Page 218 of The Perfect Spiral
“You scared me, Alex!” Hannah whimpered on my shoulder.
“Yeah, me too, doll, please don’t do that again,” Andy soothed me by rubbing my back.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you both. I’m just finding it hard,” as soon as I say that, I see Knox storm into the kitchen, slamming the back door closed and walking out.
Lauren gets up from the table and shuffles her feet to follow him out in her wedges. I let go of my best friends and they smile atme, which I return.
“Yay! You smiled! I miss that smile, Alex!” Hannah beams, interlocking her hands under her chin. Next, I see Kyle’s back and I hug his waist and kiss his back.
He swiftly turns around, thinking I’m trying to get his food.
“I thought a little midget was trying to steal my food, sis!” He smirks and hugs me close to his body. I slap his back and hug him tighter than ever.
Feeling three more bodies hug us, Kyle says, “Group hug!” Where we all laugh. I hug Cole, Max, and Sam too. I see Andy’s big grin at Kyle.
He leans down to kiss her lips and I have to look away because it’s not what I want to see. I’m happy for them, but I can’t look at that without my stomach dropping.
I place some chicken and salad on my plate and head outside to everyone. My mom stands up quickly and I set my plate down to hug her.
“I’m sorry I keep putting you through this, Mom,” I whisper into her shoulder and she shakes her head.
“You have nothing to be sorry about, baby, you’re struggling. I can see it. Maybe we should look into getting you some therapy for a while?
I can see you’re not handling things very well and it’s alright to ask for help, sweetie.”
“We’ll see. I’m just going through a rough patch, that’s all. I’ll be fine in a few days, Mom,” I assure her. She seems to accept this for the moment, but warns me that if she sees me struggling again, she’ll book me in for a private session.
I settle down on the sofa next to her and Austin, who sends me a small, comforting smile. I hug him, apologizing if I scared him.
He leans in close, his voice a hushed whisper in my ear. “It’s all good, Alex. If it’s any consolation, my brother is an idiot for getting back with her. She’s the devil in disguise.”
I glance out towards the horizon, where I see Lauren’s arms flailing around and Knox looking down at the sand, his face a mask of frustration as he angrily kicks it into the air.
“Do you know?” I ask, feeling my cheeks heat up with embarrassment. He nods, a weak smile on his face. “You handled it better than I would’ve. I don’t blame you for running out!”
“I wouldn’t disagree with you about her, though!” I roll my eyes at the pair of them, stabbing my fork into my chicken and taking a bite as I listen to everyone talk about their day. A while later, Adam comes over and plops down on my lap, playfully messing with his dad. He starts to poke my cheek, and I poke him back, making him giggle. I smother him with kisses, his high-pitched squeal of delight filling the room.
Laughter erupts around the table as I keep going, and Austin leans in once more. “It’s good to see you smiling again, kid! I know this little man missed your smiles.”
I turn Adam around so he’s facing the table, and he laughs, leaning back against my chest. I rest my head on Austin’s shoulder and thank him.
“This little man here, and those little guys over there—” I point to Noah, Eden, Lena, and Reign around the table, “—they put a smile on my face,” I tell him.
As the fireworks explode in the sky, painting it with vibrant neon colors, I anticipate the next ones. People are gathered on the beach, and the sun is about to set. I rise to my feet with Adam and place him on my hip once more.
“I’m going to watch the sunset. Does anyone want to come?”
Adam’s hand shoots straight up, along with Noah’s and Eden’s. Kyle also rises to his feet, along with Andy and Hannah.
Chapter 76
We all carefully navigate the stairs, mindful of the kids. Kyle scoops Eden up into his arms, and Andy picks up Noah, while Hannah teases them, making both of them shriek with laughter.
Our feet sink into the soft white sand as we walk past the bickering couple. Nearing the sea, I sit down comfortably and place Adam between my legs, ruffling his hair.
Andy sits between Kyle’s legs, resting her body against his. We watch Eden and Noah play with Hannah in the water, running back and forth, trying to outrun the waves.
We smile as their playful screams and laughter fill the air. Kyle puts his arm around me and kisses my temple, whispering, “I love you, sis.” I return his sentiment, “I love you too, bro.”
