A noise made me jerk awake. I could feel Jed's face still nuzzled against the back of my neck, his arm resting across my back. I listened carefully, trying to figure out if I had been dreaming. Quiet footsteps on Jed's stairs confirmed that I had not been dreaming, panic swelling up inside of me with each step. I was about to move to sit up when a familiar voice hit my ears. "Well, well, well...what do we have here?" C.T.'s voice was teasing, the hint of a smile on his lips.
Jed jerked his head up from me, turning to look back at the stairs. I rolled on my side and sat up to see his brother leaning against the railing with a sheepish grin. "JED?" I could hear Verna calling out worriedly from upstairs. The footsteps upstairs sounded much louder than they actually were and I wasn't sure what was louder, her walking towards Jed's door or my heart pounding in my chest.
"He's okay, Mama!" C.T. called.
"Shit, the kitchen." I mumbled, glancing at Jed's groggy expression. His face had streaks and splatters of dark dried blood from last night's events along his perfect sleepy face.
"Evelyn?" His brother started down the steps toward us. "Shit, girl.. What happened to your face?"
"Jed?" Verna was coming down the stairs and I felt nervous suddenly as she appeared. Her expression changed slightly when she saw me, but she recovered quickly. "Evelyn.. Are you two oka-" She stopped speaking suddenly when she reached the bottom step.
"What the hell.." Chop Top shook his head, throwing his arms up in question.
"It's a long story." I muttered, touching my head as I tried to hide the blush threatening to creep onto my face. I could feel the heat in my chest as Jed sat up on the bed beside me, looking at his brother and mother.
"Your hand? What happened to your hand?" Verna fussed, hand going to her hip. Jed glanced at me, his expression showing the smirk he was attempting to hide.
"We had some lovely visitors while you were away." I mumbled with playful sarcasm.
"Looks like you two had quite a time." C.T. grinned, earning a slight glare from me.
"Why don't you two get up and I'll make breakfast." Verna's tone had a hint of sternness to it and it made my stomach knot. "Then we'll talk."
"Yes, ma'am." I said quietly as Jed nodded. Her and C.T. started up the stairs, Jed's brother raising his eyebrows before bounding up them. I looked at Jed, grimacing before lying back against the pillow. He was eyeing me with a confused expression and I groaned. "I'm not sure what's worse..knowin' C.T.'s never gonna let this go or the that your mama's gonna kill me in my sleep."
Jed's lips twitched upward as he rolled over toward me. His fingertips brushed my neck as he pressed his face into mine, kissing the side of my head quickly before rolling back over and standing from the bed. He dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, dried blood from last night still on his arms and face. I knew I was probably mirroring his appearance as I stood from the bed and put my jeans on carefully. Maneuvering my way into a clean shirt that Jed had handed me, I gave him one last look before starting toward the stairs.
I walked up them, each one closer to the top making my gut wrench. I wasn't sure what Verna was going to say about finding me in Jed's bed, but I was fairly certain she wasn't going to be thrilled. What mother would be? She was so protective over him and I didn't want to be on her bad side. I'd seen what happened to those who had made that mistake. Taking a breath, I pushed Jed's door open and stepped out into the hall, Jed right behind me.
As I started down the hallway, my anxiety lessened ever so slightly, just knowing that he was behind me. Something about Jed made me feel safe, regardless of the things he had done, and I knew in my heart that he'd have my back with whatever I decided to tell. If I had to make something up to keep us both out of trouble, I would. She didn't have to know every little detail. In fact, I thought it better that she didn't.
"What a sight to see!" Drayton chuckled as we shuffled into the kitchen, sitting in our usual chairs at the table.
"Nice to see you, too." I croaked, looking up at him.
"What the fuck happened while we were gone?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as he skimmed over my neck with his eyes.
"Evelyn, ya look like hell." Nubbins was watching me with curious eyes.
"Thanks." I muttered, glancing at him then to Verna. She was standing at the counter, her eyes on mine as if she were waiting for me to talk. "Fireworks." I finally said casually, looking back at Nubbins.
"Fireworks?" He countered, obviously confused. I giggled softly at his expression, trying to keep my cool.
"We saw fireworks. People out in the woods campin'... Guess where they came pokin' around?"
"Ahhhh." C.T. nodded.
"Yeah, it was a mess." I shook my head. "More showed up, one of them...this girl, who was a little whacked out, she attacked me." I held up my hand. "But, uh," I glanced at Jed, "we took care of that."
"What about the two in here this mornin'?" Verna questioned and I gave her a little grimace.
"That was my fault.. Two guys, one lookin' for his brother... I was just exhausted. Jed and I were gonna clean that up this mornin'." I explained, watching her wearily.
"Little too busy for that, huh?" Nubbins grinned, making my face feel hot.
"We were just sleepin." I argued softly, looking down at my empty plate.
"Jed stitch up that hand?" Their mother asked.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good.." She looked at her youngest son, before back at me. "But that don't explain why you two were in his bed."
"Mama, she.." Jed glanced at me before looking back to his mother. Everyone in the kitchen was staring at him, waiting for him to speak. "I was worried." He said quietly. "Told her to sleep in my bed so I could keep an eye on her, make sure she was all right." My eyes were on him as he spoke. "Didn't know what else to do."
"That girl choked me pretty hard," I touched my throat, glancing down at the table, "she was tryin' to kill me." I huffed out a slight laugh.
"What's funny about that?" Nubbins asked, catching my eye.
"Uh.. I guess the part where she probably wasn't expectin' me to get away and kick her in the face." I shrugged.
"Broke her nose." Jed spoke up, looking at me.
"Yeah, well, she came at me with a knife..tried to choke me to death.." I glanced over at him. "If you wouldn't have come in... I probably would've killed her."
"Why didn't you?" Nubbins questioned, his eyes on mine.
"My head was spinnin'." I forced out a fake half laugh. "I was just regainin' my balance." It was a lie and Jed knew it. I knew that he did. I wasn't sure why I froze, maybe I was just too shocked and angry to react immediately. "I did, however, clock the shit outta that one jackass that was in here last night. Left handed, at that." My words earned a playful snort from Jed, who nodded in agreement.
"Speakin' of your hand, how's that cut look?" Verna pushed away from the counter, walking toward the table.
"Little sore." I admitted, holding it up for her to inspect.
"Doesn't look infected." She was holding my hand in hers to get a better look. "You did good, Jed." He glanced down at the the table as she let my hand go.
"It hurt?" C.T. asked, snagging my attention away from his younger brother. I stared down at the cut.
"Like hell." I smiled lightly before looking up at him. "The stitches did, anyway."
"Jed took his like a champ, didn't you, little bro?" His older brother clapped him on the shoulder playfully.
"Hn." Jed grunted with a smirk. But his eyes me mine again, concern swirling around in all of that blue.
"Oh, before I forget.." Verna turned away from us, moving to the counter. She rummaged through her purse before walking back to the table with something in her hand. "This is yours." She extended her arm to me, my eyes falling on the money in her hand.
"For me?" I asked in confusion. "What for?"
"Allowance." Verna jerked her hand for me to take it. I did so carefully, glancing down at the money in my hand. Whoa...
"I can't.." I shook my head. "That's twenty-five dollars.."
"You've been earnin' your keep. The boys get theirs, too." She smiled. "You can use it to get clothes and whatever you need. Spend it wisely." Her motherly tone stayed in her voice as she looked around at her boys. "That goes for all of you."
"Yes, ma'am." The boys mumbled quietly.
"I'll get breakfast started." She announced, moving around the kitchen.
"So, now that y'all know about all our excitement..how'd the trade go?" I asked, needing get them talking about anything but what they had walked into this morning.
"Nowhere near the fun you two had." C.T. mumbled, cracking a grin. "That's for sure."
"Wouldn't call this," I motioned at my neck with my stitched hand, "fun."
"You cry?" Nubbins asked, earning a snort from me.
"No." I replied surely.
"Damn." Drayton gave me an approving glance. I grinned as the boys began rambling on, poking back and forth at each other. Verna finished breakfast and it felt oddly familiar having them back around the table for a meal. We ate, talking here and there about random things. They asked Jed and I how Grandpa had been while we were gone and Jed mentioned that he had asked when Drayton was coming home. The older brother chuckled as he ate his last bite of eggs.
Once every plate was clean, the boys slipped out one by one, leaving Verna and I alone in the kitchen. I started gathering dishes to take to the sink when she spoke up. "Why don't you go get washed up. I can handle those."
"I really don't mind." I said quietly. She remained silent as I took the plates one at a time to the sink. When I turned away from the counter, she was eyeing me with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"You should be careful, you know. Wouldn't want Jed to get the wrong idea."
"Wrong idea?" I questioned, my stomach knotting up at her words.
"Might think somethin' more of you..you sleepin' in his bed like that." She leaned against the counter, her eyes on mine.
"Mrs. Sawyer..." I trailed off for a moment, trying to find my words. "He really was just makin' sure I was okay."
"Okay..then." His mother gave me a nod. "Go get cleaned up." She instructed.
"Yes, ma'am." I left the kitchen, the realization that they were really home sinking in. I knew what that meant. No more sleeping in Jed's bed. No more quiet coffee nights or sitting in the front doorway watching the rain. No more having music blasting and dancing around the kitchen, no more Jed pressed against me at night.
Our days together, just the two of us, had come to an end.
I am so so so sorry for the long update wait !
I have been going through some rough shit and I am trying to get myself back together.
I've finally gotten back to my writing, I've missed it so much.
You all are amazing and thank you for not giving up on me ! I'm still here and this story is NOT over and I would NEVER give up on it !
Much love to all of my amazing readers.
~Kaila.