“I told you to stay home.”
“And suffer through another one of my mother’s tea luncheons?”
Leaning forward, she plopped an especially thick scoop on his nose. “Is this better in your opinion?”
“It’s always better if I’m with you.”
Her heart skipped a beat and she resisted the urge to smile. He could be a smooth talker when he wanted to be. It was one of the reasons, she put up with him all of the times he wasn’t as smooth.
Smoothing out the blob, she studied him. Seventeen years old, his face was all angles and sharp corners. Even his jaw ended with a point. She caressed all of those angles lovingly as she coated his skin.
“Did you tell your mother you were coming over here?”
He shook his head slowly. “There is no way she would have let me leave the house.”
Elizabeth showed no signs of softening towards her. The older woman had only met her a handful of times, but her disapproval had been made more than clear. She thought Alex was dating beneath himself and she was not happy about it.
“You could have invited Noelle to come along. She would have enjoyed getting a facial.”
“She got caught skipping school again. She is grounded for the foreseeable future. Or until, mom forgets she was grounded in the first place.”
She pressed her lips together and bit the inside of her cheek. India had to keep her opinions to herself. It wasn’t her place to judge Noelle. Finishing up Alex’s mask so she could start on her own. Noelle was spinning out of control and it was an obvious cry for help. She knew better than to broach the subject, her relationship with Noelle was tense enough. She did not want to make it worse.
“What movie are we watching,” Alex asked as she slid down on the ground beside him.
“Coming to America.”
That got a smile out of him. Alex loved Eddie Murphy movies, especially the movie “Coming to America”, it was the reason she picked it. Knocking her shoulder against his, she leaned her own head back and started to apply the mask.
“Go get the popcorn now that you are done and we can get the movie started.”
****
Lying in bed, Alex found himself thinking about the woman right across the hall from him. The last month and a half had reawakened all of those old feelings he had for her. Even though she was doing her best to avoid spending time alone with him, he knew he was getting through her defenses.
She didn’t snap at him as often as she used to. Sometimes he would even catch her staring at him with a gentle smile on her face. Her eyes would be trained on him. Her expression marked with confusion and warmth. He was getting to her and he knew it. It was the kid. The closer he got to Kier, the more she softened towards him.
The boy had certainly grown on him. He wasn’t prone to temper tantrums or crying fits. He mostly spent his time exploring the new space around him. India was constantly chasing after him as he crawled around, looking for anything he could touch and examine.
India and Emilia liked to encourage that in him and were always talking to him. Trying to encourage his curiosity by showing him new things and telling him what they were. Even he had started to join them.
His nephew got excited whenever he saw something new. Alex enjoyed the way the boy reacted when they played together. Kier would giggle and reach out with both hands. His plump little arms waving in the air and his short little legs pumping in excitement. He was always babbling like he had a host of things to say.
There were times he would look at the kid and see his sister. Before the drugs and the constant screw-ups. Before she ruined her life. When she was just his curious kid sister with a wild imagination and an engaging smile. Noelle had so many things going for her. She just had to work through what drove her towards the drugs.
It was beyond interesting to see India in a mothering role. It appeared to come naturally to her. She’d always been empathetic and eager to care for others, but seeing her with Kier was different.
When she was around him, the boy had her whole focus. The two had their own way of communicating. She smiled and he lit up with joy. India loved him and there was no doubt Kier loved her. It was clear to see they were bonded by the love they shared.
He couldn’t see coming between that and honestly he didn’t want to. India hadn’t brought up leaving, but he knew eventually she would. She couldn’t stay in the Ivy forever. She did not get along with the women in his family. She would not want to share the same roof as them.
It was only a matter of time before they were interrupted and he needed to make his move before then. Their time together was going to end soon and he was nowhere near the finish line. It was time he made another play for a second chance.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Christmas carols played over the speaker system as the three of them set about decorating the Ivy’s massive living room. She had already hung the garland and dragged in the tree. Emilia helped her pull the decorations out of the attic. Now, it was time for them to pull out the ornaments and decorate the tree. Clapping her hands together, she turned on the heels of her shoes towards the pair sitting on the couch together like a pair of twins.
They were wearing matching sweater vests and slacks. Both of their hairs had been slicked down and styled for the picture she had insisted on taking. Every year, she took dozens of pictures. India wanted to preserve as many memories as possible. The time for her to leave was fast approaching.
Westbrook was the perfect place to spend Christmas in. Everyone in town loved Christmas and the New Year. They would make sure the entire town was decked out in holiday lights. Every shop competed with each other to see who could come up with the most elaborate decorations.
It was Kier’s first Christmas. She wanted to make the event as festive as possible. Alex was doing his best impression of the Grinch as he played with his nephew and watched her. His eyes had burned more than a few holes on her ass when she bent over to pick a decoration out of the boxes surrounding them.
“The two of you look adorable, but do you plan on helping at all?”
“Why couldn’t we just hire a company like my mother usually does?”
“Where is the fun in that,” India asked as she slipped a glittering red glass ball onto a tree branch. “One of the best parts of Christmas is the decorating. It is a time for families to come together and work towards a common goal.”
Alex was seated on the couch with Kier on his lap. They had spent most of the night watching her do most of the work. Honestly, it was better that way. Alex had eaten a quarter of their supply of popcorn, and Kier had put more decorations in his mouth, than on the actual tree.
Bending down, she pulled out a glass white and gold Christmas sleigh. For all her fault’s, Elizabeth had exquisite taste in Christmas decorations. Everything looked like they were in pristine condition.
“I think the point is to make this as stress-free as possible.”
India grinned. “Do I look stressed?”
“A little.”
“Alex!”
He shook his head. “You look happy. Happier than I have seen you since I’ve been back.”
She shrugged and looked across the room at him. “I love Christmas.”
“I remember.”
Their first Christmas together, they had spent it at her house with her parents. Between the Christmas carols and the series of Christmas movies they watched, she could tell Alex felt completely out of his element. He usually had a more curated Christmas experience.