Making out in a freezer was a strange first too, but thinking about it made me grin like an idiot.
“What are you cheesing about?” Zack asked as he scuffed into the kitchen grumpily and poured himself a cup of black coffee. No sugar. He insisted it was the only “manly” way to drink coffee. Yuck.
“Nothing,” I lied, sipping from my own mug. “You’re up early. Is Brianna still asleep?”
“Nah. I grabbed her some clothes out of your room so she could take a shower before we run over to the hotel. Are you still cool with them staying here?”
I shrugged, not really sure of the answer myself. “I guess so. I mean, I want to get some answers. Don’t you?”
Zack glanced towards the staircase. “That’s part of it, yeah.”
I felt a lecture building up inside me, but tried to force it back down. Zack did not respond well to my lectures. Usually, he made certain that he did the exact opposite of whatever I suggested, merely on principle.
“You don’t have to say anything, I can feel your disapproval!” He waved a hand in my direction. “Self-righteousness is pouring off of you in waves. I will try to behave myself with this one. I think.”
It was as close to a promise as I was going to get, but I simply nodded and continued drinking my coffee. If I acted too supportive he might change his mind.
“What’s with the dress?” Zack waggled his eyebrows. “You never wear dresses. I didn’t know you even owned any. Do we need to have a talk about precautions?”
“It’s comfortable, that’s it. Shut up,” I protested.
“Oh, see? You don’t want to be lectured either!” Zack flashed a triumphant smirk. I scowled and considered bashing him over the head with my empty coffee mug. The mental image was as close as I’d ever get. He fights dirty, and I wasn’t ready for whatever he’d dish out in revenge.
I refilled the mug instead, adding a generous dollop of creamer and sugar, more to emphasize our differences than because I needed it to be that sweet. “I should go back down and check on Elliott. Then I thought I’d make breakfast. You want to take Brianna to get their stuff after we eat?”
Elliott quietly stepped into the kitchen, causing Zack and I to jump. How had we not heard him come up the basement stairs?
“We may want to hold off on getting our stuff until after I’ve had a chance to explain some things. You might change your minds once you know more, and we wouldn’t blame you if that’s the case,” he said, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. “I think it would be for the best if we left.”
I already missed the warm fuzzy feelings we’d shared in the basement. “Why don’t we have breakfast first? We’ll all feel better if we have some food in our stomachs,” I said. I was trying to sound sensible, but really I was only stalling. Right now I had hope. Hope that no matter how bad the story Elliott had to tell was, I could still cling to these feelings. I’d never felt this kind of pull towards anyone, and I was desperately lonely, even though I spent every day surrounded by people. I didn’t want to let go so soon.
Zack, who was always ready to eat and was no more eager to send the Carter siblings on their way than I, agreed immediately. “I’ll go head upstairs and check on Brianna while you get started, Zoe,” he said over his shoulder as he charged up the stairs.
I opened the refrigerator, hiding my face inside for a moment until I got myself under control. “Zoe? It’s not…I don’t want you to think…Ugh. I’m not good at this stuff,” Elliott mumbled from behind me.
I stayed silent, moving things around in the fridge even though I knew exactly where the eggs and milk were. I just needed to keep my hands busy.
“Can I help? With breakfast, I mean,” he asked hesitantly.
I picked up the egg carton and gallon of milk and handed them off to him, while I pulled out the butter and orange juice. I got out the bowls and pans in silence, trying
“What are you cheesing about?” Zack asked as he scuffed into the kitchen grumpily and poured himself a cup of black coffee. No sugar. He insisted it was the only “manly” way to drink coffee. Yuck.
“Nothing,” I lied, sipping from my own mug. “You’re up early. Is Brianna still asleep?”
“Nah. I grabbed her some clothes out of your room so she could take a shower before we run over to the hotel. Are you still cool with them staying here?”
I shrugged, not really sure of the answer myself. “I guess so. I mean, I want to get some answers. Don’t you?”
Zack glanced towards the staircase. “That’s part of it, yeah.”
I felt a lecture building up inside me, but tried to force it back down. Zack did not respond well to my lectures. Usually, he made certain that he did the exact opposite of whatever I suggested, merely on principle.
“You don’t have to say anything, I can feel your disapproval!” He waved a hand in my direction. “Self-righteousness is pouring off of you in waves. I will try to behave myself with this one. I think.”
It was as close to a promise as I was going to get, but I simply nodded and continued drinking my coffee. If I acted too supportive he might change his mind.
“What’s with the dress?” Zack waggled his eyebrows. “You never wear dresses. I didn’t know you even owned any. Do we need to have a talk about precautions?”
“It’s comfortable, that’s it. Shut up,” I protested.
“Oh, see? You don’t want to be lectured either!” Zack flashed a triumphant smirk. I scowled and considered bashing him over the head with my empty coffee mug. The mental image was as close as I’d ever get. He fights dirty, and I wasn’t ready for whatever he’d dish out in revenge.
I refilled the mug instead, adding a generous dollop of creamer and sugar, more to emphasize our differences than because I needed it to be that sweet. “I should go back down and check on Elliott. Then I thought I’d make breakfast. You want to take Brianna to get their stuff after we eat?”
Elliott quietly stepped into the kitchen, causing Zack and I to jump. How had we not heard him come up the basement stairs?
“We may want to hold off on getting our stuff until after I’ve had a chance to explain some things. You might change your minds once you know more, and we wouldn’t blame you if that’s the case,” he said, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. “I think it would be for the best if we left.”
I already missed the warm fuzzy feelings we’d shared in the basement. “Why don’t we have breakfast first? We’ll all feel better if we have some food in our stomachs,” I said. I was trying to sound sensible, but really I was only stalling. Right now I had hope. Hope that no matter how bad the story Elliott had to tell was, I could still cling to these feelings. I’d never felt this kind of pull towards anyone, and I was desperately lonely, even though I spent every day surrounded by people. I didn’t want to let go so soon.
Zack, who was always ready to eat and was no more eager to send the Carter siblings on their way than I, agreed immediately. “I’ll go head upstairs and check on Brianna while you get started, Zoe,” he said over his shoulder as he charged up the stairs.
I opened the refrigerator, hiding my face inside for a moment until I got myself under control. “Zoe? It’s not…I don’t want you to think…Ugh. I’m not good at this stuff,” Elliott mumbled from behind me.
I stayed silent, moving things around in the fridge even though I knew exactly where the eggs and milk were. I just needed to keep my hands busy.
“Can I help? With breakfast, I mean,” he asked hesitantly.
I picked up the egg carton and gallon of milk and handed them off to him, while I pulled out the butter and orange juice. I got out the bowls and pans in silence, trying
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