11 years ago
Ivy
“V, dinner!”
I bound downstairs, my stomach growling. Turning the corner into the kitchen, I find Wes, Hayden, and Tripp standing at the kitchen island with three oversized cardboard boxes before them.
“Did Mom order this before they left?”
“No, I ordered,” Wes says through a mouthful of pizza. “I’m capable of taking care of us.” He flips the lid open once again and pushes it my way. Peering into the box, my nose scrunches in disgust.
“Is this the only kind you ordered?”
“Yeah, why?” He takes out a stack of plates, grabbing the top one and piling three slices from the next box onto it.
“It’s drowning in olives,” I mutter. “Did you order extra of them?”
“Yeah, that’s the best part. What’s with you?”
“Ivy doesn’t like olives,” Tripp says plainly, leaning forward onto the island. He says it like it’s common knowledge my brother should know. And my brother should. But the fact that Tripp knows it causes a flutter to erupt in my stomach.
My brother turns to him. “Since when?”
“Always, I’m assuming,” Tripp snorts, looking at me for confirmation.
I nod, sinking down on a bar stool.
“Huh, sorry. Game’s going to be back on, let’s go guys.”
Hayden snags a plate, tossing some pizza on it and shooting me an apologetic look before following my brother out of the room. Tripp starts to follow suit, grabbing a plate and placing two slices on it. But he doesn’t follow them out. He sits down on a stool beside me and begins plucking olives off the pizza.
“I wasn’t paying attention when he ordered,” he says after a minute. “But if this isn’t okay, I can run out and grab you some food.” He now has a small mountain of olives off to the side of the plate. Satisfied, he nudges the slices towards me.
“No need,” I whisper. “This is perfect.”
“Tripp!” Wes calls from the living room. “Game’s on!”
He rises, grabbing pizza for himself and starting for the other room. “Just let me know,” Tripp tells me with a soft smile before turning and leaving the kitchen.
I look down at the pizza, feeling silly I made such a big deal that he felt obligated to do this. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t tuck the sweet gesture away in my heart.