“You know, bud, anything’s possible. But if he gives you any, you better save me a piece, okay?” When he nodded, he did so with his entire body, and I ruffled his hair before setting him on the ground.
“I’m pretty jealous,” I told him, only half-way teasing. Honestly, I could give a rat’s ass about a six-foot cartoon character, but I hated missing this experience with him. “You’re gonna have a blast in Disney World.”
Like most ankle-biters, my brother lived and breathed Disney. Seeing his face when he met Mickey or Goofy or whoever else floated around that place would’ve been cool. Not that I was surprised by the lack of invite. I was just the unwanted step-son.
As Chase ducked back into his room, screaming the theme song from Jake and the Never Land Pirates at the top of his lungs, I raised my voice so he could hear, “Make sure you take lots of pictures!”
“Oh good, you’re here.” At the nasal voice floating down the hall, the smile fell from my face. Begrudgingly, I turned to confront the spawn of hell.
Annabeth click-clacked toward me in four-inch heels, typing away on her phone. “Your father got added to a panel in Orlando at the last minute, so we’re joining him there for a little vacay. We leave in a few hours.”
At her fast and loose use of the word “we” I couldn’t help but say, “Oh yippee! Guess I better run along now and pack, huh?”
My stepmother rolled her eyes. “Please. Like you want to spend Easter break with a talking rodent.”
When she finally raised her head to glare at me, Annabeth noticed the girl at my side. Shock filled her face before her lip curled, and after giving Peyton a cold once over, she said, “Besides, with us gone you’ll have the house to yourself to… do whatever you want in peace.” Turning up her nose with thinly veiled disgust, she added, “Do try not to burn the place down.”
And with that helpful nugget of parental wisdom, and a final scathing look at my girl, Annabeth exited the hall. It took everything in me not to kick a hole in the wall.
“Holy crap.” Peyton’s mouth hung open, eyelashes blinking. “That… that...”
Her eyes narrowed as her hands fisted at her sides, and if this had been a cartoon, fumes would be rising from her ears. She was seconds away from going nuclear. To tell you the truth, it was sexy as hell. But when she tucked her chin and leaned forward, clearly ready to take off after my stepmother, I grabbed her hand and hauled her into my room.
“Damn, you’re feisty,” I said, shutting my door with a low chuckle. She’d gone a little crazy the day I’d finally told her about my dad and messed up upbringing. Peyton might’ve looked sweet and innocent, but she rocked a hardcore inner fire. “Just ignore her, Sunshine. I know I do.”
“But you shouldn’t have to!” Throwing her hands in the air, Peyton walked the length of my room. “That woman is a mother? Seriously? That should be illegal! And that poor adorable little boy... how in the hell is he so sweet with that... that monster providing half his genes?!”
Feisty and protective was a sexy combination.
Biting the inside of my cheek to subdue my smile, I replied, “He takes after his kickass brother, obviously.” Then, plopping said ass on the bed, I patted the mattress beside me. “Seriously, baby, I’m fine. Who needs Disney World? I couldn’t go anyway. With school out, your dad scheduled a practice for tomorrow, and I’d never let him down, so see? No big deal.”
Only, I couldn’t seem to force my face to match my words. I was used to quiet. Most days, it was better than Annabeth flitting around, spending my father’s money and pretending she was mother of the year. But school didn’t start back up until Wednesday. That was a whole lot of quiet.
Peyton growled, not buying my act for a second, and jutted her hip against my bookshelf. Eyes narrowed, she mumbled curses under her breath—or what passed as curses for her—and I turned on my side to face her. She was seriously pissed.
Nobody had given a shit about me, not really, not since I had lived with my grandparents. That was years ago. That this sweet girl was so worked up over me boggled my mind. But I liked it. Probably too much.
“Why don’t we put all that aggression to use?” I suggested, trying to get things back to a normal footing. I didn’t do serious—but I rocked at casual hookups. I patted the mattress again. “I’m sure there’s something we can do to distract ourselves...”
I raised my eyebrows and Peyton laughed like I was a dork. Not the result I intended. But when her peaches and cream cheeks warmed with a blush, I counted it as a win. Rolling her eyes, she tromped over and went to give my shoulder a playful shove, but I reached out and snaked my fingers around the delicate bones of her wrist, tumbling her onto the bed.
“Oomph!”