Page 101 of Cloudless
With the sound of the doorbell, a stone settles in my stomach. My heartbeat thumps with a painful beat in my chest as my eyes connect with Ellie’s.
I take deep, soothing breaths as my socks glide along the floor. The cool metal of the doorknob meets my palm far too soon as I shake the tension from my shoulders.
My smile, which felt so easy before, now feels like a chore as I open the door. “Good evening. I’m glad you could make it.”
Victoria’s lips twist into an ugly snarl as she peers behind me with calculating eyes. “Yes, well, are you going to invite us in?”
I stare at them in stunned silence for approximately two seconds before my brain comes back online and I move out of the doorway. A cloud of perfume fills my lungs as they walk by. My lungs beg for a chance to cough that I refuse to indulge as I follow behind them like a lost puppy.
Their dress shoes click against the floor as they follow the voices through the house. Victoria’s dress is so stiff and constricting that the fabric doesn’t move as she walks.
I narrowly prevent myself from falling into Maxwell's back when they stop abruptly in the kitchen. I peer around his shoulder to find Ellie in a stare-off with Victoria. Ellie’s legs dangle from her spot on the kitchen counter as she clutches a bag of salt and vinegar chips to her chest like you would a baby.
Ellie gives them a little wave with her crumbly fingers as she speaks around the chip she just stuffed in her mouth. “Hi, I’m Ellie.” Her bare feet thunk against the floor as she slides from the counter. Her hand glides along her jeans as she wipes the chip crumbs on the fabric before extending her hand for a handshake. “It’s nice to meet you.”
The two strangers in my kitchen eye Ellie’s hand like it’s a snake. Victoria’s nose scrunches for the second time in as many minutes. “It’s nice to meet you, Ellie.” It seems Victoria is the only one capable of speaking today. Her crystal blue eyes turn tome as she dismisses Ellie. “Where are the twins? We would like to give them their presents before we have to leave.”
Ellie’s eyebrows disappear into her hairline as her eyes turn to me. She mouths,What the hell?
I shrug as I turn my full attention to my grandmother. “They’ll be here soon. Kam and Jasper went to pick Posey up from her ballet class.” I tilt my head to the side. “And what do you mean,leave?You won't be staying?”
Maxwell clasps his hands at the small of his back as he looks around my kitchen. “No, we have a business dinner to attend this evening.” Ah, he speaks.
“Oh, um.”Am I happy about this or sad? Happy, definitely happy.“That’s too bad. I'm sure Jasper and Posey will be disappointed that you can't stay.”
They will be disappointed, right? That seems like a question I should know the answer to.
The familiar creak of the front door reaches us in the kitchen as the sound of two sets of feet running on hardwood grows closer. An easy smile blooms on my face as their voices rise. “Lulu!”
Jasper nearly trips Posey in his haste to get to me. His eyes are wide as he pulls on the hem of my shirt. “Guess what happened!”
I raise my brows as I sink to my knees in front of him. “What happened?”
His chest rises and falls in quick succession as he tries to catch his breath. Posey’s excited voice fills my ears as she wiggles next to Jasper so they’re both standing in front of me. “Molly asked Kam on a date!”
My eyebrows raise even further as I fight the laugh threatening to break free. “Oh, she did?”
They nod their heads in tandem as heavy footsteps grow closer. “She did not! Don’t exaggerate, you two.” His eyes shineas bright as his smile as he comes around the corner to stand in the crowded kitchen. “She wanted to take me on a tour of the studio. That’s not a date. Miss Emma is the one who asked me on a date.” His brow raises as he sends a smirk barreling toward me at full force. “I politely declined, by the way.”
Victoria’s voice doesn’t hold an ounce of the humor the rest of us are trying to keep from our faces. “Ah, so you’rethefootball player.”
Kam’s features relax into an effortless smile as his eyes zero in on my grandparents. “Um, hockey player, actually.” He extends a hand that I’m surprised Maxwell takes. “It’s a pleasure to meet you two.”
Maxwell angles his head to where he is looking down his nose at the hockey player who has at least five inches on him. “You’re the one who picked up our granddaughter from ballet?”
Kam nods his head as his smile grows. “Yep! Today was my first time, actually.”
Kam’s smile falls as Maxwell turns his attention to me. I don’t miss the way he wipes the hand Kam just shook on his jacket. “I find it very interesting you would allow someone outside this family to wield that power.”
I scrunch my brows as I take a step in front of Kam. The need to physically block him and the two kids at his side from danger is overwhelming. “I, uh, I don’t know what you mean. I don’t see a problem with that. Kam is great with the kids.”
Maxwell focuses his icy stare over my shoulder as Kam’s hand settles on my hip. Victoria’s head tilts ever so slightly before her eyes flick to mine.
Kam’s fingers dig into my shirt as he pulls me back to his side. He seems to grow another four inches right before my eyes.
Victoria tilts her head back as she eyes Kam. “He might be great with the kids in public, but you don’t know what he’s like when he’salonewith them.”
Kam jerks back like her words are bullets. His face falls as he rubs at a wound in his chest that’s not visible to the naked eye.
