Read Online Max (A Carter Brother series Book 4) by Lisa Helen Gray - Free Book Online

hair.
    I roll my eyes. “Here, let me go wash it out with some water. Do you think Denny will mind if I use a towel?’’ I ask unsure.
    “Nah, go ahead, they’re in the bathroom cabinet.’’
    I give him a smile and watch him tend to Hope for a second. He’s so gentle with her. He wipes her mouth with a wet wipe and with that I leave them to it and rush up to the bathroom.
    The house looks so tiny from the outside but it’s a decent size inside. The walls up the stairs are covered in photos of Hope, Mason and Denny. Some are of the brothers together and some with their girlfriends, they all look happy. I smile looking at them and when I get to the top one, one of a girl I’ve not met yet, holding Hope, I’m confused. She’s pretty. Really pretty, but she doesn’t seem to be anyone I’ve seen with any of the brothers or the girls.
    Shaking it off I open the first door to the left and find myself in Hope’s room. It’s beautiful. So beautiful in fact that I feel a little envious of Hope.
    Shutting the door behind me, I try the one across from it. Thankfully it’s the bathroom and I make quick work of washing the sick from my hair and back of my top.

CHAPTER THREE
LAKE
     
    It turned out my hair needed more than a bit of water. Even after rinsing it out, I could still smell the sick in my hair. Hoping they wouldn’t mind, I quickly washed my hair and towel dried it. I’m just brushing my fingers through the knots when I hear Joan’s voice from downstairs.
    Walking down, I’m greeted to her sitting down already with a cup of tea and watching a now sleeping Hope.
    “Hey,’’ I wave, walking in and hoping everything from earlier has been cleared up. I’m nervous as hell and honestly? My hands are shaking and worry ignites me. I don’t want her to dislike me.
    “Oh my, what’s happened to you,’’ Joan giggles, eyeing my wet hair.
    “Hope was sick in my hair. I hope Denny won’t mind but I quickly washed it. I couldn’t get the smell out with just rinsing.’’ Embarrassed, I can only stand there and twiddle my thumbs. It felt rude washing it upstairs, but now standing and telling someone, I feel intrusive.
    “Nonsense, of course she wouldn’t mind. You’re actually in luck; I brought some clothes over for you. I went into town after the food bank closed and got you some new things. A new hairbrush and stuff is in there too.’’
    The first thought in my head is that she’s buying me stuff so I can move on, find somewhere else to go. I’ve become accustomed to not being wanted. I don’t deserve to be after what I did. Sadness pervades me. I actually like it here. I said I’d never settle in a place where I started to like it. My life should be miserable, cold, lonely and unloved. After what I did it’s the least that should have happened to me. But having Joan take care of me, Mark making me laugh and actually having warm food and a bed to sleep in has made me feel something other than dead. I don’t want to lose that feeling.
    “What’s wrong?’’ Joan asks, breaking through my thoughts.
    “You didn’t need to get me new stuff. It’s very kind of you but you don’t need to do that,’’ I tell her honestly. She shouldn’t be wasting her money on someone like me.
    “Stop talking nonsense, sweetie, I don’t mind. I love treating my girls. You and Harlow should be spoilt,’’ she smiles and I feel my eyes water. She’s not even known me that long and already she’s stationed me inside her family. Her girls. My heart shouldn’t like her saying that but it does; it also brings a new wave of sadness to my heart. My mom used to call me her girl. I was always her girl. With it only being my brother and I, I seemed to get spoilt more with clothes, girly stuff and what have you. It’d been great until it hadn’t. I don’t know what my mom would call me now but I know my girl won’t be it.
    “You want me to stay?’’ I breathe out, not meaning to say it out loud.
    “Who