Page 65 of Set the Moment
After taking off my cow print face mask and washing Delilah’s face off, I find myself sketching while the toddler watches cartoons.
My hands move on their own volition, sketching and drawing to their heart's content, and I don’t even realize what I’m drawing until my phone rings. The sound snatches me back to reality and my heart stutters.
Sienna stares back at me on the page. Her smiling, dancing, everything. The page is filled with sketches of her in every state, whether it’s happiness or sadness. Her beauty is something that philosophers preach about and study to grasp. She’s ethereal and unreal. The face that artists dream about—I know I do.
Another loud ring of my phone has Delilah cutting a sharp glare my way and me answering it blindly as I smile at her.
“Why haven’t you been answering my calls, dude? I called you ten times this week.” My brother Jackson's voice is agitated as the line comes through.
I sigh, messing up my hair as I run a hand through it.
“There’s this thing calleddo not disturb, Jackie. I think the name is pretty self-explanatory,” I whisper as I double check that Delilah is okay before heading to the foyer to continue this conversation.
My older brother Jackson is the kind of guy you don’t want to piss off, but has no qualms about annoying the rest of society. I have no idea how my sister-in-law, Corinne, puts up with his annoying ass. Everyone likes to think that the youngest siblings are the annoying ones, but no one pays attention to the irritation that is known as the oldest child.
Jackson huffs on his side of the line, clearly unamused with me. “Mom told me that you’re not being serious about this whole marriage thing, munch—”
I roll my eyes at the use of his childhood nickname for me, ‘munch’, short for munchkin. Fucking stupid, if you ask me. Heaving a sigh from the deepest crevice of my stomach, I roll my head up to the sky.
“I’ll tell you the same thing that I told Mommy dearest…I’mnineteen! As in one nine—nineteen. I’ll get married off the day that Asa decides to date anyone other than his computer and the company's stocks. Until then, get off my back.”
Jackson doesn’t respond immediately, allowing me to stew in my anger for a second too long before he lets out a sigh.
“This family will be the death of me…Just know Mom is onallof our asses to get you to start dating. Don’t shoot the messenger, munch.” He chuckles heartily as I groan.
My mother is up to something, I know it. There’s a gnawing feeling at the back of my head whenever she calls me. Whatever my mom has planned, I hope she knows that I have something even better already in store…If I can understand how Sienna truly feels for me, that is.
By the time Jackson and I finish our conversation, I realize that Blake’s home, talking with Derek in the kitchen after being out late. Charlie, Braxton, and Alec all get to the house a little later and we all eat dinner together before shifting to the living room to play some games.
Charlie, Braxton, and Derek—all assholes who don’t live in this house—have the time of their lives playing a game against some other user while Alec plays with Deli. I’m sketching in my notebook yet again when a body plops down next to me, a beer outstretched for me.
Blake raises a brow as I eye him and the silent offering of beer. He’d had a bottle of water with him for himself. Taking the beer, I place it on the table in front of me as he gets comfortable next to me.
“You’re drawing?”
I look up from my work momentarily to eye him. “That’s usually what people do when they have a sketchbook open,” I say jokingly as he purses his lips, smacking me upside my head.
“Well duh, asshole. I mean you’reactuallydrawing and not just doodling. Is it a girl?” he asks, his nosiness getting the best of him as he tries to look over my shoulder at the unfinished work. Clutching the sketchbook to my chest, I glare at him.
Why does everything have to be linked back to dating or a girl—I mean Siennaisthe reason that I picked my pencil back up—but still. A guy can’t just sketch the woman he’s been in love with his whole life without everything being about her?
“Pshh… no,” I scoff unconvincingly as he smirks, his eyes widening.
Oh please, no…
“It’s a girl!” the asshole shouts, jumping up off the couch, snagging the attention of the guys and Delilah.
“Congratulations?” Charlie chirps, receiving a laugh from Braxton as Delilah claps and Derek furrows his brow. These reactions don’t deter Blake’s excitement in the least. Instead, he starts dancing as if he won the lottery.
“Youlikesomeone!” he cheers. “I know who, too!”
My heart proceeds to plummet to the lowest pit of Hell. Sienna and I have been nothing but secretive this entire time. I haven’t even beenaroundher with Blake present besides at the football game.
“I don’t think you do—”
“Oh, I do! I mean it’s kinda weird for you to be blond and like blondes, but–”
Oh for the love of God.
