Smile Like You Mean It (Charlotte Reynolds Book 1)

by Willow Hadley

  I wish there was some fresh fruit, but there is a bunch of bacon. And after digging all the way in the back of the pantry, I luckily find flour and some other spices, so I have everything I need to make pancakes.

  It only takes me another minute to grab a mixing bowl and a couple of skillets. The boys are watching me, and Sebastian is starting to look concerned. “Do you want any help at least? Or anything?”

  I shake my head and start measuring out flour. I’m assuming five sixteen-year old boys can probably eat a ton, so I add enough to make an enormous batch. I completely zone out while I heat up the skillets and mix the pancake batter, humming a song quietly to myself. When I lay down the first pieces of bacon and pour the first pancakes, I turn to smile at the boys.

  They’re smiling too. Honestly, they look super adorable sitting side by side like that. Grayson is the first one to speak. “So, Arthur said we’re allowed to hang out with you now?”

  I raise an eyebrow at Sebastian. I didn’t realize Arthur had specifically banned them from hanging out with me. Now I’m starting to second-guess myself and wonder if maybe he’s worried I’ll hurt the boys.

  Sebastian rolls his eyes. “He didn’t say it like that. He just said we should give her some space. I think Remy and Elliot were right though.”

  Grayson explains what Sebastian means before I ask. “Arthur said we shouldn’t text you unless you texted us first, but Elliot said that was shitty because you seem too shy to reach out to any of us like that. And Remy, well, he said Arthur was going to make you feel isolated and that we should just force you to hang out with us.”

  I let out a nervous giggle and continue cooking our breakfast. “You don’t need to force me.”

  The boys tell me about the arcade and some of the other stores that are downtown. It sounds really cute and I’m excited to see it. The two of them are really funny together and it’s obvious they’re extremely close. I can’t imagine being friends with somebody like that my whole life. I’m jealous of them for it, but it also makes me want to be around them even more.

  I’m piling the pancakes and bacon onto plates and placing them on the stove-top to keep them warm as I cook. I’m not paying attention to how much I’ve made until Grayson exclaims, “Holy shit. You’re making them so fast!”

  Sebastian nods and raises his eyebrows at the pancakes. “And they seriously look perfect.”

  “You can try one. I hope they taste alright.”

  They come over to stand next to me at the stove, and I put one of the pancakes on an extra plate for them to taste test. Neither of them bothers to use a fork. Instead, they tear off a piece with their hands and pop them in their mouths. Within seconds, their eyes light up and they beam at me.

  “I think I love you.” Grayson laughs, already tearing off another piece.

  I start giggling, and Sebastian nods seriously. “These are really fucking good.”

  “Thank god. It would really suck if I made this many and they tasted like crap. And you guys would probably eat them anyways, just so I didn’t feel bad.”

  They grin at each other and laugh and nod in agreement with me. Sebastian admits, “Yeah, we probably would have. But for real, this is probably the best pancake I’ve ever tasted.”

  I finish the last pieces of bacon and set them on the plate with the others. As I start pouring in another pancake, I worriedly ask, “Do you think I made enough?”

  Grayson looks at the huge pile of pancakes and then at my mixing bowl. There’s still a little batter left. “Maybe make a couple more? I think it’s probably more than enough, but Elliot’s been eating a lot more since football practice started up.”

  This is the second time Elliot playing football has been brought up. Curiously I ask, “Do you guys play sports too?”

  Grayson makes a face and shakes his head. “Nah. I mean, we go to the gym and train in MMA fighting, but none of us compete. It’s mostly for fun, and like, an outlet, I guess.”

  Sebastian finishes the rest of the taste-test pancake and adds, “Well, Liam plays soccer in the spring. Elliot does too, but I think Liam’s the only one of us who actually enjoys sports.”

  I want to ask why Elliot plays if he doesn’t like it, but I don’t want to seem too nosy. Besides, maybe Elliot will eventually tell me himself.

  Grayson watches me flip a pancake and gives me another teasing smile. “Can you flip them in the air?”

  I nod and give him a smug smirk. Honestly, it’s been such a long time since I’ve made breakfast or been in a kitchen like this. There’s a pretty decent chance I’ll mess it up. As soon as it’s cooked through, I dramatically set the spatula aside and pick the pan up by the handle with two hands.

  When it’s ready, I manage to flip it perfectly in the pan. I’m mostly glad I didn’t mess up or make a huge mess, and Grayson and Sebastian seem really impressed. After I finish another pancake, flipping it without a spatula, they want to try too. Grayson tries first. His pancake comes out looking pretty deformed, but at least he got it in the pan for the most part.

  The boys’ enthusiasm has me giggling, and I raise my eyebrows at Sebastian when it’s his turn. “Grayson set the bar pretty low, so you should be good.”

  Grayson snorts and shoves my shoulder. I smile sweetly so he knows I’m teasing, and he smiles back.

  Sebastian adjusts his hands on the pan’s handle and furrows his eyebrows. “Okay, be quiet so I can concentrate.”

  Grayson and I glance sideways at each other and giggle. Sebastian looks so freaking adorable and serious, so I bite my tongue. Just as he’s getting ready to flip the pancake, the front door is loudly thrown open.

  “Yo, what’s good?” Elliot shouts as he walks in with Remy and Liam behind him.

  He must have startled Sebastian, because he jerks his hands as he flips the pancake and accidentally throws it up super high and halfway across the kitchen. When it lands on the floor, I stare at it for a second before bursting into giggles.

  Grayson cracks up too and pats my head before smirking at Sebastian. “Nice one. At least now Charlotte knows why you’re not normally allowed in the kitchen.”

  Sebastian’s cheeks turn pink and he curses under his breath. Frowning, he turns towards the boys at the front door. “Goddamn it, Elliot. I was concentrating!”

  When I turn my attention to them, I still have a smile on my face, having forgotten to be nervous. I realize all three of them are staring at me and aren’t even trying to hide it. I’m still wearing my pajamas, a pair of cotton shorts and a small tee shirt. My hair looks like a bird’s nest, and I’m wearing my hideous grandma-style glasses. My nerves come rushing back with their eyes on me so intently, and I feel my cheeks redden even though I’m keeping my expression blank.

  Liam finds his words first, though he’s still staring at me and blushing. “Um, what are you guys doing?”

  Grayson snorts and waves his hands around the kitchen like it’s obvious, but his voice is warm when he speaks. “Charlotte made us breakfast.”

  Sebastian is working on cleaning up the mess on the floor and grumbles, “She was teaching us how to flip pancakes, and I would have done better than Grayson if you hadn’t walked in like that.”

  Liam and Remy stay where they’re standing, but Elliot walks into the kitchen with a wolfish grin on his face. When he reaches me, he ruffles my hair like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

  “Hey gorgeous, how come you never texted me?”

  I stare at him incredulously. I honestly can’t tell if he’s joking around because I know damn well I look like a hot mess. I also don’t want to sound weird and pathetic and tell him I didn’t think he or the other guys liked me.

  “I didn’t, uh...”

  I give up trying to force my words and turn around so I can grab some plates from the cupboard. They’re too high up for me, even on my tip toes, so I have to jump to grab them. I don’t think anything of it until I turn around with the plates in my hands and see all the boys except for Seb
astian giggling.

  Sebastian looks between me and the cupboard with an alarmed expression on his face. “Jesus, have you been doing that all week? I didn’t realize you couldn’t reach anything!”

  Ignoring Sebastian’s question, I start passing the plates around. I force myself not to glance at the cupboard where they keep their coffee mugs. I had to climb on the counter to reach them until this point, but there’s no way I’m going to admit that now.

  Liam smiles when I hand him his plate, “How tall are you exactly?”

  “Five foot one,” I answer with my eyebrow raised defiantly.

  Grayson’s already filling his plate—I’m glad they’re not waiting for me this time—and he laughs. “Holy shit, dude, you’re so fucking tiny!”

  Sebastian brushes a hand through his hair and slants his mouth, not quite frowning. “We can get you a stool. There’s probably one in the garage.”

  I furrow my eyebrows indignantly and put my hands on my hips. “I don’t need a stool!”

  I react and speak without thinking, and Sebastian blinks at me like he’s surprised before grinning broadly. And ugh! His smile is so perfect! It’s the first time I’ve seen him smiling normally, not like he’s nervous.

  With that stupid smile still on his face, he chuckles. “Then I’ll just have to move everything in the kitchen around for you, Charlotte.”

  That’s not happening if I can help it. I’ve already imposed enough on him and Arthur as it is. But if Sebastian is feeling comfortable enough to tease me, I’m not going to argue with him about it. So, I shake my head and sigh. “Just eat already before everything gets cold.”

  After grabbing some butter and syrup, the boys dig in. And holy crap, they really can eat a lot! I watch them happily and nibble on my pancakes and bacon while they tear into the food and compliment my cooking.

  Remy settles his intense gaze on me. His eyes are still piercing, but they’re a little softer today. I nearly forgot how deep and melodious his voice sounds until he finally speaks for the first time since walking into the house.

  “This is really good. Where’d you learn to cook?”

  I smooth my hair down on one side, though I’m sure the effort is fruitless. “My mom didn’t really—" I break off mid-sentence. I don’t particularly want to talk about her, so I change my answer. “I taught myself. It’s been a while. I’d really love to pick up some more groceries at some point. If you guys are staying for dinner tonight, let me know and I’ll start thinking of something I can make that will feed all of you.”

  It’s quiet for several seconds, and my stomach turns over nervously. Did I say something weird? When I glance at the other boys, they’re all staring at me and have stopped eating.

  Elliot breaks the silence, barks out a laugh, and grins at me. “Holy shit, when did you start talking? Like, actually talking?”

  I don’t know how to answer, and I awkwardly push my glasses up on my nose. Grayson meets my eyes and gives me a cheeky smile. “It’s because I killed a spider for her this morning.”

  My lips part in surprise at the joke and Sebastian chokes on his food when he starts laughing. When he settles down, I give him and Grayson a haughty expression, which sets them off again.

  When it becomes obvious neither of them are going to be able to explain themselves, I sigh. “I dropped my contacts down the sink and tripped in the bathroom because I thought I saw a spider, and it was just a piece of lint.”

  It only takes a second for my words to process, and the other boys start laughing. Liam grins at Sebastian and Grayson. “Did she scream?”

  Grayson shakes his head, “No, there was just a loud fucking crashing noise and she yelled ‘holy fucking shit’ before we ran upstairs.”

  Elliot looks positively delighted by the entire thing, and I can’t help smiling. I know they’re not making fun of me to be mean. It’s the first time I’ve felt so happy and comfortable in a long time, especially in a group of this many people.

  Remy takes his glasses off and gestures that I should switch with him. He looks really cute with his glasses off. I slide mine off and hand them to him without hesitation.

  “I was wondering why you were wearing these.” He gives me a half smile as he slides my pair on.

  I’m surprised to find that his prescription is pretty close to mine when I put his glasses on. I can see clearly, for the most part, and I grin at him. He looks goofy in my grandma glasses, but he’s still totally adorable.

  He blinks at me a couple of times and smiles big enough that I can see his dimples. “Well, my glasses definitely look cuter on you than they do on me.”

  I beam at his compliment, feeling those stupid butterflies in my stomach. “I think maybe I’ll just keep yours. You can have mine.”

  He laughs and takes my glasses off so we can switch back. Dang it, I was sort of serious.

  Elliot’s sitting next to Remy and wiggles his eyebrows at him. “Is that how nerds flirt with each other? You going to exchange calculators next?”

  Remy shoves Elliot hard enough that he falls out of his chair and onto the floor. The other guys laugh, and Elliot grins at us as he stands up and dusts himself off.

  Everyone’s pretty much done eating at this point, and Liam gives me a sort of shy smile. “Are you going downtown with us after this?”

  Assuming I’m still invited. I start to nod before remembering I’m not dressed and I look like a disaster. I turn to Sebastian, since he’s the one who originally invited me along.

  “I promise it won’t take me long to get ready.”

  One side of his mouth tilts up in a smile. “Don’t rush. We’re all fine waiting.”

  The other guys mumble in agreement and give me friendly smiles. I quickly get up to rinse my plate off in the sink, promising myself to clean up from breakfast as soon as we get back. When I get upstairs to the bathroom, I turn on the water for the shower before looking in the mirror. I gasp when I see my reflection, and my cheeks turn red. My hair literally looks like a nest of some sort. And there are smears of flour all over my face! I look even worse than I realized, and I’ve been sitting there like this with the guys all this time. I cringe away from the mirror and strip my clothes off, determined to look as cute as possible for the day to make up for it.

  Elliot

  I can’t wipe the stupid grin off of my face, but I wait until I hear the bathroom door close upstairs before turning to the guys.

  “Holy shit. She has no idea how adorable she is, does she?”

  Grayson is the only one who grins broadly at me and shakes his head. “Nope. No fucking clue.”

  Remy adjusts his glasses and frowns at Sebastian. “You said she didn’t want to hang out with us.”

  Sebastian shrugs and gives us a guilty look before answering. “I didn’t think she wanted to, and Arthur said...”

  I roll my eyes. “No offense, I mean, Arthur’s great and everything, but it’s not like he really knows her either. We’ve been telling you all week you need to talk to her!”

  Grayson snorts and takes his plate over to the sink like Charlotte did. “Sebastian’s been too chicken shit to be around her for more than a few seconds.”

  I shouldn’t have listened to Sebastian and Arthur. I should have texted her days ago. I knew she’d never text any of us first, but I’d still checked my phone relentlessly the past few days just in case. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve started typing something out to her only to change my mind at the last second.

  Liam glances towards the staircase and asks, “What happened, then? She’s like a completely different person this morning!”

  Now, I definitely disagree there. She seems like the same cute girl we met last weekend, only she’s finally coming out of her shell. But I’m still curious to see what Sebastian says.

  “I ran into her in the hallway last night when I got up to go to the bathroom. She seemed really sad, so even though she makes me nervous as shit, I figured you guys were right and I should try to tal
k to her. I feel like such an ass now because Remy totally called it. She thought we didn’t like her!”

  Goddamn it, I knew it! I knew I should have texted her. I’d rather come across as an overbearing idiot—which is exactly what I am—than have her think I don’t want to be around her. I can’t really explain it, but I knew I was going to be friends with her the moment Arthur introduced her to us.

  Remy meets my eyes. I know he wants to gloat that he and I were right, and he gives me the smallest smirk. Instead, he asks Sebastian, “Why are you so nervous around her anyways?”

  I’m curious too, and I raise my eyebrows at him. I can’t imagine Sebastian being intimidated by her because she was in juvie or has been in a few fights. That’s nothing new to any of us.

  Sebastian glares at Remy, and his cheeks redden when he lowers his voice. “Are you kidding me? Have you seen her?”

  A grin stretches across my face. When Remy’s cheeks turn pink and he starts messing with his glasses, my grin turns into a laugh. Neither of them has admitted yet that they’re attracted to Charlotte, even though it’s obvious as hell. She’s definitely the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.

  Every time I’ve seen her so far, it’s been like a slap to the face. Even when she was wearing those awful baggy clothes and looked like she’d been dragged straight out of a fight, I thought she was beautiful. And the next day, when she showed up with Evelyn all dressed up looking girly? God, she was stunning.

  And then this morning. Holy fuck. I didn’t even notice her right away when I walked into Sebastian’s house, not until I’d heard her laugh. The moment I saw her wearing her pajamas and those ridiculous glasses with her hair a mess and flour all over her face, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to control any stupidity that came out of my mouth around her. My first instinct had been to mess her hair up even more.