Love Me Back To Life (Preview)

Taking Chances

I wake up feeling extra weight on my legs and as I struggle to free them, I hear giggling. I can't help the smile that creeps across my face. I sit up, looking down at my little brother. He has his chin in his hands as he sprawls out across my legs.

"Morning Em."

I groan playfully, wiggling my legs to free them as I rub the sleep from my eyes. "Morning bud.'" I smile down at him.

"Watching doing?"

I chuckle and shrug nonchalantly. "Oh you know...sleeping."

He erupts into a fit of giggles as he collapses on my bed. "So what can I do for you at..." I glance at my phone for the time. "...six forty five in the morning?"

"I was just wondering if you could take me to school?" He sweeps his bangs from his face. His Spongebob Pajamas falling off his shoulders, the size a little big for his body. It's his favorite though so he doesn't mind it.

"Yeah sure thing bud, go get ready."

He cheers and jumps off the bed. Tumbling towards the ground, he groans a little in pain and says he's okay before I can ask. I laugh and grab my phone. I don't know what possesses me, but I text Grace. I lean over to place my phone back on the dresser when it buzzes. I smile a bit when I see Grace's name pop up.

I didn't expect such a quick reply seeing as it's so early in the morning. I smirk at her response to my simple 'morning'.

'To what do I owe this pleasure at the cusp of dawn?'

'I'm taking my little brother to school do you maybe want to meet for some coffee?'

'Yeah sure.'

'No poetic response to that one?'

'I save 'em for when the count. See you later.'

I toss my phone to the side and get ready. I'm feeling a bit anxious for some reason. I'm not sure if it's because I'm counting down the days until dinner with the Williams's on Friday or if it's because I'm about to see Grace in a bit, but it's a little unsettling and I'm not entirely sure if it's a good or bad thing yet.

I head down to the kitchen and find my mother already in there.

"Do you ever leave the kitchen?" I ask with a laugh as I kiss my mother on the cheek and grab orange juice out of the fridge. My mother gives me a cheeky smile as she sips her coffee.

"No mother of a seven year old boy does?" She winks at me and I shake my head as I take a seat on one of the stools at the island.

"Ty wanted me to take him to school today and I'm meeting a...I mean I have a coffee d...I'll just be out for the morning." I rush out quickly.

I avert my eyes from my mother. She's looking at me and I'm a second away from squirming. I don't know what to tell her. I'm not trying to lie or anything, I just don't know what to call this thing I'm doing with Grace. Is she a friend? She's referenced me as such and I her, but lately there's been this weird 'are we interested in each other' tango between us and she's been leading while I'm tripping all over my feet. I finally look up to my mother and she's hiding a smirk behind her cup. I just roll my eyes as my little brother comes into kitchen and saves me.

"Hey mom!"

I watch as he rushes to her and how she easily embraces his little body while still holding her cup of coffee, not letting one drop of it spill from her cup. She bends down and they disappear behind the counter. I hear whispers and I push myself up to get a better look of what's going on. I see Ty shush my mother and she smirks. What's happening right now? They see me trying to eavesdrop and they both give me the same look causing me to slip back into my chair. Seconds later my mother pops back up to sip her coffee again.