Read Online Dark Realms by Kristen Middleton - Free Book Online Page B

it.
    She took out a frying pan from one of the
boxes in the kitchen and smiled. “Who wants homemade sliders? It
might be ghetto here, but I’m not about to give those up.”
    “Yeah, I’ll take as many as you can make,”
replied Nathan as he entered the kitchen. “I’m going to pass out if
I don’t get something to eat soon.”
    “I’m surprised you’re still walking,” I
said.
    “Me too,” he said, opening up the
refrigerator. He grabbed a jar of pickles and untwisted the cap.
Before he could get his fingers inside of the jar, mom stopped
him.
    “Here,” she said, handing him a fork. “Don’t
use your fingers.”
    He grinned sheepishly. “Oh, thanks.”
    “So,” she said as she began preparing
dinner, “is this place incredible or what?”
    “Not too shabby,” said Nathan between bites
of his pickle. “And it’s so quiet, I feel like we’re in the middle
of nowhere.”
    Mom nodded. “The next cabin is just a hop,
skip, and a jump from here, but you’d never know it’s so
peaceful.”
    “Yeah, you did good, mom,” I said, cutting
the onions for our burgers. “I just can’t wait until tomorrow when
we get to see it all in the daylight.”
    Nathan nodded. “Yeah, I’d really like to
take the boat out on the lake tomorrow, if that’s okay?”
    “Sure,” she answered
    He wiped his hands on his jeans.
“Sweet.”
    She opened the fridge and grabbed the
cheese. “I think that would be good for all of us to get out on
that lake. I haven’t been able to work on my tan all summer.”
    I snorted; my mom was as white as a ghost
and typically burned and peeled, but never really tanned. My
brother and I were the opposite, fortunately, even though you’d
never know it this year. I just hadn’t had the time to get any sun,
especially after the “incident.”
    After dinner, I helped her with the dishes
and then decided to check out the whirlpool tub in my bathroom.
    “I’m taking a long, relaxing bath and then
going to bed,” I said as we neared the staircase. It had been a
long drive and I was so exhausted, I didn’t even feel like
unpacking anything just yet.
    “Okay,” she replied, kissing the top of my
head. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
    A moving company had dropped off our
belongings earlier in the day and I found some of my own boxes very
quickly. After carrying them to my room, I grabbed a towel and the
fluffy white robe my mom had given me for Christmas last year. As I
was about to walk into my bathroom to start the tub, there was a
soft knock.
    “Yeah?”
    My brother opened the door. “Hey, I’m sorry
about snapping at you earlier. You were right,” he said with a
sheepish grin. “I was being a little bit of an asshole.”
    “Don’t worry, I’m used to it.”
    He folded his arms across his chest. “You
were kind of a bitch too, you know.”
    I gasped. “I’ll show you bitch,” I replied,
throwing my hairbrush at him. It missed and hit the wall next to
the door.
    “Better work on your aim,” he replied with a
smirk.
    I picked up my curling iron and raised it in
the air. “Leave before I give you ringlets! I swear to God, I’ll
make you pretty!”
    He brushed his bangs away from his eyes.
“Can you include a bow? I’d look even prettier with a bow.”
    I broke down and started laughing. “You are
such a freak.”
    “No need to be jealous. You’re my twin and
kind of a freak, too.”
    “Lucky me.”
    He smiled. “Night, Nik. I’ll see you in the
morning.”
    “Okay, goodnight.”
    After he left, I grabbed my things and
stepped into the black and white marbled bathroom, locking the door
behind me. When I turned back around, I smiled.
    Amazing.
    There was even a large panoramic window
surrounding the Jacuzzi with a view of the lake. Although it was
dark and I couldn’t see much of anything outside, I imagined during
the day, it was incredible.
    I walked over to the large
square tub and turned on the water. I sat on the edge and watched
it rise slowly,