Page 73 of A Moment for Us
“I’m living with her.”
“Are you living with her or living in her house?”
I sigh. “I didn’t realize there was a difference. Also, you really suck at this not getting involved thing.”
Stella’s smile is bright. “I think it’s my right as your sister to step in when necessary. Now, shut up, let all of my brilliance sink into that thick skull of yours, and dance before . . .”
“Before what?”
A few seconds pass and the song cuts off.
I step back, and the mischievous smile on my sister’s face says I’m in for something. Sure enough. That song—the song that she played every single freaking day—blares through the speakers.
“Everybody” by the Backstreet Boys begins, and when I start to back away from her, Stella grabs my hands.
“Oh no you don’t, Joshua!”
“Stella.”
She starts belting out the lyrics. “You know you love this song.”
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry because I really despise this song. All of us would beg her to stop, but she would just sing louder. My sister is many things, but a good singer isn’t one.
Then, like the nightmare that was Stella’s younger years, my brothers, Delia, Winnie, and Jessica line up beside her and start to dance as though they’re recreating the video. Because, of course, she didn’t just force us to hear the song. No, she made us watch the music video too. Over and over, blackmailing and browbeating us into learning the dance so we could entertain her.
Jack steps forward and starts to lip-sync the words to Stella, dropping down on his knees.
Then, because my only other option is to walk away, I line up, and pray that no one is recording this as I do the dance with my siblings while my sister laughs and smiles.
Chapter 21
Delia
Ican’t remember the last time I had this much fun.
I’ve danced with all but one Parkerson brother, laughed, and enjoyed every moment.
In an hour, it’ll end, and reality will creep back in, but for now, the problems in my life are on hold.
Jessica comes over with Ember in her arms. “Hey, you.”
“Hey. How’s she doing?”
“She’s great. She slept through so much of it that I’m shocked. But I figure with Amelia’s noise level, this probably is just a normal day to her.”
I laugh. “Amelia is obsessed with her sister, huh?”
Jess’s head moves side to side. “You have no idea, but she’s wonderful with her. So loving and attentive. It’s beautiful. Grayson and I are so very lucky to have two wonderful daughters.”
Tears fill my eyes because, while Amelia isn’t Jessica’s biological daughter, she’s never once viewed her differently. The two of them have loved each other from the minute Jess came into Melia’s life as something more than just Grayson’s friend, and I couldn’t be happier.
I wish I could be happy.
I wish Josh was just a bit like Grayson and loved without fear.
“Why are you crying?” she asks with a laugh.
“You’re such a good mom.”
