My phone had a missed text notification.
Rebecca:Hey, I’m sorry about today.
Embarrassment flared hot again, but I stuffed it back down.I tried, at least I can say that.Maybe I didn’t push back, but Paxton was wrong. Ididstand up for myself, just not in the way he thought. A month ago, I would’ve never even considered the cheer squad.
Me:I should’ve known better, but at least I know cheerleading isn’t in my future.
Rebecca:When their coach came back and found out what happened, she said she was giving Katrina and her hoes detention for a week.
I laughed out loud.
Me:LOL! That bitch had it coming.
Rebecca:Your foster brother is HAWT. It was kind of sexy watching him rescue you today. Do you think he’d save me if I try out tomorrow?
Me:I don’t even want to talk about it.
Rebecca:Well, give brother dearest a goodnight kiss from me.
My stomach tumbled thinking of our earlier kiss against the concession stand.
Me:No. Stop talking about him.
Rebecca:I’d rather be kissing him.
Me:Seriously. Stop talking about kissing him.
Rebecca: ??
With a grunt, I turned off the phone and placed it on the nightstand into its charger.
Faintly, I heard the low rumble of a voice speaking, then a higher tone answering.
Sounds like Lana wrangled Paxton into her bedtime story.
Curiosity pulled me to tiptoe down the hallway.
Light spilled out from the cracked door.
Paxton laughed, and Lana chattered about someone in her class.
I put my back against the wall and slid to the floor, relishing my sister’s nonsensical chatter.
“Okay, hang on. I have to put Darryl on this pillow so he can listen too.”
“Oh, who’s Darryl?” Paxton asked.
“Duh. Darryl Dixon fromThe Walking Dead.” She giggled. “Did you know he can use a crossbow and shoot a zombie from hundreds of feet away?”
“Nope. Didn’t know that.”
I leaned to the side and glanced into the room.
Lana, tucked into bed with her plastic Darryl Dixon figurine seated on her pillow, grinned up at Paxton, who sat in a chair next to her bed.
The lamp on her bedside table glowed yellow, softening those harsh cheekbones, giving his skin an amber warmth. His full lips curved into a smile, and he held the hardback book in his hand.
“All right. Are you ready to fly to Neverland?” He raised his eyebrows.
