Page 77 of The Edge of Summer
Fuck, these Delacroix girls are certainly good at bringing me to my knees. The way she looks so unsure about herself damn near kills me. I want to erase all her insecurities. Her sister’s, too.
I tip her chin up until she meets my gaze. My other hand, still holding the bracelet, rests over my heart. “I love it, Soph. Thank you.”
She shows me her own wrist. “It matches me.”
“Even better. Do you want to do the honours?” I hold my wrist out, and she eagerly fastens the string. It sits a little loose, but I smile encouragingly. “Perfect fit.”
I watch her as she runs off giggling to herself. Then my eyes land on Delilah and I really wish they hadn’t. The soft expression she wears is full of affection. Not the kind you have for the friend you happen to be fucking. I swallow.
Delilah gestures to my wrist. “Here, let me fix that.”
The bracelet has already started to come undone, so I hold out my arm. I watch intently as Delilah leans closer, her fingers brushing against my skin. She tightens the bracelet until it fits snugly around my wrist and then she ties it in place. When she sits up, her gaze meets mine again, and I get lost in the depths.
Thankfully, my parents start to set the food on the table before I truly get swept away. I volunteer to grab the girls from the living room, and then I send Sophia and Abbie out ahead of me so I can have a second to myself. A second to get my shit together. Then I haul my ass back to the table and pretend like nothing is wrong. Like I’m not slowly losing a battle of my own making.
“So, Parker,” Mom begins as she cuts into a waffle, “are you excited to start school in the fall?”
I’m not sure why that’s every middle-aged adult’s go-to question whenever a teenager enters a room. I used to get it all the time when I was Parker’s age, and the answer is alwaysno.
He shrugs. “Yeah, I guess.”
“It’ll be a lot smaller than your old school,” Dad chimesin. “I’m sure you won’t have any trouble making friends though.”
There is a moment of silence as Dad’s words settle over the table. Parker shifts in his seat uncomfortably. “I don’t need to make friends,” he says. Then his expression hardens as he looks at Delilah. “I alreadyhadfriends.”
Before I can blink, he stands from his seat and storms out of the room. We all watch him go. Dad offers Delilah an apologetic smile, but she just shakes her head.
“I’m so sorry,” she says. “Um, excuse us. I’m just gonna go…”
She goes to stand, but I place a hand on her arm. “Can I?”
At this point, I would do anything to take that defeated look off her face. Though she seems reluctant, she eventually nods and slowly lowers back into her chair. I waste no time following Parker out of the room. I find him outside, sitting on the front steps. Taking a seat beside him, I brace my forearms on my thighs.
Parker’s jaw works as he watches me get settled. “I came out here to be alone.”
“See, I don’t buy that,” I say. “I think you came out here, hoping someone would follow.”
“And like the knight in shining armour you are, you had to come to her rescue,” he says bitterly.
I shake my head. “I came out here for you, Parker. Not for her.”
The kid is angry, that much is obvious. What I want to know is why. His relationship with his older sister has beenstrained for as long as I’ve known them. I know it hurts Delilah. I think it hurts Parker, too.
He scoffs. “Right.”
Parker turns away from me, and I let silence settle in. He isn’t going to believe me if I tell him that people here actually care what he has to say. So I wait. Eventually, the silence becomes too loud. He crosses his arms, refusing to look my way.
“All of this is her fault anyway,” he mutters.
“Damn.”
His head swings sharply in my direction. “What?” he snaps.
“I didn’t know your sister had that much sway with the universe,” I reply. “I’m going to need her to give me the winning jackpot numbers next.”
To this, Parker rolls his eyes. “If you have a hard-on for my sister, just say it. You don’t have to walk around, kissing her ass.”
I choose to ignore his jab as I stand from my spot on the steps. “C’mon.”
