Page 52 of Rebellious

“Sure. Can I bring you anything back?”

It’s the least I can do since she’s basically allowing me off the leash.

“Just send your brother or father over to help.” She fights back a smile.

I don’t give her a chance to change her mind. Standing, I slide the chair back under the table, and kiss the top of her head. “I’ll be right back.”

I don’t plan on stopping by the ticket booth and telling my brother to take my spot—a text will have to do.

I need to check my blood sugar. Help mom.

It’s a lie, but my father is not stupid. He’ll want an explanation, and my brother isn’t the best at lying on the fly. This way, he can remain blissfully ignorant.

I give the ticket booth a wide berth as I pass and see Drew hop over the edge, foregoing the door.

My phone chimes.

Dad: Send Fenn to help me since Aspen no longer needs him.

Dammit. I shake my head and avoid looking at the ticket booth. Instead, I text him back with a thumbs-up emoji. I refuse to look up and see his shit-eating grin. They only separated Aspen from me to be aggravating. I’ve been a real prick since last night. I get it. But why cause me more stress? I’m already a wreck trying to figure out how to handle Aspen.

My phone dings again, interrupting my impending panic.

Dad: Get Aspen to really check your sugar while you’re there.

I nod, pocketing my phone, and push through the crowd. My father doesn’t need me to text back; I can feel his eyes on me, watching as I disappear into the crowd.

As expected, the kissing booth has a line that wraps around the neighboring booths. And guess who’s waiting his turn like the good boss he is? Liam.

“Good, you came to replace me,” Fenn interrupts my glare at Liam.

“Yeah. Dad wants you to help him.”

It’s difficult not to look over at Aspen. I can handle many things, but I don’t think I could take watching another man kissing her.

Fenn shivers. “I’d do anything to get away from watching my sister get kissed. The last five minutes, I’ve debated on rubbing hand sanitizer in my eyes just to get a few minutes of relief.”

What did I tell you? No way was Fenn going to protect her from straying hands.

I clap him on the shoulder. “I’ll handle it. Go before you vomit.”

He punches me in the arm. “Don’t maim Liam.” He nods to the line where Liam waits.

Guess my source of frustration is transparent.

“I won’t,” I promise.

I have another idea for this kissing booth monstrosity.

Fenn has turned and jogged off to catch up with a girl by the time I’ve turned around. I’m not surprised. Honestly, I doubt it was the kissing that bothered him, more like being chained to a booth while hot girls wander around unaccompanied.

Shaking my head, I push through the line, coming face to face with Aspen. “Bennett,” she says. “So nice of you to give me a whole fourteen minutes alone. I wondered if you had lost track of time.”

“Cute,” I tell her, hopping up on the ledge of the booth and waving through the next guy in line. He hesitates.

I lift a brow. “You’re next, aren’t you?”

If my father knew how I was talking to donors, he’d have my head, but at this point, I don’t care. I’ll gladly take a two-hour lecture about respect and selflessness later—as in, when this madness is over.

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