Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 22967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
“I love that movie,” Mom says already tearing up. “When Cameron Diaz breaks up with Jude Law…”
“No crying movies!” Brandon quickly says. “It’s supposed to be a fun night!”
“Oh, fine,” Mom says as she wipes her eye. “What’s your favorite Christmas movie, August?”
He’s grabbing plates for the Yule log.
I try not to look at him, but it’s so freaking hard. He’s wearing gray jogging pants and a white t-shirt that’s a little too short so when he reaches for the plates on the top shelf, it rises and you can see the very defined lines on his pelvis. If you’re looking. Which I’m totally not.
“Let me guess,” I say as I pull out the popcorn. “One of those ridiculous Christmas movies where they make Santa into an action star who kills dozens of people?”
August laughs as he holds the plates. God, those arms… I could lick those triceps…
“For your information,” he says, “my favorite is Home Alone.”
“I love Home Alone!” I say, filling with excitement. “We should watch that.”
“I’m good with Home Alone,” Mom says.
It’s perfect. Not romantic. Not sexy. It’s the ideal movie to watch with your hot stepbrother who you’re really trying hard not to have a crush on.
Brandon’s phone rings and he answers it with a big grin. “No way! What’s up, Greg?!”
He’s talking loud and laughing as he hurries into the other room with Lucy following at his feet.
“Who’s Greg?” Mom asks August.
“An old friend,” August answers.
“The one from London?” Mom says, gazing after him.
“Yeah,” August says. “They’ve been good friends since grade one, but they don’t see each other very often.”
We grab all the stuff and move into the living room. Luckily, the couches are massive, so I keep my distance from August.
I can feel his eyes on me as he sits down.
The fire is roaring and the place is nice and cozy as mom turns on the TV. Lucy circles in front of the fire and then lays down on the rug. The large coffee table is full of alcohol, popcorn, and sweets. The ingredients for a perfect night in.
“Okay, I’ll call you right back,” Brandon says as he comes rushing into the room with the phone to his ear. “Alright, bye.”
“Everything okay?” Mom asks.
“Better than okay!” Brandon says with a huge smile. “Greg is in town for the night. He wants to meet up!”
“Oh,” Mom says, forcing out a smile. I can see right through it. She’s disappointed. “That’s great! You should go meet him.”
“He’s with his wife,” Brandon says. “You can come too!”
She perks back up. “Really? But what about the movie?” She looks at us, but August is waving her away.
“Go,” he says. “Have fun. Harmony and I will have fun on our own.”
He gives me a wink.
My body goes cold.
“Or, we can go with them!” I throw out.
Nobody pays any attention to that.
“They want to meet at the Irish pub in town in about half an hour,” Brandon says.
“Oh!” Mom says as she jumps up. “I’ll get dressed!”
My mouth drops as I watch them both run up the stairs.
I can feel August’s eyes on me when they’re gone.
I turn to him and he’s grinning.
“Looks like Kevin McCallister won’t be the only one who’s Home Alone.”
We’re halfway through the movie and both of us are still on separate couches.
I keep my narrowed eyes on August as he stands up and grabs the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table.
The budding psychopath, Kevin McCallister, is traumatizing the pizza delivery boy by pretending that the gangster in the black and white movie is shooting at him.
August chuckles as he takes the bowl and sits down on my couch.
“Excuse me,” I say with a stern look. “This is my couch.”
“Popcorn?” August asks, offering me the bowl.
I frown playfully as I take a couple.
This is so confusing. I want August beside me. There’s so much I want to try with him. I can’t stop thinking about those amazing kisses and the night at the orchestra when he made me feel more pleasure than I knew a human was capable of feeling.
But I’m also worried about my mom and how she’s going to react when this inevitably blows up in our faces.
If he wasn’t my stepbrother, I’d totally be into this, but of course with my luck, he is. The one guy I’ve ever had a crush on, the one guy who I’m starting to fall for, turns out to be the one guy I can’t have.
Why does life have to be so complicated? Why can’t it ever just be easy?
August puts his hand on mine and I’m about to yank it away, I swear I am, but it’s so warm and soft and it feels so good.
It’s easy with August. It’s just everything around us that’s making it hard.
We can’t do this. I have to put an end to it here and now.