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PAISLEY
Having pop thrown on me yet again, just because I’m hanging out with my guys, is getting annoying fast.
Yet, as soon as it happened, Luca was there with a solution, coming to the rescue. My heart warmed when he was right there.
“What the fuck happened?” comes from Mateo when he glances behind him.
“Stupid fucking classmates. What else? They called her names again and threw pop on her. Let’s just get her home so she can take a shower and change into some of our clothes while they get washed and dried,” says Kade.
“You can sit up front, Paisley. I have a feeling that you haven’t been in vehicles a lot and in case you get motion sickness, the window is there for you. And I don’t want you to feel claustrophobic,” Atlas says as he gets in the driver’s seat.
Luca already has my door open for me, so I get in. As I’m getting in, I lightly brush his hand with mine, and he grins at me.
I’m trying very hard to show affection. This is hard for me. I’m starting to have feelings for all of these guys, and I don’t even know if I’m showing affection the proper way. Sitting in the seat, I try not to move too much so I don’t get the seat too sticky or wet.
“I can clean the seats, Paisley. Make yourself comfortable. I can see how uncomfortable and stiff you are over there. Just relax. We’ve got you,” Atlas says as he pulls out of his spot.
I can’t believe I agreed to go to a boy’s house.Severalboys’ house.
I know tonight is going to end badly. I know she is going to beat me when I get home for spending time with them. I’m trusting them because they asked me to. I know they can’t save me from her, but they can save me from myself. I was drowning, and being around them, it’s like I get air bubbles floating down to where I am at the bottom of the sea.
Only a few minutes pass, I think, and we are in front of a ranch-style house. The house is this pale creamy blue with off-white trim. It looks gorgeous from the outside. It also has the envious white picket fence. I wonder how big this house is.
Once Atlas parks, I try to open the door, but before I can get to it, it’s already been opened by Kade.
What a gentleman!
Walking up the walkway, I take in all the grass and the plants, taking in the fresh air and the smell of freshly cut grass. This is a place I could get used to being. It already seems so relaxing.
Being inside is unreal. It looks lived in. Homey, really.
“This way, Pai. You can use the hallway shower. Here is a set of Luca’s clothes. They should fit you better than Kade’s do,” Atlas tells me.
Grabbing the clothes, I head into the bathroom.
This is totally not awkward.Showering at the guys’ house. Who you barely know. And it’s the first time you’re here. Yeah, not awkward.
Taking a shower with a cast is unbelievably hard, especially since it’s one of my hands. I try my hardest to keep my arm outside the shower. Taking a quick shower, I clean myself using whatever stuff is in the tub. I step out, wrap the towel around myself, and try to dry off as quickly as possible. Throwing on the still-big clothes, I roll up the gray sweats so they don’t fall completely off my hips.
Coming out of the bathroom, I don’t know where to go. I’m hoping if I follow the voices that it will lead me to where I’m supposed to go. Going through the hallway, I pass a wall full of pictures. There are several pictures of the guys, a few baby pictures, and a couple of this couple that I assume are their parents. They all look happy in these pictures. All of them.
I don’t have any pictures of me growing up. Not even school pictures. I’m sure there are some in the yearbooks, as it’s required to get your pictures taken for them, but Mother never bought a single one. Since I don’t have a cellphone, I was never able to take any for myself either.
Now I went and made myself sad, thinking about how pitiful I am.
Shaking off the sadness, I finish looking over all the pictures, trying to commit their happiness to memory, thinking that maybe I can have that one day. Finally following the voices, I head to wherever they are taking me.
CHAPTER25
PAISLEY
God,it smells heavenly in here.
I end up in the kitchen after following the voices from the hallway.
“Mom, this is Paisley. Paisley, this is Mom—or Betty, our foster mother,” Mateo introduces me.
