She turns her head in my direction, the red around her eyes beginning to fade. “No, it’s fine. I mean, all that excitement over free range chicken.” She shrugs her shoulders and I think I see a padded smile. “I kind of couldn’t pass it up.”
“What the fuck is free range chicken anyway?” The answer to my question is a small giggle that bubbles up from her throat, and I catch myself laughing too. Laughter is as alien to me as civil conversation these days. But somehow I find myself doing both with this girl.
WHEN I ENTER the kitchen, an array of vegetables is laid out on the cutting board and Julian stands at the sink filling a large pot with water. He places it on the stove and shoots me a grin over his shoulder. “So you were getting kind of chummy with Ember, huh?”
I hop onto a stool at the center island, snagging a cookie from an open box. “Even your vegetables are organized. Do you realize you have them sectioned off by color?”
“Do you realize you’re evading my question?” Julian reaches up to the cabinet beside the fridge and takes out a package of pasta. He tears it open then sets it on the counter.
“Actually, I’m not.” I smirk before taking a bite of the cookie. “It’s just that I’m both fascinated and distracted by your mad skills.” After I finish chewing, I add, “For the record, she seemed upset and I just wanted to make sure she was okay.”
He’s facing the sink and I can’t see his expression when he counters with “Hmph.”
“What’s hmph?”
He spins around, holding a red pepper in one hand and a sharp knife in the other. “Since when do you step outside of your little anger bubble to make sure anyone other than me or Mom is okay?”
“Since….” I hear Jeopardy music playing in my head as I try to think of the answer to his question.
“Exactly. Since never.” He waves the knife at me. “So this is a good thing. You’re making a friend.”
“Next thing I know you’ll be filling my Scooby lunchbox with free range chicken.” My smug grin disappears behind another bite as the doorbell rings.
“Hey, sue me. I worry about you, little brother.” He crosses the kitchen, lobbing a dishtowel at my face that I dodge quite effectively. While I’m not the sports-minded guy that Julian is, I did spend several years in martial arts. I have a black belt to show for it and can block a punch like it’s nobody’s business. This definitely came in handy when anyone was messing with us. More often than not, it was because some asswipe was making comments about Mom. Anger grazes my chest as I jump down from the stool. I take a minute to shake it off before making my way into the living room. I’m just in time to catch the tail end of Avery’s words.
“Yeah, we did. We brought dessert again. It’s kind of our thing. Actually,” she hikes a thumb toward her sister, “Ember’s a bit better at it than I am, but who’s comparing?”
“Excellent.” Julian holds his arm out to Avery and she links her elbow through his. “This way, lovely. I could use some help in the kitchen.” I wait for them to walk away then turn back to Ember.
“Your brother is quite the charmer,” Ember remarks, and she looks so much better. Her green eyes are brighter and that frown has disappeared.
“Yes, he is.” The sound of Avery’s laughter makes me glance toward the kitchen before returning to Ember. “He’s been known to attract a girl or two. Julian is….” I twist the hoop in my ear. “You won’t find a better person.”
Ember studies my face, paying special attention to my eyes. It unsettles me and I clutch the back of my neck. “That’s really nice.”
“Yeah, well. Just don’t tell anyone.” I jerk my head toward the sofa. “Have a seat. Do you want a soda or something? I think we’ve also got lemonade.”
“I’m good for now, thanks.” She plops down on the couch and I barge into the kitchen to grab a soda from the fridge. Avery is chopping vegetables next to Julian, her shoulders shaking so hard I’m afraid she’s going to lop a finger off.
“You guys are a regular comedy show in here.” I twist the cap off the Coke, knocking the fridge door closed with my hip. “What gives?”
Avery puts the knife down and uses her sleeve to wipe her eyes. “Julian was telling me about the time you guys went fishing. That you got so mad that nothing was biting, you dove into the water and tried to catch one by hand.”
I glare at his back, loading daggers I’m prepared to shoot if he doesn’t keep his mouth shut. “Nice. Thanks for that bro. Just remember, payback’s a bitch.”
“I’ve heard that,” he mumbles without turning to meet my wrath. “Just remember who’s feeding you,” he reminds me a bit louder this time.
“What’s going on in there?” Ember questions as I take a seat across from her in Dad’s overpriced black leather chair.