[ One ]
Yelling and shouting filled the room as the boys cheered about something inappropriate. Knowing my brother, it was most likely about a girl one of them scored the number from. I rolled my eyes from behind the kitchen counter.
“Are you guys ready for this weekend? It’s going to be the best weekend we’ve had in a long time. I even invited some girls from school,” Kendall said as he leaned towards Connor and LJ.
I rested against the counter. “Really? Where do you plan to go?”
He glanced back at me as if I were the crap on the bottom of his shoe. “Why is it your business?”
“Because I can tell Mom.” I pulled the recorder from my pocket, stopping the tape. “I’ve remembered to record everything everyone says for safekeeping. Mom forgets half the things she says and this helps me prove her wrong and it helps me with my proof for getting you into trouble. What else are little sisters for?” I gave him my best evil smile.
Connor hit my brother in the shoulder. “She has proof of us inviting girls. You know your mom will freak if she knows what we plan to do.”
I continued to play with the recorder, humming to myself. It was fortunate that our parents were equal with parenting. They may have been overprotective with me dating but they were just the same with Kendall, too. The idea of him going to somewhere with girls scared them. Teenagers did stuff on trips. They did dirty things together.
“We’re going to the cabin,” he grumbled.
My eyebrows shot up. “You’re taking a weekend away at our vacation cabin? Well, I mean... It’s a wonderful idea. Why don’t I tag along?”
“Tag along? Excuse me?” He laughed and shook his head.
I walked over to him and cleared my throat. “Don’t forget about the evidence I hold in my hand here. Either I tag along or Mom knows about your plan to have sex with girls at a cabin.”
He narrowed his eyes as he crossed his arms. “What would you even do up at a cabin? They’re my friends.”
“Girls wanna have fun, too. There is plenty I can do at a cabin. Besides, I also need to avoid Stacy for the weekend. She is driving me crazy.” I sighed.
“Stacy? Girl problems? Seriously, Kyla? You are such a little sister.” He laughed and shot a look towards his friends as if they were supposed to be making fun of me as well.
“I’m sixteen, not twelve. We’re only a year apart.” I snickered.
His laugh faded as he became serious. “Yes, hence the term little sister. Little means you’re also younger than me.” He attempted a sly smile but he had no idea I was about to destroy it.
“Don’t flatter yourself. You’re little for a guy.” I patted his cheek as I went upstairs to pack up some things for the weekend. I was more than the stupid, tag-along sister. I was going to show them I could be one of the guys.
-
I dropped my bag on the floor and scanned the room. “It’s cozy.”
Connor passed by me as he headed for the stairs. “It’s going to need a lot more to break it in for the weekend.” He disappeared behind the walls.
Kendall set some six-packs on the counter and opened one up. “What’s your first insult? Come on.” He knew how judgmental I could be when it came to his choices involving alcohol and sex.
Smiling, I set two bottles of tequila on the counter. “Do better, big brother.”
“Where the hell did you get that?” His jaw dropped.
“I can’t reveal my secrets. I could never give you leverage. It’s sibling code.” I made a face as LJ squeezed between us to pour himself tequila. He wiggled his eyebrows and walked back to the couch.
I left them downstairs as I found myself a room. I set my speaker down on the nightstand and connected it to my phone using Bluetooth. Thanks to fancy technology that could let me play music offline, I was set for life.
“How is life treating you?” a voice asked from the doorway.
I looked back to see Connor leaning against the frame and smiling. I shrugged and moved my folded clothes from my bag and to my dresser. “It’s good. Aside from Stacy, you know... She is trouble. I never should have gotten involved with her. You can’t win with that girl. You can’t be friends with her or she’ll backstab you but you can’t be enemies or she’ll call you the devil every time you cross paths. You have to be a mere acquaintance just to maybe avoid the bitch-zone.”
He chuckled and took a few steps into the room. “Girl drama is fascinating.”
“How so? I’d much rather punch her and just move on with my life but girls just don’t work that way. They have to play a game of back and forth hatred.” I pulled a sweatshirt on to give myself an extra layer of warmth.
“Punch her? You’re so violent.”
“Yes, I am. At least punching her is less painful than this backstabbing method.” I put my bag on the floor and stood up again, taken back by how close Connor was. “Oh, uh...”
“Have you never thought about us?” he whispered.
As I pushed some hair behind my ear, I averted my gaze anywhere but him. “Believe me, I have. I’d be a liar if I said I never had a crush on you. You’re still my brother’s best friend I don’t think he would approve.”
He laughed a little. “And you suddenly care about what he thinks?”
“I know it seems as if I don’t but I do. He’s my brother and I want him to pay attention to me. We once had a good relationship and now he doesn’t want to be around me. Being with you would ruin any chance I have at getting him back. I miss having a brother. Why do you think I had to blackmail him into letting me come? This is my chance to show him I can be the sister he wants to be around.” My fingers rubbed along the hem of my sweatshirt.
Connor wasn’t sure how to respond. “I’m so sorry, Kyla. I didn’t realize.”
I shook my head and replaced my worried expression with a smile. “It’s fine.”
“I’d be stupid to believe you’re fine. Women are never fine when they say that.” He leaned down and placed a kiss against my forehead. The feeling lingered long after his lips pulled away. “I can respect your decision.”
He turned to walk away from me but I wasn’t sure if I could let him leave. This was my one chance to be with Connor. Did it matter if Kendall ever liked me? Would he ever learn to like me again?
“Wait,” I called out. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face me. I closed the large gap between us and pressed my lips against his. “We can’t tell Kendall.”
“I can keep a secret.” His lips locked with mine until they moved together and a buried crush resurfaced.
His hands traveled to my jeans and I grabbed onto them. “Not so fast. You think you’re getting that far after one kiss? We haven’t even gone on a date.” I laughed against his mouth.
He rested his forehead against mine. “How about tonight? We can go on one of those weird winter dates.”
“Winter dates? As if they aren’t as romantic as summer dates? Don’t hate on winter like that. She never did anything to you.” I pulled away from his body.
He cocked an eyebrow with a crooked smile. “She?”
“I picture the seasons as girls. Is that weird?”
“A little.” He backed out of the room, laughing. I chased him out but stopped dead in my tracks at the end of the hallway. A white shadow rushed into a room at the end, vanishing behind the door.
“Kyla, you alright?” Connor asked from behind me.
“You didn’t see...” I couldn’t finish my sentence. How could he have not seen what I saw? It was so clear.
“Come on, why don’t we go downstairs and get some food?” He grabbed my hand and pulled me. I glanced back at the hallway but nothing was there.
When we got to the last step, Connor let go of my hand to keep our affair a secret. Affair or relationship? What was it?
LJ was passed out on the couch while Kendall drank some beer. He looked over at me as if he knew about Connor and I. He couldn’t know.
I grabbed some food from the fridge and turned to see everyone but they were gone one second and back the next. I dropped the food and almost lost balance.
“Kyla, what is it?” Connor asked me. I swear I was beginning to lose my mind. This couldn’t be real. None of this was real.
“Nothing. I’m fine.” I gave him an excuse he wouldn’t believe but I couldn’t care less. I picked up the food and set it on the counter. “Is it freezing in here?”
Kendall watched some movie. “Yeah, the cabin has been sitting in the cold, untouched for a while.”
Despite his explanation, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of dread. Something was very wrong about all of this. We shouldn’t have come here. If I said that, they would call me crazy. The last thing I needed was to be a buzzkill after making him take me.
Taking a bite of the raw potato, I checked the thermostat for the temperature. Mom and Dad assumed we were staying with friends all weekend. They had no idea we were even at the cabin. Would they ever find out?
The lights were dim and dust was flying around in every space it could occupy. I headed up the steps and entered the bathroom. I knew the temperature was already at seventy-four degrees but it didn’t feel that way. It was as if my skin was made of ice, trapping the heat inside me. My core may have been warm but my skin was not, and that made a big difference.
I stripped down and let the tub fill with hot water. I got in and laid back. The serene sound of silence calmed every area of my mind. Chills ran up and down my spine as every muscle relaxed. I closed my eyes and let the effect of a vacation settle deep within my body.
My stomach grumbled, causing me to groan. “Can you shut up for one second? We ate a potato, and I am not in the mood to get out now. This tub is everything I ever needed.”
Everything went dark when the power went out. I sat up, muttering a curse word before getting out. I used the towel to dry off before I got dressed and went to investigate. “What happened? I was trying to have a nice bath but the power went out. No power means no heat and once my bath is over, I’m left inside four freezing walls.”
“Bundle up, because there is a storm coming in tonight,” Kendall said.
I whined and went back upstairs, adding extra layers to my body. I heard the door open and footsteps echoed. “You awake?”
“I don’t fall asleep that fast, Connor.” I turned in what I hoped was his direction.
Arms wrapped around me and I jumped but relaxed once I knew they were his. “I thought maybe we could cuddle for extra warmth.”
“Sounds wonderful to me.” I buried my head in his chest as heat seeped from his body and to mine. Maybe I would survive through the night with a cuddle buddy like him.
“Sleep tight, Kyla, and don’t let anything bite.” He tightened his embrace and I began to drift off. Maybe I’d have good dreams instead of nightmares. It had been a while since something good played in my mind. Maybe tonight would be different as a childhood crush of mine slept beside me. Maybe now things could be different and I would see a light at the end of this tunnel.
