You know that saying; ‘I’d climb that man like a tree’. Well it’s never really made sense to me until right now. Right at this moment, while basically being forced to snuggle up to the guy I’ve crushed on for my whole life—that saying finally makes total sense.
Spencer clears his throat loudly between us, and I feel the vibration of it flow through my entire body. Then I feel my sister laughing against my back and I’m suddenly reminded that we’re not alone. We are in the middle of the airport, I cannot let myself get all hot and bothered. Especially while being sandwiched between the guy I’m supposed to hate for breaking my teenage heart, and my sister for helping that happen.
Nope.
I don’t like this.
I don’t like thisat all.
I actually hate everything about this, and sort of want to wring my sister’s perfect neck for being such an asshole and bringing him here. I don’t blame her at all for anything that happened between them, but seeing them together isn’t exactly easy for me. I wish I could just go back in time and scrub the memory of their kiss out of my brain completely.
I push myself, maybe a little too roughly, away from Spencer’s chest and turn around to give my traitorous sister an actual hug. “I really hate you right now, but I missed your stupid matching face so much,” I whisper to her and hug her tighter against me. I can’t believe I haven’t seen her since she moved to Germany three years ago. “And because I’m more happy to see you, than I am upset to see him, I’m going to take the high road and choose to forgive you for letting that whole ‘Phoebe sandwich’ happen.”
She pulls back to wipe at her eyes and I realize I’m on the verge of crying right along with her. She may rattle my chain like no one else can, but my heart is never totally whole when we’re apart.
“I missed you too, and I have half a mind to drag you back overseas with me,” she says with a tearful smile.
“Don’t tempt me, Pipes. I may just tuck and roll into your suitcase when it’s time to leave.” I truly hate this phase of our lives.
Of course I’m so unbelievably proud of her, but I wish she would have chosen to become a nurse without having to join the Air Force, and being forced to live so far away from me. I’ve never been the strong one, and Piper has always been my rock. And this last year has been so rough without her to lean on.
“Umm, ladies? Are you ready to head to the car yet?” Spencer asks while he steps around from behind me, with my suitcase still in his hand.
Piper and I glance up at him, and then look at each other with wide, guilty eyes. A smile pulls at my lips and I can see the matching smile on hers. I cover my mouth with my hand quickly and then we both start laughing hysterically…because we both forgot that Spencer was still here with us.
Chapter Four
Spencer
Well,thereisn’tanythingawkward about this situation at all. I’m just a six foot two guy, sitting in the back of a small car with two identical looking women singing loudly along with the radio in the front seat. Normally, this might seem like the start of a really good joke, or a really naughty dream, but when the two women in question haven’t said a word to you since they walked out of the airport, well simply put–it’s extremely damn awkward.
Not that I really expected Phoebe to speak to me at all. But, when Piper asked me to tag along with her to the airport, I definitely hoped that it meant that she had talked to her sister and that maybe, just maybe, Phoebe would call a stale-mate on her hatred for me.
For about forty-five seconds after I surprised her in the baggage claim, it looked like she might actually deign to speak to me again. That spark I’ve always felt for her was still there, and when I saw her standing there waiting for her bag, I couldn’t stop myself from gravitating towards her.
It was like one of those golden strands from the Fates was pulling me towards her.
Then we made eye contact for the first time in five years and she took my breath away. She’s even more beautiful than I remembered. Her eyes are nothing like the emeralds I recall them looking like. They are infinitely more stunning than the finest cut gemstone in the universe. They look like somebody bottled up the Aurora Borealis in Alaska and let them shine brightly out of her eyes. The rosy flush of her cheeks and the way she bit her lip while looking at me—well I thought the possibility of starting fresh with her was in my grasp. That is, until Piper decided to tackle her sister right in my chest before I could even say hello to her.
I knew the moment Phoebe stepped out of my arms that the spark in her eyes would be gone again. She’s made eye contact with me a couple times since, and each glance looks guarded and unsure. And she has every right to look at me like that, even if it crushes me.
So now, I’m scrunched up in the back of Piper’s rental car, and the street to our parents’ house can’t get here any faster. At least the view is nice, and I don’t mean that in some weird, creepy dude way like I’m talking about the women in the front seat. I’m not.
The town has every light pole strung up with colorful Christmas lights, and each one has a ginormous wreath attached near the top. The sidewalks are lined with those plastic candy canes that light up from within, which just adds to that Whoville effect the town seems to be going for every year. The snow is falling lightly from the sky, making everything just look magical and Christmasy. The sun has just started to set, so the sky is cast in dark hues of blue, pinks and orange. The snow coming down makes the giant decorated tree in the middle of the town square look like something plucked right out of a snowglobe.
“Hey Spencer, do you want anything from Lucene’s? My mom just texted and asked if we could pick up some pizza and pasta for dinner,” Phoebe asks me from the front. I’m momentarily shocked as I’m pulled out of my thoughts, and I’m absolutely positive that if she turned to look at me right now all she’d see is my mouth gaping open and closed like a fish.
“Earth to Romeo, my sister asked if you want pizza,” Piper pipes in and I catch her not-so-subtle wink aimed at me in the rearview mirror.
I glare back at Piper…just in time for Phoebe to turn around and finally look at me. Her eyes widen quickly in surprise and then her features settle back into that ‘can’t be bothered to care’ face she tends to have around me.
“No, he doesn’t want anything. Let’s just drop him off first and then go pick the food up. I want to say hi to mom and dad anyways,” Phoebe answers with an annoyed tone. Crap, she must think that my angry face was directed at her. I open my mouth to apologize to her, but no words form in my mouth. She cocks an eyebrow at me and then faces back towards her sister.
What is it about her that makes me go full on stupid anytime I’m within five feet of her? At this rate I might as well give up and go home. It’s not exactly fun being around someone who obviously still hates your guts.
“Actually,” Phoebe says after looking down at her phone, “The Larson’s are coming over for dinner. Austin texted me to tell you to order ‘the usual’ for them.”
“I guess it’s a good thing I’m still here then,” I mutter at her under my breath, feeling annoyed for continuing to torture myself by trying to get on her good side.
