Page 47 of Bloom

Naturally, the feeling is mutual.

Scooping Grouch up, Lottie cradles her gently, receiving a remarkable zero injuries in the process. Without another word, she stomps upstairs, and a few seconds later, her bedroom door slamming shut echoes throughout the house.

When music starts floating downstairs, a decibel below deafening, I grimace at Lux. “Is she still…” I trail off, waving a hand in the air as I try to find the right word.

“A nightmare?” Lux finishes for me with a scoff, rolling her eyes, but I see the flash of concern that darkens them. “Yup. I have no idea what to do with her. She's not even talking to Grace anymore. Or maybe she is and Grace just won't tell me anything because of that fucking twin bond thing.”

“Should she…” I shift in my seat, nervous to offer advice I’m not sure is wanted. “I don't know, talk to someone, maybe?”

“Like a therapist?” Lux pulls a face. “I brought that up to Jackson once. She overheard and ran away for an entire weekend. Said if we forced her to go, she'd never come back.”

Jesus.“I'm sorry, Lux.”

“It's fine. Five kids, statistically one's gonna be a problem child, right?” It’s a weak joke, a thin veil to hide how much I know this whole situation hurts her. But she doesn’t want to talk about it, as is made evident by her crouching down and scooping up the puppy nibbling on her socked feet—the one who cried every time Lux puts him down, and I swear Lux whimpers a little when she does too. “Speaking of problem children.”

“You know what you're gonna do with them?”

“We're keeping them, right?” Both of us jump, our attention flitting to the doorway where Eliza suddenly lurks.

Groaning, Lux tosses her little sister a reprimanding look. “How long have you been there, sneak?”

“Somewhere aroundnightmare.” Eliza grins, flopping into a chair and bending down to scoop up a puppy—another girl with a white patch on the left side of her face who she’s been calling Pirate. “We have to keep them.”

“Puppies are a lot of work, Eliza,” Lux chides gently. “We're already stretched pretty thin here.”

Pure, outraged horror contorts Eliza’s face. “We can't just abandon them!”

“We're not abandoning them, kiddo. They're not ours to keep.”

“But they have no one,” Eliza whines, holding Pirate up to her face and pouting. “Look at this little face. How can you give her up?”

“Elizabeth, stop trying to manipulate your sister with puppies,” Jackson reprimands as he waltzes into the kitchen, pulling a yawning Luna behind him. Both of them are dressed for the day, stuffed tote bags slung over their shoulders and sunglasses propped atop their heads. Jackson stops short when he sees everyone still in pajamas, groaning. “You guys aren't ready?”

“For what?”

“Creek day.”

“Creekhalf-day,” Lux corrects him. “We're heading up after lunch. Some of us have to actually work to be rich, Oscar.”

Jackson scoffs, flicking his sister on the forehead as he steals her coffee. “You have just as much money as I do.”

“Yeah, and I'm trying to keep it that way. By runningyourranch,” Lux teases, elbowing Jackson in the gut.

He rolls his eyes as he ruffles her hair, but Eliza’s loud groan cuts off any retort. “Can we keep the dogs or not?”

Both siblings’ playful expressions fade. “Eliza…”

“Please. I promise I'll take care of them.”

“You're gonna pick up six dogs worth of poop every day?”

“I already shovel a million pounds of horse shit every day.”

I try and fail to stifle a laugh.

“Please, Lux.” Eliza pouts. “I'll clean up after them, I'll feed them, I'll walk them. I’ll even drive them to the vet and pay for their vaccinations, I swear.”

I swear, with each pathetic blink, I see the resistance leave Lux’s body. All it takes is the weepy pup trying to climb onto her shoulder letting out a whine to break her. “Two weeks. You get a two-week trial run, and I swear to God—”

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