Page 63 of Steeling Her
We’re both sitting on the patio waiting for the cake to be brought out. We’ve been sitting out here for a while, and I’m running low on water. It’s getting warm out here so I want a cool one. I stand up to my feet and ask TJ if he wants one. I see Haley saunter over to chill with him and walk by her, asking her if she wants one.
“No I’m good. I just need fresh air, and lots of it.” I laugh at the face she’s making. She looks like she’s in pain, probably because she’s hungover. Dear Lord, was she a mess last night. I walk by some of the older sisters I went to school with and politely smile. I don’t want to be rude, but I’m so over these girls.
I look around the kitchen to see if I can find Carter. I haven’t seen her since I walked out. I actually walked back in to talk to her. But my mom’s knowing face has stopped me; many times, in fact. She’s trying to prove her point to get me to admit that I like Carter. I do, I made out with her last night. I just don’t want to make a big fuss about it. Which she will do.
I see my mom bustling around the kitchen. She’s multitasking, tickling the little girls who are playing together while the little guys are running around and causing havoc. Seeing Carter’s not here I sigh and look around once more just to double check. My mom is too preoccupied. I back away slowly to see if she’s in the living room but she’s not there either.
“Where are you?” I whisper to myself as my mom catches me. I walk over to the refrigerator to fetch some water. I grab a bottle and throw it in the air, catching it with ease. I can still feel her eyes on me. I walk over to her and see the cake she made as well as the flowers I sent her.
“You can’t hide it from me, Nick. I know. I’m your mother,” she teases me. She taps my nose with her index finger like she used to do when I was younger. I know what she’s talking about but I act dumb and shrug my shoulders.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mom?” I sip on my water as I look around the room. The sisters followed me inside, and I stifle an eye roll at how obvious they are. “Why are they invited?” Nudging my head over to the girls who are clearly blushing over me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, honey?” She uses my words against me. Now I can’t hold back the eye roll. I walk around her and kiss her cheek, practically hearing the girls sigh. Their swoons leave their lips and their panties need to be picked up off the damn floor.
“Stop it, Mom,” I whisper to her and walk out of the kitchen. I walk around to the front of the house, through the hallway of family portraits we took throughout the years, and hear a small giggle. I stop instantly, thinking nobody should be around here; then I hear it again but it was a different in tone. I walk towards the hallway trying to figure out where it came from. I listen carefully so I can hear it again. A few moments tick by and when I do hear it, I know exactly where it came from.
Ellie’s room.
Giggle after giggle, I hear a loud laugh and I know who is there with her: the missing girl I’ve wanted to see for the past hour.
I push the door open and see Ellie and Abbie sitting while Carter is acting out one of their story books, her hair floating around and swishing through the hair down her back.
“ . . . she can only be woken up by a kiss. A kiss from her true love.” Her voice was so soft, and I see Ellie staring hopefully at this girl. Ellie has always been very selective with people. If she likes you, she’ll like you for life, so I find it unsurprising she’s taken a liking to Carter. Hell, I’m a little jealous at how much attention my sister is receiving right now.
“Nick! Come here.” Ellie beckons to me so she could whisper something to me. I see Carter’s head whip around to me so fast she fell over, and I laugh at her along with the others. I walk over and help her up only to see her cheeks flare up. I sit behind both of the girls and smile at Carter, who is sitting cross legged opposite to me. She clears her throat and looks down at the illustrated pages of the old book to try pick up where she left off.
“Okay . . . Sooo . . . when the curse was set, she fell into a deep sleep for days and days, lying on the bed and waiting for her prince to kiss and wake her. But, they had to search far and wide to find him.” Just listening to her voice could send you into a deep sleep. Not because it’s boring, but because it’s melodic—almost soothing.
“Did they find him?” Ellie asks her as she leans forward on her tiny hands, waiting for the answer. There’s so much excitement in her eyes. I chuckle lightly as I look at my little sister. She seems to be mesmerized by Carter, something that she can do too well.
Carter winks at her. “The king went for many years in search of true loves kiss. Prince after prince, he was slowly losing faith in his daughter waking up.” Hearing a gasp from both little girls, I smile down at Ellie who is looking up at me with beady eyes. I pat her head softly with a smile, letting her know it’s alright. But I’m really trying not to burst out laughing. I lick my lips as I look back to the storyteller who looks stunning today. Truly striking.
“Then, the day came where one prince stepped into the castle,” Carter says in a wishful tone. I could listen to her all day no matter what she’s saying. I stare at her in her white top and ripped black jeans. Her hair is still wavy from last night. She looks fresh, but she told me Danielle had kept her up for most of the night. I kept staring at her when she fell asleep in the car with the rest of the girls. She looked so angelic, so peaceful, and I wanted to wrap myself around her and fall asleep with her. I nearly crashed a few times because I was staring so hard at her, lost in her beauty.
I zoned out completely watching her lips move as she spoke. The urge to lean over and kiss her was strong—stronger than ever, since we made out a few times last night. I’ve missed those lips, and it hasn’t been a full day.
“ . . . leaned over her sleeping body and placed his lips on hers. A kiss that was so soft and longing—”
“Did she wake up?” Abbie asks, clapping her hands widely, and I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. Both little girls turned around to glare and me, and I shoot my hands up in defense. Then I hear her laugh. My eyes immediately drift to her contagious laughter,and my heart can’t take it. It’s beating so fast, I feel like is going to come out of my chest.
What the fuck?
Once she’s finished, she looks at me and then continues to read the book. “Not only did he feel something between them, she started to wake up from her deep slumber—”
“YAYY!” Both of them stood up and hugged each other, smiling and giggling. Carter just watched them, but I kept watching her. Out of the corner of my eye, I see someone standing in the doorway. I see a blonde woman stare at me with a knowing grin. I groan at how my mom is interrupting us.
What is with her trying to prove a point? She’s never been this determined before. Why can’t she drop this? She’s beginning to actually make me angry. I push myself up off the floor and ignore the stares. She wants to play that game, I can play it back. She smiles as I move past her. I roll my eyes, walking back outside to everyone.
I sigh in frustration. Why can’t I have a few moments alone with her?
***
Carter
Ignored. That’s how I feel right now. Nick’s been ignoring me all day. I feel so annoyed.Why is he ignoring me?Every time I try to make conversation with him, he gives me one word answers.
What did I do?
