Page 3 of Light in Your Eyes
"Your turn first," I say, giving her a head start.
She taps my hand, and we start playing. She wins the first round, but surprisingly, she pouts.
"You gave me the chance to start first, so it was obvious that I was going to win," she says matter-of-factly. "Now, it's your turn to start first."
I notice that her mind is already distracted, which is good. This time, I take a head start, but when she wins again, she groans.
"That's not fair," she exclaims. "You purposely took the wrong step so that I could win."
I laugh, and she does too. It's such a relief to see her cheerful face again.
The funny thing is that we always play this game like this, but she never gets bored with it. I think she enjoys being spoiled.
Movement from the house startles us. A huge relief washes over me when I see Dad storming in our direction.
"Let's go," he urges.
After Mom and Dad get into the car, Tristan immediately starts driving.
"Put your seatbelts on," Mom reminds me and Inez in a worried tone.
She's always being extra careful for us, but sometimes I wonder if there's something else that makes her paranoid all the time.
Inez and I obey her command, fastening our seatbelts. The three of us are sitting at the back with Inez in the middle of us while Dad is sitting in the front seat beside Tristan.
Mom's phone rings, and when she pulls it out, I can seeJaxon requesting a video call. She accepts the call, and we can see Jaxon already dressed in his karate uniform. He looks anxious, but his face brightens the moment he sees us all in the car.
"We're already on the way." Mom smiles at him, and her words make him sigh in relief.
Mom moves her phone so that Jaxon can have a closer look at me and Inez.
"Are you going to win the competition?" I challenge him in a lazy voice.
As expected, Jaxon smirks. "You'll see. I want you to see it for yourself. Can't wait to knock them out."
I chuckle. He's being cocky, but I like that confidence in him.
"Inez," he greets our sister cheerfully. "What gift do you want me to buy for you if I win the competition?"
Inez stares at him with a lost expression. "Will I get a gift?"
Jaxon grins widely. "Of course. If I win this championship, I'm going to get a lot of money, and I'll get you anything you want."
Inez squints, deep in thought. "Really?" Then she suddenly bursts into giggles. "If that's the case, I want a new headband."
This time, it's Jaxon's turn to stare at her with a stupid expression. "What? Just that?"
Inez nods enthusiastically.
"Really?" Jaxon asks in disbelief. "I can give you more."
"I just want a new pretty headband right now, and I can't think of anything else," Inez says truthfully with a big smile on her face.
Jaxon rubs the back of his head. "Well, if that's what you want..."
"What about me?" I cut him off in an annoyed tone. "Will I not get anything?"
This sounds embarrassing, but I can't hide the fact that I feel slightly jealous. I always act like a cool brother to Inez, but with Jaxon, I sometimes act like a brat.
