‹ Prequel: Freefall
Status: Complete
Plummet
09
There was groaning on the floor and I looked down. It was Kim. “Rise and shine, sleepies,” Lydia called from another room.
I stood and straightened my clothes before following the sound of her voice into the kitchen. She was standing there flipping pancakes and chatting with some guy who looked like he was around my age, maybe a little older. They both looked in my direction.
“Remy! Finally. This is my brother Chris,” Lydia said, gesturing toward the guy. “Chris, this is my friend Remy.” The fake smile I’d plastered on my face melted into a real one. She’d called me a friend.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, not quite meeting his eye. I suddenly wished I’d looked in a mirror before coming in here. Goodness only knew what I looked like.
“The pleasure,” he said with a small smile, “is all mine.” Cue fainting spell.
Lydia shot him a disapproving glare and he shrugged. She set plates of food on the table and said, “Dig in.” Chris obviously took that literally. He barely spared the time to scoop pancakes and French toast onto his plate before shoveling it into his mouth.
Meanwhile, I gawked at the amount of food on the table. “What, are you planning on feeding an army?”
She laughed. “No. But Paul’s coming by soon and that boy has a huge appetite. One of these days he’ll end up eating the table if he’s not careful.”
I started eating faster. “I should probably get going before he gets here.”
Lydia hit my arm. “Nonsense. We’re all friends. Besides, I told him to bring Embry by, and Jared’s coming to pick up Kim. It’ll be fun.” I felt my cheeks flush. Embry? Against my will, my hand flew up to my hair, trying to smooth it.
Lydia laughed. “Stop being ridiculous. Tons of girls spend hours trying to get that tousled look. Besides, he’s not going to care what you look like.”
That was easy for her to say. “What, are they dating?” Chris asked.
“In a manner of speaking,” Lydia said just as I opened my mouth to deny it. “And now I’d better go wake up Kim. She’ll want to eat before the boys come and there’s nothing left but crumbs.”
“Those friends of hers,” Chris grumbled. “You’d think Lydia’s exaggerating, but they’re like animals when it comes to their food.” I met his eyes for the first time and gave him a hesitant smile. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say to that, but it would be rude to completely ignore him.
Just then I heard the front door open and I craned my neck to look around the corner. My heart was beating furiously and I almost laughed at myself. I was being ridiculous. Still, I couldn’t help being bitterly disappointed when I saw that it wasn’t Embry who’d arrived but a boy I didn’t recognize. Jared, maybe?
Yup. Definitely Jared. Kim ran over to him and hugged him tightly. I turned back around and pushed my food around my plate. I was so caught up in my illogical misery that I didn’t hear the door open again. Suddenly, though, someone was tapping on my shoulder.
I jumped and nearly sent my fork clattering to the floor, but I managed to catch it. I heard laughter behind me and beamed. I recognized that voice. I turned and stared up at Embry.
“You seem even taller when I’m sitting,” I said without thinking, then blushed. Of course he did. What a stupid thing to say. But he just chuckled and took the seat next to me, helping himself to a stack of pancakes.
“Did you have a good night?” he asked, looking up and meeting my eyes and somehow still scooping up food from his plate at the same time.
It took me a minute to collect my thoughts. I felt like I could drown in his gaze. “Yeah, I did. I didn’t know dancing could be so fun.”
“Dancing? Ah. That explains the hair.” He reached out and tweaked one of my loose curls. “I like it.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled. I took another bite and chewed very, very slowly, to keep myself from saying anything stupid again. But he seemed content to sit there in silence. Chris got up and dumped his dishes in the sink before walking out. “How was your day?” I finally asked.
“It was good. I missed you.”
Missed me? He hardly knew me. But I heard myself saying, “I missed you too.” He seemed pleased. Just then, everyone else entered the kitchen and suddenly, it was full of conversation and laughter. Embry scooted his chair right against mine to make room for everyone. I couldn’t say I minded.
How long had they all known each other, I wondered. I felt kind of like a misfit. They were all so, so kind to me, but there was obviously a strong bond between all of these people.
Oh, how I’d longed for that sort of friendship for all of my life. I’d convinced myself a long time ago that it simply didn’t exist except for in movies. Turns out I was wrong.
I stood and straightened my clothes before following the sound of her voice into the kitchen. She was standing there flipping pancakes and chatting with some guy who looked like he was around my age, maybe a little older. They both looked in my direction.
“Remy! Finally. This is my brother Chris,” Lydia said, gesturing toward the guy. “Chris, this is my friend Remy.” The fake smile I’d plastered on my face melted into a real one. She’d called me a friend.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, not quite meeting his eye. I suddenly wished I’d looked in a mirror before coming in here. Goodness only knew what I looked like.
“The pleasure,” he said with a small smile, “is all mine.” Cue fainting spell.
Lydia shot him a disapproving glare and he shrugged. She set plates of food on the table and said, “Dig in.” Chris obviously took that literally. He barely spared the time to scoop pancakes and French toast onto his plate before shoveling it into his mouth.
Meanwhile, I gawked at the amount of food on the table. “What, are you planning on feeding an army?”
She laughed. “No. But Paul’s coming by soon and that boy has a huge appetite. One of these days he’ll end up eating the table if he’s not careful.”
I started eating faster. “I should probably get going before he gets here.”
Lydia hit my arm. “Nonsense. We’re all friends. Besides, I told him to bring Embry by, and Jared’s coming to pick up Kim. It’ll be fun.” I felt my cheeks flush. Embry? Against my will, my hand flew up to my hair, trying to smooth it.
Lydia laughed. “Stop being ridiculous. Tons of girls spend hours trying to get that tousled look. Besides, he’s not going to care what you look like.”
That was easy for her to say. “What, are they dating?” Chris asked.
“In a manner of speaking,” Lydia said just as I opened my mouth to deny it. “And now I’d better go wake up Kim. She’ll want to eat before the boys come and there’s nothing left but crumbs.”
“Those friends of hers,” Chris grumbled. “You’d think Lydia’s exaggerating, but they’re like animals when it comes to their food.” I met his eyes for the first time and gave him a hesitant smile. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say to that, but it would be rude to completely ignore him.
Just then I heard the front door open and I craned my neck to look around the corner. My heart was beating furiously and I almost laughed at myself. I was being ridiculous. Still, I couldn’t help being bitterly disappointed when I saw that it wasn’t Embry who’d arrived but a boy I didn’t recognize. Jared, maybe?
Yup. Definitely Jared. Kim ran over to him and hugged him tightly. I turned back around and pushed my food around my plate. I was so caught up in my illogical misery that I didn’t hear the door open again. Suddenly, though, someone was tapping on my shoulder.
I jumped and nearly sent my fork clattering to the floor, but I managed to catch it. I heard laughter behind me and beamed. I recognized that voice. I turned and stared up at Embry.
“You seem even taller when I’m sitting,” I said without thinking, then blushed. Of course he did. What a stupid thing to say. But he just chuckled and took the seat next to me, helping himself to a stack of pancakes.
“Did you have a good night?” he asked, looking up and meeting my eyes and somehow still scooping up food from his plate at the same time.
It took me a minute to collect my thoughts. I felt like I could drown in his gaze. “Yeah, I did. I didn’t know dancing could be so fun.”
“Dancing? Ah. That explains the hair.” He reached out and tweaked one of my loose curls. “I like it.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled. I took another bite and chewed very, very slowly, to keep myself from saying anything stupid again. But he seemed content to sit there in silence. Chris got up and dumped his dishes in the sink before walking out. “How was your day?” I finally asked.
“It was good. I missed you.”
Missed me? He hardly knew me. But I heard myself saying, “I missed you too.” He seemed pleased. Just then, everyone else entered the kitchen and suddenly, it was full of conversation and laughter. Embry scooted his chair right against mine to make room for everyone. I couldn’t say I minded.
How long had they all known each other, I wondered. I felt kind of like a misfit. They were all so, so kind to me, but there was obviously a strong bond between all of these people.
Oh, how I’d longed for that sort of friendship for all of my life. I’d convinced myself a long time ago that it simply didn’t exist except for in movies. Turns out I was wrong.