Page 5 of Pumped

I throw my hands up in innocence. “Just a coloring book. It’s no big deal. It’s not like I bought her a castle or anything.”

Jeremy shakes his head. “No, that’s more Owen’s style.”

I huff quietly. Why do they have to bring up Owen all the fucking time? “He bought Ivy a castle?” I can’t keep the sneer out of my voice. That’s just like Owen, though, always trying to one-up me to prove he’s better than me.

“No, he didn’t buy her a castle. He took her to an exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum last month, and they had a fake castle for kids to play in,” Eden explained.

I roll my eyes. Museums. Boring. I’m definitely the cooler uncle.

Jeremy sets a mimosa in front of me and I take a healthy swig of it just as the doorbell rings.

Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I ask, “Are we expecting anyone else?”

Jeremy and Eden exchange a look—one I’ve seen before, unfortunately. A little embarrassed. A lot scheming. I don’t like it, because I know what it means.

“No, you didn’t.” Dread fills me, immediately ruining my perfectly happy mood.

Jeremy goes to answer it while Eden steps in closer to give me a look, warning me to behave. Ivy’s footsteps stomp down the stairs as she races to the front door.

“Why?” I whine. “You know we hate each other. He’s going to ruin my whole day.”

Eden lowers her voice. “No, he’s not. And you aren’t going to ruin his either. You’re both adults. You can be civil to one another for a couple hours.”

“But why? Why bother when everyone would be so much happier if we weren’t in the same room at the same time?”

Eden pins me with a stern look. “Ev, you’re family now. You’re both important to me and Jeremy. You’re especially important to Ivy. We’re not saying you have to be BFFs. But at the very least, you do need to learn how to get along.”

I huff in annoyance as voices filter in to the kitchen. A moment later, Owen strolls in, holding Ivy’s hand while she skips along, telling him about dinosaurs. Guess she’s forgotten about my coloring book already. Traitor.

“They’re sooo biiiggg!” She swings her free arm through the air.

“They are. Would you like to see them in person?” Owen asks.

Ivy gasps. “Can we? Real live dinosaurs?”

Owen laughs, the sound low and throaty, and heat settles low in my stomach. I push the feeling away, irritated at how my body responds to Owen. No matter how annoyed I am, no matter how much I can’t stand him, it’s like my body hasn’t gotten the message that, hey, wecan’t stand each other. Nope, without fail, something inside me perks up in anticipation of a reenactment of Vegas.

Not gonna happen.

“No, not live dinosaurs. But scientists have found their bones and recreated what they look like,” Owen explains like he’s giving a fucking college lecture or something.

“Sooo cool!” Ivy claps her hands in excitement.

A smile spreads across Owen’s clean-shaven face. Jawline ridiculously strong, lips naturally pouty. He steps into a ray of sunshine that glints off his perfectly combed dark hair. His amber eyes twinkle like he’s got a secret he’s not willing to share.

The heat in my stomach grows.

Then he looks up and spots me. His eyes narrow, the twinkle disappearing as they harden. “Everest.” His voice drips with arrogance and hostility.

“Owen,” I say back, just as mockingly.

“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” he says, gaze flitting accusingly to Jeremy.

“I didn’t know you were going to be here either.”

“Surprise!” Ivy shouts, throwing her arms in the air as if she had fistfuls of confetti.

I lift an eyebrow at Eden. Are we seriously going to do this? Sit across the table from each other and pretend we don’t hate each other’s guts? Why in god’s name did she think this was a good idea?

---