Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 153544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 768(@200wpm)___ 614(@250wpm)___ 512(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 768(@200wpm)___ 614(@250wpm)___ 512(@300wpm)
And yes, she definitely made us stop by a shop so she could change into a floral dress, smooth her hair and makeup, and buy a gift.
“My parents taught me to never go into someone’s home empty-handed,” she said when I told her the gift was unnecessary.
A small sound of tap, tap reaches us first before a model-like woman with the shiniest blonde hair appears, coming down the stairs.
Mom’s smile is the most contagious thing I’ve ever seen. Usually, other people’s emotions don’t matter to me. Yes, I can discern them, can even understand them when their owners can’t, but I don’t give a fuck about them.
Reina Ellis Carson is the exception to that.
And now, Glyndon is, too.
Mom wraps both Gareth and me in a hug, her head resting on our shoulders. She’s shorter than us, so we have to lower ourselves to pat her back so she doesn’t have to strain, or worse, dangle between us.
No kidding, she did that once.
“I missed you so much!” She pulls back to run her hand over our bodies. “Let me look at you. Did you get taller or what? I can’t believe this. Next time, I’ll get a staircase to reach you. Ahh, my boys are back home together. I couldn’t believe it when Gareth told me earlier.”
She hugs us again and I share a look with my brother.
Here we go again.
After basically strangling us for five minutes, she finally notices Glyndon, who has tried her best to remain in the background during Mom’s welcome home ceremony.
I didn’t think it possible, but Mom’s expression brightens further. “And you are?”
“Hello. My name is Glyndon.” She offers her a wrapped present. “Thank you for having me.”
“Oh, thank you. You’re so sweet and well-mannered.” Mom accepts her present. “You’re with…”
“Me.” I wrap an arm around her waist and bring her to my side. “She’s my girl.”
“The one who got your lips bruised the other time?”
“The one and only.” It wasn’t due to making out, but I was that way because of a fight I did for her, so it counts.
“W-what?” Glyndon asks with enough awkwardness to redden her neck.
“It’s nothing.” Mom feigns innocence. “I’m so glad Killian is finally bringing someone home. I thought he’d die alone. Don’t get me wrong, I know he sleeps around, but it’s never just one person and I was worried it’d come back and bite him in the ass.”
“Mom!” I throw a questioning hand up.
“What? You know you’re allergic to monogamy. Or were before you met this beautiful young lady.” Her expression becomes serious. “If he gives you trouble, let me know and I will use my mother's privileges to knock some sense into his head.”
“Thanks, I’ll definitely do that.”
“So you’re ganging up on me now? Traitors, both of you.”
Mom just flips her hair. “We girls have to stick up for each other, right, Glyn? Can I call you Glyn?”
“Yeah, sure. And I agree about sticking up for each other.”
“Dad.”
My good mood slowly dissipates as Gareth closes the distance to the stairs and meets Dad for a bro hug.
Sometimes, I like to think of him as my stepfather. The man who married Mom and fathered Gareth, but he doesn’t give a shit about the other man’s son—me.
Of course, it’s all imaginary, because I sure as shit did a DNA test to make sure we are, in fact, related by blood and genetics. Unfortunately, Mom loves the man too much to cheat on him.
He’s dressed in a dark gray suit that highlights his physique, even at his age. And yes, he probably was out working on a Saturday again, even though he usually thinks weekends are a sacred time for his family.
His dark hair is styled with some white peeking out at the sides. Other than that, he’s definitely aging well. Better than Grandpa, that’s for sure.
After hugging his favorite son, he nods at me. “Kill.”
I nod back. “Dad.”
“To what do we owe this visit?” he asks with little to no emotion.
I wonder if I’ll be like him when I grow up. Completely blank and cold to the point of icing the whole atmosphere.
Or maybe I’m doing it just fine at my current age.
“Didn’t you say to come over next time Gareth does?” I match his tone. “I’m over.”
“Watch it,” he warns, his voice nonnegotiable.
That’s where he’s different from Gareth. My brother either avoids or ignores my provocations, Dad doesn’t allow a single one of them.
Not even a hint of passive aggressiveness.
Mom smiles in a poor attempt to kill the tension permeating the air. “Ash, look who Kill brought over. His girlfriend.”
“Hi, I’m Glyndon,” she says with more awkwardness than when she was introducing herself to Mom. And maybe, just maybe, she can feel the tension radiating off me.
“You look familiar…” Dad trails off. “You don’t happen to be a King, do you?”