Page 114 of Unspoken Words
Swiping up my phone from the bed and grabbing my handbag and notebook, I noticed he’d responded so opened the text as I exited my room.
Connor: Already outside your door.
“What? Nooooo,” I whined, voice lowered. With any luck, Mum, Dad, and Chris had already left for the day and Connor’s knock had gone unanswered.
Tip-toeing along the hallway, I nearly jumped out of my skin when Chris shouted, “YOU GOT ME,” followed by what sounded like a zombie death gurgle.
“What are you doi—” I asked as I entered the living room, stopping mid-sentence when I found my brother sprawled out on the sofa like a starfish, his eyes peeking open, Max standing over him with a plaster-covered arm held out like a weapon. “Oh … hi.”
Max turned the weapon on me. “Hands up, Ellie McEllie Head,” he demanded.
My jaw fell open, but I did what anyone else in my position would do and threw my hands above my head. “Don’t shoot.”
He shot me anyway.
Connor swooped him off his feet and suspended him in the air, his innocent giggles hard to ignore. “Are you ready?” he asked me, dipping his son upside down before bringing him upright again.
“You don’t have to pick me up every morning. I can borrow Mum or Dad’s car and drive myself.”
“That’s just stupid, and a waste of fuel. Plus, carpooling with you makes my trip so much more interesting.”
I raised my brow. “Interesting?”
“Yes.”
“How so?”
Max reached out and touched my hair, his little fingers sliding through the blonde strands. I froze, his touch unexpected. It almost felt intimate, as if Max was approving of me in some way or another.
“What’s he doing?” I mouthed, my eyes darting from Max to Connor.
“Playing with your hair.”
“Why?”
Connor shrugged. “Because he likes it?”
“Maybe he thinks you’re Big Bird,” Chris piped in, still sprawled on the couch.
I glared at him. “Dead people don’t talk.”
Max let go of my hair and fired his plaster arm-gun at Chris again, sounding a, “Pow, pow.”
We laughed.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Connor said, “but we have an apprentice helping us out today.”
I glanced at Max and Connor nodded, his face slightly crumpled with apology.
“Well, best we put him to work then.”
Relief drew a smile from Connor. “You gonna work with Daddy and Ellie today?”
“Yup.”
“You ready to go?”
“Yup.”
