28. Miles
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Miles
“Oooh… I want some chocolate milk,” Lyla says, skipping off toward the dairy case in the back of the store.
“Why did we think it was a good idea to all come to the store together?” Will groans.
“Chocolate milk does sound delicious,” Avery says, poking Will in the side.
He reaches his arm toward her, like he’s going to wrap it around her shoulders. At the last second he hesitates, letting his arm fall back to his side.
No doubt it’s because he doesn’t know if she wants anyone else in town to know about what’s going on between all of us.
She rolls her eyes, grabbing his arm and slinging it over her shoulders.
“I don’t give a shit if people know,” she says, peeking up at him as we all walk closer to where Lyla is still perusing the different chocolate milk options.
Will takes a deep breath, seeming to relax. He presses a kiss to her temple.
Lyla pops back into view, hauling a gallon of chocolatey goodness toward us. Will steps away from Avery, and his arms fall back to his sides.
“I want this one,” Lyla says, loading the jug into the cart Owen’s pushing. She looks right at Will. “You can put your arm around Avery again. I get it. She’s cool.”
That’s my niece. She far more perceptive than she should be at her age. She’s also a bit devious.
If the glimmer in her eyes is anything to go by, she might be up to something. I think she’d do anything to keep Avery from leaving at the end of the summer.
Will grumbles something I can’t quite make out but tentatively puts his arm back around Avery. It’s a little less intimate than it was before, but it’s there.
“She’s a kid. Let her live her best eight-year-old life,” Avery says, returning all of us to what we were talking about before Lyla showcased her intuitiveness.
“She’s going to want twenty other things before we walk out of here,” Owen grumbles.
He isn’t wrong. She’s already distractedly looking at a display of fruit snacks at the end of the next aisle.
“She’d be a spoiled brat if we bought her everything she wanted,” I say.
Avery’s face softens as she glances in my direction. “She isn’t a brat. She’s one of the most kind and empathetic people I’ve ever met. Kid or adult.”
She reaches over, lacing her fingers through mine. Her eyes sweep over all three of us. “You guys have done a wonderful job with her. She’s amazing.”
Suddenly, this conversation is way too heavy to be having in the middle of the cereal aisle. The same emotion I feel clogging my throat is reflected in both of my brothers’ faces as they gaze down at the woman I’m pretty sure we’re all falling for.
I didn’t want it to happen. In fact, I was adamant it wouldn’t, but regardless, it’s where we are.
Doing what’s best for Lyla has been our sole focus for the last few years. Losing Liv was devastating, but taking care of Lyla gave us all a purpose, a reason to keep going.
Hearing Avery say we’ve managed to accomplish that with some sort of grace means more to all of us than she’ll ever know.
I’ve always been the light-hearted jokester in the family. Since Liv’s death, I feel like this role has become even more set in stone.
I miss my sister so much, but it isn’t the same as Lyla missing her mom, my parents missing their daughter, or Owen missing his twin. I don’t have any right to grieve in the same way they are when my loss pales in comparison to theirs.
Sometimes I wish I could just wear my heart on my sleeve like Owen does. That’s not who I am, though. I’ve always used humor to mask emotions I didn’t want to face. I do it not only for everyone else’s benefit but my own, as well.
Other than focusing everything I have into raising Lyla, it’s how I’ve survived the last few years. The ever-present voice in the back of my head tells me it probably isn’t the healthiest way to cope in the long run, but per usual, I force that logic to the recesses of my brain.
Lyla chooses that moment to poke her head around the partition. “Why are you all just standing there? Let’s go, old people.”
Her eyes catch on me and the way my hand is attached to Avery’s. Lyla gives me a little smirk before ducking her head back out of view.
We all laugh as we walk in the direction she stomped off to get everything we need to make tacos for dinner.
“She’s also one of the sassiest kids I’ve ever met, so that’s on you guys, too,” Avery says with a playful smile.
Owen shakes his head. “That’s all Liv. She was ten times sassier than Lyla is.”
My eyes widen, but I keep the rest of my expression even. Owen rarely brings up Liv on his own. He would never deny Lyla if she asked him something or wanted to talk about her mom, but to hear him mention her so casually is shocking.
Maybe it means he’s starting to heal, even just a little bit. I’m pretty sure I know the source of that healing, too.
Will glances at me over Avery’s head. He’s clearly thinking the same thing.
“Well, she grew up with three brothers. She had to hold her own,” Avery says.
Owen shocks us yet again. “She did more than that. It was her world. We were just living in it.”
His last words seem to settle a sadness over him. Over all of us.
Liv was a force to be reckoned with. When she got her diagnosis, I remember thinking there was no way she wasn’t going to beat it because it was her.
She was my older sister, and until that point nothing could ever bring her down. Cancer turned out to be the one opponent she couldn’t overcome.
Fuck… I miss her. And I hate cancer with every fiber of my being.
Dragging in a deep breath, I try to think of a way to lighten the mood. That’s what I do. It’s the role I’ve taken on in the last few years, making everyone smile despite what they’re feeling.
With my free hand, I grab a package of tortillas off the shelf. When his head is turned, I throw it in Owen’s direction.
It hits the side of his face with a satisfying smack. With his quick reflexes, he snatches it before it falls to the ground.
His head swivels right to me. I point to Avery.
“The fuck,” she says under her breath, looking at her hands that are both occupied. One is held in mine, while the other is wrapped around Will’s waist.
“Not that I don’t think she’d do it, but I’m not that stupid,” Owen says, tossing the tortillas into the cart.
“Hey,” Avery says, clearly offended at Owen’s accusation.
Owen’s eyes narrow on her. “Are you saying you wouldn’t do it if you had the chance?”
She contemplates it for a second. Before she can respond, Lyla speaks up. “I want to throw tortillas at you,” she says, laughing.
“I second that,” Avery says, moving her arms from around Will to give Lyla a fist bump.
“The women in my life are going to be the death of me,” Owen grumbles as he maneuvers the cart in a U-turn through the aisle. He comes to an abrupt stop.
As we all turn, we see why.
The town’s grumpy-ass mayor, Kevin Sheridan, is standing in the middle of the of the aisle, glaring daggers at all of us. His stare is especially focused on how Avery is currently holding onto both Will and me.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Kevin snaps. “I swear this town is cursed. How can people think relationships like this are okay?” He shakes his head and his hand motions across all of us. “You’re all a plague on this town with your farce of a relationship.”
My brothers tense beside me, while my free hand clenches into a fist so tight it borders on painful. Will grabs Lyla’s hand, pulling her halfway behind him.
Unfortunately, Kevin rambles on. “All it means is someone,” he looks right at Avery, “is too desperate to have a normal relationship with one man.”
I’m just about ready to say something when I see Owen step toward Kevin, blocking Avery from his view.
Avery releases herself from both me and Will, stepping to Owen’s side. She presses her palm flat against Owen’s chest and gives him a look that seems to say “hold my beer… I’ve got this.”
Owen gives her a long, assessing glance before stepping back. He’s still standing guard behind her, but he gives her the space she wanted.
Avery turns to face Kevin. Even from her profile, I can see the venom spewing from the look she’s giving him alone.
“Maybe you should spend more time worrying about things that actually matter in this town, rather than other people’s relationships. Honestly, it’s kind of pathetic that you have to focus on others’ relationships so much because of the lack of one in your own life.”
I swear smoke is going to start pouring out of the mayor’s ears, but Avery continues.
“The fact you are so judgmental of things you know nothing about says far more about you than about anyone you’re passing judgment on. Love is love, sir,” she says, the last words dripping with condescension. “The world is far more than your narrow-minded, harmful views.”
She might be several inches shorter than Kevin, but she takes a threatening step toward him. Her pointer finger is thrust out in front of her, emphasizing each of her parting words.
“And if you ever say something like that to me or any of my people,” she motions behind her toward all of us, “I promise you, I will use more than words next time.”
“Have the day you deserve,” she says before stepping around him.
We all quickly follow behind her, leaving the dumbstruck dumbass standing in the same spot. She mumbles something about someone needing to beat him in the next election.
Lyla skips forward, grabbing Avery’s hand as they walk toward the check-out.
“Holy fuck,” Will mumbles.
“That was…” Owen starts but can’t seem to find the words to finish his thought.
“Hot as fuck,” I say, and they both grunt in agreement. “I think I’m going to get a boner in the middle of the store.”
Will glares at me, but I can see the amusement lingering in his stare. Owen grumbles something so quietly I can’t quite make out, but it sounds suspiciously like, “Me too.”
This. Fucking. Girl.