Page 70 of Awakened in September (Sleepless November Saga 4)

“I always used to come down here whenever I needed to think.”

“You’re so lucky you got to live here. It’s heavenly.”

The two of us watch the sunrise, holding each other impossibly close. However, when I notice the way the light hits her eyes, I can’t seem to look away. She turns in my arms and blushes when she notices she already has my attention. Her lips meet mine and we both melt into the kiss. It’s slow and patient with no underlying intentions. I find myself thinking that maybe she’s starting to feel the same way I do. God, I hope so.

“Come on, let’s go for a walk before we have to go back.” I interlace our fingers. “Joey will be here around nine. You’ll really like her.”

“She’s your sister?” She asks, following me willingly.

The panic inside of me looms. I know exactly where this conversation is headed and I’m not sure if I’m strong enough to handle it. “Be yourself with her, H. I promise, it will be the best thing you’ll ever do.” My mother’s voice plays in my head, reminding me of how I got here. She hasn’t been wrong yet. I swallow down the lump in my throat and shrug.

“I guess you could call her that. She’s Brandon’s sister.”

Her eyes narrow in confusion. “So, you two aren’t related?”

Almost every part of my brain is screaming to run. I’ve never spoken to anyone about what happened to my mom and dad, apart from the people who knew me when it happened. As far as anyone else is concerned, Heather and Dan are my parents. However, as Kayleigh squeezes my hand a little, I feel myself start to calm.

“No. We’ve been best friends since kindergarten. His parents took me in when mine died.” There. It’s out.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” Her tone is sympathetic, but I can tell by the look on her face she isn’t pitying me. Maybe this is okay. “How old were you?”

“Twelve. They were in a car accident. I was about to get put in the system, but Heather and Dan intervened. Since then, they’ve raised me as their own.”

She halts, forcing me to stop as well. I turn to face her and find her looking at me with such sincerity. “Thank you for bringing me.”

I know that’s not all she’s thanking me for. She’s thanking me for opening up and telling her more about myself, but without making it awkward. She’s also giving me a way to change the subject if I want to. This is exactly the kind of thing she does that makes me so comfortable with her.

“Thank you for coming.”

WE’RE ALL SITTING IN the kitchen, talking to my mom while she cooks, when Josephine comes in the front door. I shout for her and smile as she runs in and embraces me tightly. We may have fought a lot as kids but we miss each other while we’re away at school.

“Joey, this is Kayleigh.” I say, using the childhood name that I know irks her. “Kayleigh, Joey.”

“Oh, Holden’s girlfriend! It’s so nice to meet you!” She beams, and what she just called her is not lost on anyone.

Brandon laughs and Heather coughs. Kayleigh, however, cowers slightly. “Oh, um, we’re just friends.”

There’s that fucking word again – friends. I wince, partly because I hate the way it sounds, but mostly because I know Jo and she will not keep her mouth shut on this one.

Sure enough, she gets a knowing look on her face. “Oh honey. You’re home with him for Thanksgiving. No offense, but you are not just friends.”

Kayleigh doesn’t argue it. As Brandon greets Jo for the first time since she walked in, I lock eyes with her and mouth an apology. She shrugs it off. Just when I’m about to worry she’s upset, she smiles at me – calming my nerves in an instant.

“Okay.” Jo says to Kayleigh. “You need to come with me while I unpack and tell me all the embarrassing stories I can use against my brother.”

Even if she was going to fight it, she doesn’t stand a chance as Jo is already pulling her out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. She gives me one last glance. I wink at her and watch the way it makes her giggle.

Brandon disappears to god knows where, leaving my mom and I in the kitchen. She takes the chef’s hat I used to wear out of the drawer and grins – a silent plea for me to help her cook. I roll my eyes playfully and take it from her, putting it on my head. I start to peel the potatoes when she hums.

“You know, it’s nice to see you like this.”

“Like what?” I question, perplexed.

“With her. All soft smiles and butterflies.” She tells me like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “You two look really good together. It’s just nice to see. With the way that you’ve always been so blocked off, I wasn’t sure it would ever happen for you.”

“If what would ever happen for me? What are you talking about?”

She chuckles softly and shakes her head. “Falling in love.”

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