13. June
CHAPTER 13
JUNE
I grab as many grocery bags as I can from Lachy’s trunk, but there are still many more, and I know he can’t carry the rest in one trip.
“Maybe we should call Ryan and Jake down to help us.”
Lachy gives me a droll look. “Lass, you offend me. I can manage on my own.”
I fight the urge to roll my eyes. “Okay, if you say so.”
“I know so. Go ahead and get the elevator.”
Shaking my head, I walk away. We were only supposed to buy ice cream at the store, but half an hour later, Lachy had filled the cart to the brim with enough snacks to satisfy an entire class of middle-schoolers.
The elevator arrives before Lachy does, and I hold the door for him. He has five bags in each hand, and in his arms, he’s carrying a twelve-pack with a box of chips stacked on top. The tower reaches his chin, and the sight is comical. I can’t help grinning.
“What’s so amusing, lass?”
“You. I wish my hands were free so I could take a picture.”
He smirks. “I told you I could carry everything.”
I lean sideways to press the button to their floor with my elbow. “That you did.”
Halfway through the ride my phone rings. I could set down some of the bags to free my hand, but we reach our floor in the next second. Lachy lets me walk out first, and I put the bags in front of their door to get my phone. It stops ringing just as I find it inside my purse.
The sound of shattering glass makes me look up. One of Lachy’s bags ripped, and the jars of peanut butter and jelly were the victims.
“Bloody hell!”
Since I’m already holding my phone, I point the camera at him and snap a bunch of pictures. “Smile!”
He narrows his eyes. “You jinxed me, you little witch.”
I laugh. “Don’t blame me that you didn’t double bag it.”
“Will you stop laughing and open the door for me?”
“I don’t have the key.”
“I’m sure Jake didn’t lock it.”
Lachy is right. I open the door and let him go in first. My phone rings again, and since my hand is still free, I can answer it. It’s Katrina.
“Hey.”
“June, oh thank heavens you answered.”
The serious tone of her voice wipes the smile off my face. “What’s wrong?”
“I have an unexpected visitor.”
Bill or Danika comes to mind, but I reject the idea immediately. Katrina wouldn’t have let them into her house, and she’d be angry, not cautious.
“Are you going to tell me who your mystery visitor is?”
“It’s your sister, April.”
My pulse accelerates. “ What ? How? Why?”
“June, calm down and use your words.” Katrina gives me the same speech we use when our students are overwhelmed.
“Don’t ask me to calm down when my baby sister showed up at your door.” I set the other bags down and begin to pace. “She’s only fifteen. How did she even get to LA?”
“She caught a flight.”
“Why didn’t she call me?”
Lachy comes out again. “Lass? Is everything okay?”
I shake my head, but I can’t talk to him right now. I need answers from Katrina.
“I think you should come over and speak to her in person. She’s been tight-lipped since she got here.”
My hands are shaking. Maybe something horrible happened to her. “Is she hurt?”
“No, she seems fine, just acting like a surly teenager.”
Katrina’s reply doesn’t make me less tense. April is impulsive, and a brat sometimes, but she’s never done anything as extreme as catching a flight to LA by herself. Where did she even get the money? She’s met Katrina a couple times, and we went to her house once together when my family was in town, but she wouldn’t know the address, right?
“Okay. I’m leaving now.”
“Drive carefully, please.”
“I will.” I put the phone away and look at Lachy, who’s staring at me with his brows furrowed.
“What happened?”
“It’s my younger sister. She decided to come to LA on a whim and showed up at Katrina’s place. I have to go get her.”
I begin to turn, but Lachy holds my forearms. “Wait a minute, June. You’re nervous. Let me take you.”
The temptation is enormous, but I have no idea what’s going on with April, and I’d rather not expose him to my family drama without knowing more.
“I’m fine to drive.”
Lachy opens his mouth to no doubt insist on coming with me, but Jake and Ryan join us in the hallway.
“What’s going on?” Jake asks.
“June has a problem, and she doesn’t want any help,” Lachy replies.
“What kind of problem?” Ryan pipes up. “Not the broken jars of peanut butter and jelly on the floor, right?”
“No, that was Lachy,” I reply. “My younger sister decided to come to LA, and I have to deal with her.”
Ryan’s brows shoot up. “Oh. Where is she?”
“At Katrina’s.”
Jake’s brows furrow. “Why didn’t she come here?”
“No one has this address save for Katrina.” I run my fingers through my hair. “But April could have called me from the airport. I don’t know why she didn’t.”
“You’re clearly not in any shape to drive, Peaches. I can take you,” Ryan offers, earning a glower from Lachy.
“Hey, I offered first.”
“We can all go,” Jake adds.
“I can drive,” I insist, but my resolution is weakening. It’s hard to argue when I am a mess, and the men I love want to help.
Jake steps closer and cups my face. “We know you can, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Come on, indulge us.”
After he left abruptly earlier, I didn’t know where we stood. But I can’t mistake the emotion shining in his eyes for anything else. He cares about me.
“Okay. But my sister can’t know about us. We’re just friends, got it?”
“You got it, Peaches. I guess Lachy has to stay behind and clean up that mess.” Ryan points at the broken jars.
“Ha-ha, nice try. It’ll only take me a minute.”
Despite being worried about my sister, Lachy’s and Ryan’s antics make me smile a little. It’s crazy how hard I’ve fallen for them in such a short period of time. It still feels like a dream, and there’s a small part of me that’s afraid I’ll wake up.