Page 145 of It's Always Us

I hang up just in time to hear a truck door. I stand, and then I sit back down.

Cool. Just be cool. I am cool. I’m the best quarterback in the NFL. What nine year old girl wouldn’t think that’s awesome? Shit. Probably all of them.

I swipe a hand over my face and pick up my phone, pretending I’m busy. The back door pushes open. Lex steps in, holding a purple backpack blasted with flowers.

Right behind her comes a girl. Her long, dark hair is in low pigtails that hang over her shoulders. She’s skinny, her skin tan, but when her eyes hit mine, they’re a reflection of my own.

She steps inside, only far enough for Lex to close the door. She stares at me, tucking her chin like she’s nervous, too.

“Grandpa had to head into the shop for a bit.” Lex breaks the ice, hanging Bree’s backpack on a chair. “I told him the three of us would figure out something for dinner.”

Lex makes wide eyes at me, probably to tell me to quit being a freak and staring, but she looks like me. It’s the craziest damn thing.

“Sooo, Bree,” Lex says slowly. “This weirdo is Mark.”

Bree’s shy mode cracks, and she giggles softly. The sound instantly has my nerves retreating to a more normal level.

“How was school?” I ask like a complete moron, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Lex trying to hold in a laugh. I want to hide behind her and make her talk this child into liking me.

“Ok.”

“How about a snack? I think Mark needs sugar. He’s looking a little catatonic.” Lex pulls open the fridge door, an amused smirk riding across her lips as she peeks inside.

I pull out a chair for Bree, and she slides into it. “Any visits to the principal’s office today?” Her eyes go wide, and I force a smile, trying for my best one.

Her lips curve upward as well when she sees I’m teasing. “No, but Brent did, and Mrs. Lawson had to help another teacher with a kid who shoved an eraser up his nose.”

I laugh. “I would’ve shoved a jar of pepper at him and waited until that sucker came blasting out. It would’ve been like a booger rocket.”

Bree falls forward in a fit of laughter. “Eww. That would be so gross. It’d have snot all over it.”

“Well, make sure you don’t cheat off him. He’s clearly not the brightest crayon in the box.”

“I don’t cheat. I don’t have to.”

I rest back in the chair, crossing my arms over my chest. “No? You’re smart, then? I used to cheat off that one all the time.” I point at Lex. “She’s crazy smart.”

Bree glances at Lex as she rolls her eyes.

“You knew Alex when you were little.”

I shake my head. “Not when I was little, but when we were in high school. I liked her a lot, and she wouldn’t talk to me.”

“She likes you now,” she sings.

“She can’t get enough of me now.” I raise and lower my eyebrows.

Bree laughs as Lex pulls out a chair and places a plate with a sliced apple and some pretzels on the table. “I tolerate you,” she says, taking a seat.

“Ha. Is that what you call it?” I wink at her, happy to be crawling back into my own skin.

Bree grabs a pretzel and breaks a piece off before popping it in her mouth.

Lex pushes one of Bree’s pigtails over her shoulder, breaking the silence. “Mark and I need to talk to you about something.”

Bree sits taller in her seat. “Is it about my mom?”

“Kind of,” Lex says softly, and I knew it before, but I can see it fully now. She’s going to be the most amazing mom. My heart squeezes in my chest.

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