Page 52 of Always Mine

You have got to be kidding me.

Grabbing one of the chairs and pulling it to the table, she gives me one of the most sugary-sweet smiles I’ve ever seen. It’s nauseating. “See. Easy. You can just sit at the end.”

“Great, that’s just… great.” I try to sound enthusiastic, but it comes off more as a cry for help. I can’t think of anything I want less than to have a meal with Paxton and his family. Being tolerant of each other is one thing, but this feels like a step over the line.

Milly follows me, filling up a mug of coffee for me once I’m sitting. “You want your usual today?”

My stomach grumbles, already thinking of the two-egg special and hash browns. “Yes, and can you add cheese grits and four sausage links, please?”

She winks, pulling a few packets of creamer from her apron and handing them over. “You got it.” Then she’s gone, leaving me to fend for myself.

“So, Wyatt,” Lily says, placing an elbow on the table, her chin in her palm as she leans toward me. “How’s it going?”

I cock a brow, realizing the shy thirteen-year-old is long gone, replaced with a nosey, meddling teenage monster.

“It’s going,” I mutter, opening two creamers and pouring them into my cup. Two packs of sugar are pushed to me next, and I look up as Paxton pulls his hand away.

“Still two sugars, right?”

My throat works to swallow the saliva that’s settled in my mouth and I nod, unable to form words. It’s not a big deal, but the fact that he remembers makes my stomach flip.

He looks good today, too. His hair is styled and he’s wearing a flannel with the sleeves rolled up halfway, his signature white tee peeking from the top. I don’t know why I’ve always loved that. Never on anyone else, though, only on Paxton.

Focus, Wyatt.

I look away from him and fiddle with the sugar, realizing I don’t have a spoon to actually stir my coffee together. Of course, Lily notices, too, and is sliding me hers a second later. “I only used it for my coffee, so no germs or anything.”

My lip lifts and I take the spoon. “Right, don’t want to catch your cooties.”

“I mean, they’re the same as Paxton’s so, technically, you already have them,” Bryan throws in, causing my gaze to jerk to him.

“Bryan,” Paxton scolds through gritted teeth, jabbing him with an elbow.

“What?” Bryan says innocently as if he didn’t just make this even more awkward. “It’s true.”

Lord, kill me now.

“Don’t listen to him. He has no manners, and his personality is severely lacking,” Lily adds, and soon enough, the three of them are bickering back and forth while Miles and I sit there, watching.

Miles looks at me and rolls his eyes, and I can’t help but snort. “Some things never change.”

“Oh, they’re worse now that Paxton’s back,” Miles tells me.

“Hey! I resent that,” Paxton interjects. “It’s not my fault they can’t behave in public.”

“I behave fine. It’s that one who needs training,” Lily sasses, motioning to Bryan.

He shrugs, taking a sip from his coke, eyes gliding over us all with nonchalance. “I’m calling it like it is. It’s not my fault y’all can’t take honesty.”

Lily lets out an unamused grunt. “It’s not that we can’t take it, you just have no filter and feel the need to say whatever pops into your head at any given time.”

“I wasn’t made with a filter.”

Now it’s him and Lily trading blows while the three of us watch. I won’t lie, I’m chuckling at one point because it’s all so silly. It’s like I’m a teenager all over again, watching them argue over the remote.

“Here you go.” Milly comes over, placing my plates down. “We’re out of sausage links, but we had patties, so I did those instead. No charge, hun. Sorry about that.”

I inhale deeply, my stomach grumbling as the scents hit my nose. I’m so hungry. “No worries, Milly, and you can charge me for them, it’s really no big deal.”

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