridge on either side of my head.
"What do you want me to say
, Leo?" His eyes darkened. Was that anger? "I mean, we agreed to be friends, to get to know each other. Am I the only one that remembers?"
His hand sm
acked the fridge beside my head.
"Damn it, Chloe." I jumped
. When he realized I jumped, he put his hand on my face. "I’m sorry." Then he smiled largely. "You’re doing it again."
"What?"
"Biting that lip."
Just as his lips were about to meet mine, someone cleared their throat. "Ahem!"