Page 77 of Nothing to Lose: Lost Trilogy: Part 1
“Thank you, dad,” I nod and walk toward the front entrance. I don’t want to be here anymore. I was so excited to see him after so long, but being here right now only upsets me.
“Emily,” dad calls my name just as I am about to open the door and walk out. “You’ll be fine.”
I nod again. “Thanks, dad.”
I drag my feet to the car, almost running into Malone since my eyes are glued to the ground.
“There’s my favorite girl,” his baritone voice echoes around the enormous driveway in front of my father’s house. “I can’t believe you’re leaving without stopping to see me.”
“Malone,” I smile and attempt to give him a hug. He is so massive, I can barely reach the top of his shoulder. When I was little, he was the best. He’d just grab me and spin me around, and I always felt safe in his arms.
“Well?” he crosses his arms and gives me a look that’s meant to shame me.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” I have a hard time looking him straight in the eyes. I am too sad, and I don’t want him to know it.
“You said hi to your old man?” he grumbles. “He’s missed you, you know.”
And now I feel guilty for just walking out on my father only because he didn’t tell me what I wanted to hear. Becca implied once that I tend to have a bratty behavior at times. I didn’t think so until now.
“I missed him, too.” I give Malone an awkward smile. He watches me carefully, and almost like he can see all my insecurities.
“You’re going to be just fine, my girl.” He pulls me into another hug, lifting me up, squeezing me tight and dropping a kiss on my head, then dropping me back to the ground just as abruptly.
I am so startled by the entire thing, I let out a yelp of surprise when I can’t find my footing.
“That’ll never get old,” he laughs.
I can’t help the snort of laughter escaping the back of my throat. “I don’t understand why I always fall for this.”
“There are way worse things you could be falling for, Em,” he pulls at my ponytail when I try to escape and walk around him.
“True,” I agree with him. “I’m going to go now. Ask dad if he wants to have dinner with me one night, okay?”
“Oh,” he lets out a booming laugh, “am I your secretary now, too? You don’t think I do enough work for him?”
I blow him a kiss. “You love us, though.”
I get in the car and start the engine, ready to go home and feel sorry for myself. On my way, I detour by the small grocery store we have in town. Ice cream is in order. Lots of it, I decide when I stand in front of the freezers.
“That’s really bad for you, Em,” someone calls out to me. I turn and come face to face with Becca’s little brother and his best friend, Ben.
“Not all of us can be such incredible health specimens,” I poke my tongue out at both of them.
“So you think we’re hot?” Colton grins at me.
“Hot headed maybe,” I deadpan, and smile when they snicker all the way to the registers. I love that kid. I wish I didn’t feel like my friendship with his sister was slipping away.
My eyes go back to the freezers, and, after going back and forth for a minute, I pick out three different flavors, a pint each.
“They need to make these in some sort of a mega pint version,” I murmur to myself, freezing to death with the ice cream containers in my arms. I was too proud to grab a shopping cart, so now I have to suffer for it.
“Did you find everything you needed?” the sweet cashier girl asks me. I stare at my ice cream and wish I would’ve gotten some bananas, too.
I look behind me and notice there’s no line.
“Do you mind if I grab a few more things?” I ask while I am already halfway to the fruit and produce section, so it’s too late for her to tell me if she’s not okay with it.
I grab a bunch of bananas, then run all around the store, back to the dairy section to pick out some whipped cream. Then, on my way back to pay, since I’m passing by all the ice cream toppings, I grab a jar of chocolate hot fudge and a bag of walnuts.
