Page 9 of 518 Hope Ave
My stomach interrupts rather loudly, reminding us both that there’s a delicious pizza in the back seat. Ezra laughs and I slap a hand over my face and groan my embarrassment.
“You coming in to share this pizza with me?” he asks, leaning in slightly. “Or was that just a tease to lure me into your car?”
“Got me. I’m a huge tease. Like the witch in Hansel and Gretel but with pizza and young men instead. Now to fatten you up so I can eat you.” I wiggle my fingers in the air, and Ezra laughs, his pink tongue snaking out to wet his red lips. I want to bite the red lips and suck on his tongue. My stomach groans again.
“Come on.” He reaches into the backseat and grabs the pizza. “I think we’d better feed you before you wither away to nothing.”
“I’m too curvy for that,” I retort, getting out of the car with him and handing him his washing bag as I meet him on the curb.
“And losing them would be a real tragedy,” he says, his voice gentle as he nods toward the house and leads the way.
"Finally," a girl's voice whines as we come in. A pair of feet run toward us, then Cora pops her head into the entryway and looks at me with total surprise. "Oh, um… Uh… Hi, Ms. Hartsworth!"
"Ms. Hartsworth?" Lucas's voice sounds from where Cora came from a moment before his head pops up beside Cora. His mouth opens in a big O. "Did something happen?" he asks, eyes flicking between myself and his elder brother.
Ezra sighs. "Yeah. The yellow sub broke down just as I was going to leave the laundromat and Quinn was kind enough to give me a ride home."
“Quinn?” Lucas repeats, his eyebrows lifting as he and Cora exchange knowing glances.
"I brought pizza if you’re hungry," I say, then Lucas rushes Ezra, takes the pizza box, and opens it up.
“Pizza that isn’t cold from the diner! Wenevereat this good.”
“Hey! You can’t eat it all to yourself,” Cora shrieks, chasing him into the kitchen.
“Don’t you dare eat without us!” Ezra calls after them before turning to me with a sigh. “I’m sorry. That means they like you if it’s any consolation.”
“I’m glad,” I say with a laugh as Ezra and I follow the kids into the kitchen area where they’re already sitting with plates out in front of them.
"I set another spot for you, Quinn," Cora says, pulling a stool out for me. “Can I call you Quinn since we’re not at school?”
“Of course,” I say, turning to Ezra with a smile. "See what I mean? They’re good kids. You’ve done a great job."
He sets the bag of clean laundry to the side and smiles back, beaming with pride. "Yeah… Yeah, they are."
8
Ezra
"Oh, jeez. Look at the time," Quinn says, her deep blue eyes going wide as she moves to get off the couch. "I better head home."
"Awwwwww, no. Don't go!" Cora pouts. She's been glued to us the whole night, insisting on sitting between us watching Friends reruns with us and refusing to give us any alone time together. I’m not sure what I hoped would happen here, but it’s absolutely nothing with this little blonde chaperone hanging about. Lucas kindly went to his bedroom about an hour or two ago, saying that he wants to finish his homework when I knew for a fact he didn’t have any. He attempted to get Cora to follow, but it didn’t quite work out that way.
"As fun as giggling at Joey and Phoebe is, I’ve got to work tomorrow, and I need my beauty sleep, you know." Quinn grins and then pinches her cheek. Cora giggles.
"Hold on a minute," I cut in. "Youneverlet me do that to you."
She sticks out her tongue at me, then runs off to her room, giggling.Now she leaves.
“Sorry about the twelve-year-old admirer there. She’s obviously lacking female interaction.”
Quinn laughs. "She’s fine. I always wished I had siblings. Although I think my grandmother was grateful I didn’t. I was enough for her to handle on her own," she says, her smile faltering slightly before she quickly shakes her head. "Ah, enough about that. I guess I'll see you again soon?"
"Let me walk you to your car," I quickly say, not quite wanting our evening to be over yet. I feel like I’m only just getting to know her, even though I’ve known her in some capacity for all of my life. Now, though, it’s different. I’m learning that Quinn isn’t all sunshine and roses, she has a lot of hurt inside her too. For some reason, knowing that makes me admire her even more.
"Oh, OK," she says, picking up her purse and walking for the door.
Following her out, we walk in silence, and I kick myself mentally for being so inexperienced with women. I don’t know what the protocol is here. I really like Quinn, I do. She's super hot, and I just can't stop thinking about her—day-in, day-out. I just...I don’t know what to say or do to make it sosheknows that. I mean, I could come right out and tell her, but what if it turns out she doesn’t feel the same way? It would make things super awkward.
