“That’s a guarantee,” Miles adds.
The four of us laugh, and the mood is sufficiently lightened so we can enjoy the evening. The doorbell rings, and Kingston gets up to go pay the pizza delivery person. The coffeepot chimes, and I open the mug cupboard. I lean forward to grab theStud Muffinmug at the same time Miles does. Our fingers brush against each other as we reach for it.
“Oops, sorry.” I pull my hand back and let him take it.
He grabs another mug and hands it to me, and then we both stare at each other.
Is this an Old West standoff? Why am I standing here, staring into those green eyes?
My neck is going to get a kink in it from staring up at him like this. There’s a little twitch at the corner of his mouth, as though he’s trying to resist laughing.
I wiggle my eyebrows back and forth, and then Willa clears her throat loudly. Subtle was never her strong suit. Well, I forgot she was here, so subtle probably wouldn’t have worked anyway.
“Erm, would you like a cup of coffee, Willa?” I ask her as I grab the mug with the tiny handle. She can use this one.
“Have I ever said no to coffee?” she asks as I add some half-and-half to the bottom of the cup.
I pass the carton to Miles and set the cup in front of Willa. She cracks open her travel mug and adds a little bit of her fancy coffee to the cup.
“You know…I’m pretty sure your bloodstream is half coffee at this point.”
She’s a true addict.
Willa grins at me and picks up the coffee cup. “Oh, this is such a cute floral one; I love it!”
Kingston returns to the kitchen and sets the pizza down. “I’m starved.”
He flips open the lid, sets a few napkins in front of Willa, and then sets three pieces of pizza in front of her. He proceeds to do the same for himself.
I think I might cry. Seeing my sister being taken care of? This is what she needs. Someone to watch out for her.
I didn’t even realize the stress I’d been carrying all these years as an older sibling—worrying about her, fretting over her struggles with food, wondering how I could help her and encourage her.
And now she has Kingston.
That means the only one I have to take care of anymore is me.
I splash the coffee over the side of my mug when I pick it up.
Taking care of myself is a full-time job at this point, and I can’t help but hope I find someone who is willing to put up with my chaos.
TEN
Miles
My alarm doesn’t go off the next morning, and I’m definitely going to be late for work. Thea is going to give me crap for this.
The only reason I woke up is that my phone is ringing.
I stand up and stretch before I answer it.
It’s my mom—and that’s the only reason I answer. I’m not ready to handle people before eight in the morning. I need my coffee first.
“Hello?”
“Hi, sweetie. Are you at work?”
“Hey, Mom. No, not yet.”
