Page 157 of The Snowball Effect

She didn’t know what to make of it, what to make of Regan. What to make of these feelings. What to make of… this. She certainly didn’t think that she’d be figuring it out here, under the watchful eyes of her little sisters, in her mother’s house, though.

“I want to know why you’re so excited about adding kids to your van when you’re, like, two turns away from retirement,” Emma countered, gesturing to where Regan was on the board.

“Some grandparents raise kids,” Eva muttered from where she sat on the opposite side of the coffee table. “I figured you would know that.”

Emma pursed her lips as she narrowed her eyes at her sister. It was far from the first comment she’d made like that since Emma had arrived a couple of hours ago, and it was getting more difficult to ignore them.

“My turn!” Everly announced excitedly, pushing herself up to spin the dial.

Emma nodded encouragingly at her youngest sister as she counted out the spaces to move, and Everly beamed back at her, proudly.

Okay, so managing Everly was a lot easier than Eva. Emma could really appreciate that tonight.

She reached out and spun the wheel for her own turn, before landing on a space and receiving a “life event” card to read aloud.

“Your newest book release was a success,” she read from the card. “Collect fifty-thousand dollars.”

“I always knew you could do it,” Regan’s voice was jovial and light and teasing, but she squeezed her hand where it sat on Emma’s thigh, and that sensation was very, very real.

Every brush against Regan’s body made Emma think, without fail, about last night. About the sounds Regan had made while she’d orgasmed, about how she’d described – without an ounce of shame – what she’d been thinking about. What she’d wanted to do to and with Emma.

“Yeah, you get everything. Yay,” Eva’s voice cut in, scoffing with such gusto in a way only a preteen could.

Eva’s commentshadserved a purpose, Emma supposed. Before she could get too caught up in any inappropriate thoughts about Regan, before any actual heat could take hold, her sister’s acerbic statements cut straight to the quick.

So, that was good. That was exactly why she was here.

Only… being here also meant she was facing this ire from Eva all night. Truly, a double-edged sword.

“Ooookay,” Regan muttered under her breath, shooting a glance at Emma as she darted her eyes toward Eva in silent acknowledgement. “I’m going to cut the brownies we cooked earlier. Does anyone need anything?”

Everly popped up in excitement. “I want to help! Can I help?”

Regan laughed, using the hand she had on Emma’s thigh to push herself up.

Eventhat, the pressure from that innocuous touch, made Emma shiver and reaffirm that she had very much done the right thing by coming here tonight. By giving them a little… distraction.

“All right, kiddo, then let’s hit it. But to be clear, I’m the one holding the knife,” Regan commented.

“I never get to use a knife,” Everly mumbled, sighing heavily, as she led the way out of the room.

“We all have our battles,” Regan’s sympathetic response came, making Emma grin as she stared after them.

“Ugh,” Eva’s quiet, disdainful sound grabbed Emma’s attention.

Again – it was agood thing, cutting through this insane attraction and infatuation with Regan that seemed to be multiplying by the minute, now that Emma had allowed it out of the cage she’d kept it locked in.

But, still, she couldn’t help the narrow-eyed look she shot at her sister. “What?”

Eva stared back at her, unwavering. “Thatlookon your face. It’s so sappy and….” She rolled her eyes, before muttering, “Whatever.”

Emma rolled her lips, and told herself that it was fine. Eva could say whatever little comments she wanted to say; she was twelve. Emma wasn’t going to confront a child.

And yet… all of these looks and the remarks – that she’d been on the receiving end ofall summer– hit on something, inside of Emma. They bothered her. Theymatteredto her, in a way she hadn’t anticipated.

With that in mind, she braced herself and asked, “Look, Eva, can you just tell me, if I’ve done something to you? There’s clearly something going on, here, and–”

“I just don’t like you. That’s all,” Eva cut her off, throwing Emma a pouty look.

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