A Touch of Grace

[ chapter sixteen: a december wedding ]

Chapter 16: A December Wedding

I was getting breakfast when Phoenix entered the kitchen, bringing flashbacks of last night along with him. I avoided his stare as I poured my cereal into a bowl, thinking about how his shoulder felt under my head and how his heart hammered in his chest. I poured my milk, red-faced and embarrassed as I tried to suppress my thoughts.

"Morning," he greeted me.

"Morning," I mumbled, even though it was almost noon.

"Happy Halloween," he wished. I slid to the side as he grabbed a bowl from the cabinet, moving to get some cereal.

"Happy Halloween," I muttered, sitting down at the table.

He followed me soon after, plopping down in the seat across from me. "What's on your agenda for today?"

I looked at him, blinking slowly. "I'm probably going to go back to sleep and then wake up and eat, and then go back to sleep."

"That sounds like a fun day," he smiled. "Would you like to do something even more fun?"

My eyebrows shot up as I stirred my cereal. "Like what?"

"Spend the day with me, Brooke, and Piper," he suggested with a hopeful grin. I sighed. Would I rather sleep all day or spend the day with a 7 year old, a 12 year old, and 17 year old that acts 12?

"Okay," I muttered.

"Sounds like a plan," Phoenix nodded.

"What sounds like a plan?" my brother grumbled as he came moping down the steps.

"Grace and I are going to take my sisters trick-or-treating," Phoenix explained and I immediately wanted to kick him under the table. He probably has no clue how my brother feels, though he should. I mean, he's Leo's best friend.

My brother looked at me with raised eyebrows. "Oh, really, Grace?" he asked.

I stared down at my bowl, avoiding my twin's stare. "Yeah, I have nothing better to do."

"So instead of possibly hanging out with Cam and Alice, you choose to hang out with my friend," my brother interpreted as he closed the fridge, with the milk carton in his hand.

I was left without words so I decided to say something I probably shouldn't have. "He's my friend too, you know?"

My brother spit out the milk, which he was drinking straight from the box, all over the floor. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah," I muttered. "We're friends."

"Okay, but only a few months ago, you were begging mom and dad to stop letting him spend the night," my brother expressed. I looked at Phoenix, whose eyebrows were furrowed. I shrugged at him, making a face.

"But we're friends now. Shouldn't you be happy? Now you don't have to hear me complain about him," I responded.

My brother gave me a ticked off look as he mopped up the mess he'd made.

+ + +

At six o'clock, after I got out of my shower, I received a message from Phoenix. He was asking if I'd like to head to the mall with him to get something for Brooke's costume. I responded that I would, mostly because if I stick around any longer, I'd have to hear more of my brother's complaining. He keeps hinting at possible reasons why Phoenix and I are hanging out more and it's starting to get annoying.

Speaking of the devil, I left my room and he was exiting the bathroom. When he saw that I was all dressed and ready to go, he scoffed. "Have fun hanging out with my best friend."