He did not blame Cian for finding a connection worth
fighting for. It was only natural to seek solace from
loneliness and love was never easy to find.
Lexie stomped out of the front door. It was for her own sanity as much as her mother’s that she took a break from the mayhem in the house. She expected her mother to take her side and give Max hel . Instead, her mother, always the diplomat, smiled and asked her to be patient and give the guys time to adjust to the sensitive needs of females.
Having her privacy disregarded was frustrating, but
witnessing her mother downplay it was hurtful.
Lexie stil felt mortified at the thought of Maxim handling her undergarments – knowing that he saw her in a towel just made it worse. Maybe she would plead her case to Dragos and have him confront Maxim about personal space, but
she didn’t feel like her new stepfather was that
approachable.
Instead, Lexie tossed the clothing he touched into her hamper
and quickly dressed in her favorite skinny jeans and a tank top with the plan to head to the local hardware store for two sliding locks, one for her bedroom door and one for the bathroom.
She didn’t know how far of a walk it would be, but at least she wouldn’t have to talk to Max. He was so clueless and she just didn’t want to try. At least if she was out walking, she could see what her neighborhood looked like. So far, after a quick glimpse around her yard, hers was the only house on a very long wooded street.
The outside of the new house was not Martha Stewart
quality either. The house needed TLC, starting with a paint job and landscaping. Dragos never mentioned the fact that the house closely resembled the one belonging to the
Adam’s family. It did have potential though. At one time, it must have been impressive. How many families came and went over the years and cal ed its shelter home? She would try to keep an open mind and somehow come to think of it as hers now that it was the only one she had.
The yard was fairly nice. There was a brick patio with traditional lawn furniture and a picnic table. She knew her mom would love the big barbeque pit – especial y with her recent menu of meat and more meat. Lexie wouldn’t be
surprised to see a side of beef in the freezer before long.
There were flowers struggling to come up in the long grass and a variety of bushes that looked like they might grow blackcaps or raspberries. Just beyond the thicket, a long trail headed into the forest. Lexie fol owed it a short distance until she came to an old stone fence. Uncertain if area led past their property, she decided to turn back and head to town.
Walking along a seriously secluded street was a novel
experience. She actual y felt safer on the streets back home where having people around was the norm. She and
Liz had taken self-defense last semester, but she somehow doubted it would help her if a big ole’ hungry bear came loping out of the woods. It was a lot quieter than any place she had been before.
Birds sang and the forest around her had its own melody, but missing were the vibrations of traffic sirens and
construction that were always the background music of
Torrington. The air smel ed sweet here though, like each breath could help cleanse out years of breathing in city toxins.
She walked for ten minutes before she final y heard a
vehicle on her road closing in from behind her. Lexie just hoped it wasn’t Maxim coming to tel her she needed to return home to eat a PBJ with him because it was snack time and “she shouldn’t skip meals.” Just the thought of him aggravated her nerves.
A large black Ford F drove by hauling a trailer with two dirt bikes. The dark haired driver and a red headed
passenger both waived. From what she could see, they
looked about her age. Cute too.
Lexie smiled. Now that was one activity she would not mind trying. There was no place to ride back home. She
wondered what Liz would say if she ever gave the sport a try?
Liz would point and laugh hysterical y and then ask what kind of outfits she could wear. It could be fun.
After another minute, she could hear a second vehicle
approaching from behind. She smiled and turned as the car pul ed up beside her. It was her mother’s Prius with Alik behind the wheel.
“What’s this? You’re exploring town without me?” he said with his hand on his heart, pretending to be devastated.
Lexie smiled, thankful it wasn’t Max or Dragos, and climbed in beside him.
Seeing Alik steer the car with his knees while he sang along to an old Duran Duran tune made it impossible for Lexie to stay grumpy. He was in such a good mood and he made it contagious. She had not seen this side of him
before, not that they had ever been alone together before now. She actual y knew very little about him and he knew even less about her.
It wasn’t too difficult to smile back at him when Alik gave her an impish grin and winked as he sang the lyrics to the
’s hit - Hungry Like the Wolf that boomed from the meager car speakers. After a couple of minutes, she was singing with him.
With names for places like Moose Tale Grub and Ale,
Maple Candy Co. and Moose Meadow’s Mini Golf – the
smal town was charming in a snuggly flannel shirt kind of way. A stop at the True Value was an al -out success. Not only did they pick up the sliding locks she wanted, but she grabbed a couple of gal ons of fresh paint for her wal s with brushes and rol ers.
Alik even pledged to help her tackle the big job if she in return would help him pass trigonometry. She accepted the deal and almost felt immediately better about the move.
As much as she was stil perturbed with Maxim’s thick
headedness and her mother’s apathy, making her room a
personalized expression of herself was comforting. Once she had the chance to paint her wal s and hang her favorite Paramore and Vampire Diaries posters, the room would
start to feel like hers instead of the home of Wednesday Adams.
While loading the supplies, Alik pul ed out his wal et and thumbed through his cash. “I don’t know about you, but I could real y go for a big double bacon cheeseburger.
Should we track down some place to eat? My treat.”
Lexie realized she had been so angry with Maxim that she left the house without eating after al . It was almost one and she could definitely eat something. “I saw a diner around the
corner,” she suggested. She gave him a light nudge with her elbow, “You’re not going to insist that we invite Max along are you? After al , he’s insisting we eat together now that we are a family.”
Alik did not reply, but she could see the subtle change in his expression as he stiffened.
He must not approve of digs at his brother’s expense -
point taken.
Alik and Lexie entered through the doors of Big Wal y’s Diner and were surprised to see several other teens at the counter and grouped with friends in booths. Glancing
around Lexie noticed the food was served on large platters and from the posted sign, prices were inexpensive.
“Looks like we’ve stumbled on the local hangout,” Alik said.
The diner had a retro ’s feel and the mannequin in rol er-skates at the door was amusing. A few faces turned and gawked with welcoming smiles as an old-fashioned
jukebox along the wal pumped out the lyrical beat of Third Eye Blind’s latest release.
Lexie slid into a large red booth and Alik crawled in beside her. She glanced at the list of specials accompanying the menu, not sure, if she should suggest Alik sit across from her rather than right beside her so they could talk easier.
She
already made him uncomfortable with the joke about Maxim so decided not to say anything. They were final y getting to know each other and she didn’t want to ruin it.
An attractive girl with bright hazel eyes and long
golden hair leaned over the back of the booth facing them, “The fries are total y yummy, but you’l regret ever ordering the onion rings.” Her whole face lit up when she spoke. “You two must have just moved into the old Delaney residence. I’m Brooke and this is Julie and across is Theo.” She pointed out her friends, al upperclassmen.
Lexie said hel o as a few heads popped up and waved
greetings to her and Alik. Smal town friendliness was another new occurrence she rather liked. Even at the
hardware store, the two had been greeted like foreign
dignitaries at the White House.
Alik reached out and greeted Brooke with a chivalrous
handshake and a broad smile. Lexie sat back and watched her new stepbrother lay on some charm. Brooke gushed
with pleasure and within a few seconds, her group descended on their booth.
“My mom works in the guidance office at the school and my Dad is the pastor of Center Church. Between the two of them, they don’t miss any rumors of new residents.” Brooke began. “It wil be nice seeing some new faces.”
“She means new people who haven’t already dated each
other.” Theo added laughingly. He was obviously as
outgoing as Brooke and too funny. His hands swung with animation as he spoke.
“I’l have you know I’ve been with my boyfriend Cian for over a year and I am not looking for that status to change,”
her genuine enthusiasm was sweet. “However, when
people leave this town to go off to col ege, they don’t come back, and we need some interesting new personalities
around here. Before your family moved in, we only had a population of
people,” she explained.
“It can get a little tedious,” Theo added while giving Alik a roundabout grin. “You’ve delivered me from boredom just in time.” The boy winked at her stepbrother.
Lexie wondered if Alik was bothered by Theo’s flirtation towards him. She found him entertaining and could not
resist giggling at his playful mannerisms.
Julie’s supple voice spoke up, “Wel , except Brooke’s
boyfriend and his cousins. They were at that private
boarding school until they graduated in the spring. None of us expected them to stil be here.”
It was obvious that Cian was Brooke’s life and she was quite smitten. Conversations kept circling back to him.
“Cian cal ed a few minutes ago. He’l be here in a little while. I told
him to shower first because he was out dirt bike riding and probably got al sweaty and gross. You‘l have to meet him, he’s a little shy, but he’s the best.”
Lexie wondered if he was one of the guys she saw pass on the road with the trailer hauling the dirt bikes. “When I was out walking a short while ago I saw a truck towing dirt bikes.
I always wanted to try riding.” Did I until today?
Brooke’s face lit up with delight. “Wait until you meet the guys then. They ride almost every day. It would be so nice to have another girl to hang out with when I am with them.
None of them but Cian have a girlfriend, so I’m always left on the sidelines by myself.”
Lexie liked Brooke and could easily be friends with her.
She was sociable and quick to smile. “That would be a lot of fun. Let’s try it sometime.”
Just then, Lexie felt Alik slide his arm around her shoulder the way Dragos always did with Ruby – the way couples
usual y do. He tilted his head towards hers and she could hear his slow intake of breath as he smel ed her hair. They will think we’re in-bread. It wasn’t the kind of first impression she wanted to make with her new friends.
“So Lexie, I’m assuming Alik plays for the straight team, so is he with someone?” Theo raised his eyebrows and
waited expectedly.
With a subtle shift away from her brother, she placed her back against the window instead of the seat. “Actual y, as far as I know, al three of my stepbrothers are single, but since our parents only got married a month ago, I am not sure yet what kind of girls they like.”
Leaning in, Alik looked at her and spoke soft enough so only she could hear, “Sure about that?” He winked and turned back to Julie and Brooke.
Lexie wondered if he meant the beautiful girls in front of him or her. They might not be related by blood, but as far as she was concerned, there was a limit to brotherly love. Perhaps she was being over sensitive again and misinterpreting his body language. She noticed the easy smile he gave their new friends – he was a genuine guy. Just really different….
The waitress carried over an order of cheese covered fries for Lexie and Alik’s big beef burger special with a heaping mound of coleslaw and potato salad. They got to know their new friends better while they answered questions about Lexie’s life in Connecticut and Alik’s last school in New York. They discussed music and the best places in and
around town to shop and hang out. While Alik got into a conversation about X-box with a kid named Justin at the counter, Lexie exchanged cel phone numbers with Theo
and the girls.
Brooke mentioned a spot where a group from school would be hanging out the next night with music and a big bonfire. It had become a summer weekend tradition at an old state park that had now become overgrown and unmonitored due to budget cuts. Theo told her there was a large pavilion with picnic tables and everyone she would be meeting at school would be there.
The girls giggled with enthusiasm, urging Lexie to come.
Lexie smiled back. She knew being able to meet more
people would make the first day of twelfth grade a lot less nerve wracking if she at least recognized more faces.
Whether Alik would be up to it, she wasn’t sure.
Julie asked if her other brothers would come too, but Lexie hoped not. Nick was okay, but he was immature for fifteen, to the point that al he did was sit around the house with El a for most of the day. She could not imagine what her thirteen year old sister had in common with the freshman.
Maxim, on the other hand, was just unfriendly. Lexie feared he would alienate everyone in school and then she and the whole family would be shunned from any age appropriate fun for the next year until she escaped out of state. She merely wanted a chance to make her own friends and let people get a chance to know her as an individual instead of being lumped together with her stepbrothers. Maybe al big families went
through that, but she was stil the same Lexie she had always been.
Brooke’s phone buzzed with a text message. “Cian is on his way now. Maybe the guys are coming too. Who knows, maybe you’l like one of them, they are al so sweet.”
“They are al so hot, but don’t tel Cian I said that,” Theo laughed as he snatched one of Lexie’s fries. His chocolate colored eyes and hair stood out against his white DC cap.
“Yeah, but Cian is the hottest,” Brook defended meekly.
“You are so biased. What about Teagan and that gorgeous body? Half of Erris thinks he’s beautiful, even the old ladies want to run their hands through that long hair of his...” He looked at Julie with a knowing smile.
“I think Braden’s preppy look is the most handsome,”
Julie included. “But Torin has that whole miserable bad boy thing going on for him.”
“Yes,” Theo snorted, “He’s definitely dark and brooding, in that tie me up – I’l tie you down kind of way, but it works for him. I wear bracelets and everyone says it’s because I’m gay, he does and everyone says it’s because he’s edgy.”
Brooke looked on with a knowing smile, “If Torin swung your way Theo, I am sure you could make him happy, but since he’s as straight as Cian, you’re out of luck.”
“You girls and your chatter, who are you talking about now?”
Alik sat back down after talking Modern Warfare.
“Cian’s friends,” Theo said innocently.
Brooke nodded her head. “They’re cousins. Their fa
milies have been in this town for years, but they always went to private schools in Nova Scotia. There is an esteemed
private school there where the headmaster is actual y a relative of theirs.
They just don’t know many people our age around here.
Cian always tel s me that Teagan had a ton of girls hanging on him back at school.”
Julie snickered, “I can see that. He has charm.”
“Hey Alik, I was just tel ing Lexie that maybe we can double date or something.” Brooke happily fil ed in. “I’m hoping they wil be here with Cian in a few minutes.”
Lexie noticed Alik’s mouth twitch, but then he promptly replaced it with a smile. “Actual y, Lexie and I need to run.”
He tilted his head and turned towards her, “I’m sure we have been missed with al of the unpacking and everything.”
He placed a twenty on the table to cover the check and gave the girls a teasing smile, “Now due to having such beautiful sisters, my brothers and I wil have to be very protective of them. I on the other hand would be happy to double date anytime.”
Brooke and her friends laughed at Alik’s playfulness, but Lexie had a strange feeling that he meant what he said.
She hoped having protective brothers wouldn’t be awkward when it came to dating. Even when her Dad was alive, he trusted her to make good choices about who she saw
outside of school.
She fol owed her stepbrother out of the diner and climbed into the car. She noticed an attractive guy with interesting eyes and short dark hair climbing off a yel ow dirt bike parked next to them. He wore a tight tee shirt that
emphasized his muscular build and low slung Levis. He
must have been Cian. No wonder Brooke was infatuated,
he was certainly attractive and thoughtful looking.
Perhaps Maine will prove to be interesting after all.
On the short drive back to the house, Lexie listened to Alik chatter incessantly about their new friends. She couldn’t shake the slight unease in the pit of her stomach. Was he trying to control her in a less evident way than Maxim or was he just joking around and making new friends like she was? She would have liked to stay longer and meet
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