apart she had tears in her eyes as she whispered, “Thank you.”
Sydney stayed seated, but had a smirk on her face when Josh turned to her. “Hey geek,” she said by way of greeting.
He let out a low laugh and leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Hey crazy.”
He straightened up and gave a smile to the group. “I need to get back to my seat, but I just saw Madelyn and I wanted to say ‘hi’ to everyone.” His eyes settled on me, and he opened his mouth to say something. But right at that moment a tall, beautiful brunette slipped her arm through his.
“Ugh! I’m sorry, Josh! But, you know, when Paris calls you have to answer!” She looked expectantly at the table. “Who are your friends?”
Josh cleared his throat and gestured towards us. “This is my friend, Madelyn, her brother Matt, her mother Linda, and her best friend Sydney. Guys, this is Elizabeth.”
We all murmured our ‘hellos’ and Elizabeth gave a sultry smile, zeroing her eyes in on me.
“Oh, the famous Madelyn! It’s so good to put a face to the name.” Her fake smile said it was anything but good, and Sydney’s death glare told me she didn’t believe it either.
“I’m sorry to pull him away, but Josh and I have a show we need to get to. Lovely to meet everyone!”
Josh held up a hand, and before he could say anything Elizabeth was practically dragging him from the table.
When they were out of sight, Matthew let out a low whistle. “She’s not who I pictured Josh with.” His eyes flickered to me for a split second before he looked back to where Josh had been.
“She seems… nice.” Sydney said sarcastically, and Matthew spit soda out of his mouth as he laughed.
Mom and Sydney joined in on the laughter, and as I grinned at my family I tried to squash the jealousy that had fully bloomed in my chest.
Mom and Matthew left the restaurant together since Matthew was going to be staying with her. He had always said that when he left the Army he would get his own place, so when he wasn’t oversees he’d just stay with mom in his old bedroom.
Sydney drove us back to the apartment, prattling on about a guy she had hooked up with the two nights before. I smiled and made the appropriate noises of acknowledgements, but I wasn’t really listening.
As we walked through the front door, Amanda was sitting on the couch reading, but her head shot up when she saw us. As I followed Sydney in, I noticed a flash of disappointment on her face when I shut the door behind me. It was gone as soon as it came though, and she put down her book and smiled.
“How was dinner?”
“It was fun. We missed you though. How’s your mom?” I kicked my sneakers off and plopped myself down on the opposite end of the couch.
She didn’t answer right away, just gave a small shrug. “She’s okay. She still recognizes me about eighty-five percent of the time, so I’m thankful for that at least.”
She turned and put her feet on the couch so she was facing me. “So, how long is Matt’s leave?”
“Three sad little days,” I pouted, letting her change the subject without objection. “He has to leave Tuesday so he can be back by Wednesday. But he should be home by Christmas.”
Sydney walked into the living room holding a beer and Amanda moved her feet so she could sit between us.
“Oh Manders. You are crushing on him big-time.”
Amanda blushed, and gave Sydney a playful shove. “I am not. He’s just fun to have around. And to look at.”
“I can definitely agree he’s fun to have around. Although I don’t know how you guys can think that gangly snot is hot.”
Sydney laughed mid-swallow and started half-laughing, half-coughing. Amanda gave her two thumps on her back and she shot me an amused look.
“You say that because he’s your brother and you’ll always see him as that awkward teenager. “
I couldn’t disagree with her, I knew my brother was hot, but he’d forever be that pain in my ass who tried his hardest to make
Sydney stayed seated, but had a smirk on her face when Josh turned to her. “Hey geek,” she said by way of greeting.
He let out a low laugh and leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Hey crazy.”
He straightened up and gave a smile to the group. “I need to get back to my seat, but I just saw Madelyn and I wanted to say ‘hi’ to everyone.” His eyes settled on me, and he opened his mouth to say something. But right at that moment a tall, beautiful brunette slipped her arm through his.
“Ugh! I’m sorry, Josh! But, you know, when Paris calls you have to answer!” She looked expectantly at the table. “Who are your friends?”
Josh cleared his throat and gestured towards us. “This is my friend, Madelyn, her brother Matt, her mother Linda, and her best friend Sydney. Guys, this is Elizabeth.”
We all murmured our ‘hellos’ and Elizabeth gave a sultry smile, zeroing her eyes in on me.
“Oh, the famous Madelyn! It’s so good to put a face to the name.” Her fake smile said it was anything but good, and Sydney’s death glare told me she didn’t believe it either.
“I’m sorry to pull him away, but Josh and I have a show we need to get to. Lovely to meet everyone!”
Josh held up a hand, and before he could say anything Elizabeth was practically dragging him from the table.
When they were out of sight, Matthew let out a low whistle. “She’s not who I pictured Josh with.” His eyes flickered to me for a split second before he looked back to where Josh had been.
“She seems… nice.” Sydney said sarcastically, and Matthew spit soda out of his mouth as he laughed.
Mom and Sydney joined in on the laughter, and as I grinned at my family I tried to squash the jealousy that had fully bloomed in my chest.
Mom and Matthew left the restaurant together since Matthew was going to be staying with her. He had always said that when he left the Army he would get his own place, so when he wasn’t oversees he’d just stay with mom in his old bedroom.
Sydney drove us back to the apartment, prattling on about a guy she had hooked up with the two nights before. I smiled and made the appropriate noises of acknowledgements, but I wasn’t really listening.
As we walked through the front door, Amanda was sitting on the couch reading, but her head shot up when she saw us. As I followed Sydney in, I noticed a flash of disappointment on her face when I shut the door behind me. It was gone as soon as it came though, and she put down her book and smiled.
“How was dinner?”
“It was fun. We missed you though. How’s your mom?” I kicked my sneakers off and plopped myself down on the opposite end of the couch.
She didn’t answer right away, just gave a small shrug. “She’s okay. She still recognizes me about eighty-five percent of the time, so I’m thankful for that at least.”
She turned and put her feet on the couch so she was facing me. “So, how long is Matt’s leave?”
“Three sad little days,” I pouted, letting her change the subject without objection. “He has to leave Tuesday so he can be back by Wednesday. But he should be home by Christmas.”
Sydney walked into the living room holding a beer and Amanda moved her feet so she could sit between us.
“Oh Manders. You are crushing on him big-time.”
Amanda blushed, and gave Sydney a playful shove. “I am not. He’s just fun to have around. And to look at.”
“I can definitely agree he’s fun to have around. Although I don’t know how you guys can think that gangly snot is hot.”
Sydney laughed mid-swallow and started half-laughing, half-coughing. Amanda gave her two thumps on her back and she shot me an amused look.
“You say that because he’s your brother and you’ll always see him as that awkward teenager. “
I couldn’t disagree with her, I knew my brother was hot, but he’d forever be that pain in my ass who tried his hardest to make
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