Knead Love | ✓

07

“Mom, what the--” I stopped the curse word in time. “Mom, was I on speaker?” 

“I didn’t mention that, Ali?” mom asked, the hint of sheepishness in her voice enough to tug a rueful smile on my lips but I was quick to frown when I realized Eve wasn’t going to let me live that down if I didn’t retort soon. 

“Miss annoying you, more like,” I said, trying to keep my voice irritated but my fond voice surprised me. It must have surprised Eve too. 

“Wow, that’s probably the nicest thing you have said to me,” she said and I rolled my eyes. 

“Shut up. I have done plenty of nice things for you,” I reprimanded as I cradled my phone between my shoulder and ear as I thrust the key inside the keyhole. I twisted the knob, opening the door and flicking the lights on. “You are just an ungrateful person who doesn’t realize that I am, in fact, a very nice sister.” 

“Oh, please,” Eve murmured. “Tell me one nice thing you have done for me.” 

My smile turned into a smirk. Eve wasn’t going to like what I would say and that made it even more amusing to do. “Remember last year, Susan’s house party, and you sneaked--”

“What?” Mom’s voice cut in, making my plan successful and I knew Eve was fuming as she put me off the speaker. 

“Ali, say one more word and I’ll slit your throat when I get back home tomorrow evening,” she whispered and I had to bite back a laugh. 

God, I missed annoying her so much.

“Tell me I am wonderful and I’ll not breathe a word to mom,” I blackmailed as I hung my coat on the coatrack. I picked off the broom and began dusting the floor as Marty and Lydia came in. after greeting them both good morning, I waited for Eve to say that I was wonderful. “Eve!” 

“Alright. Youarewonderful,” she breathed at once, not even letting me properly savor it but I let it go because I was feeling generous and I missed her. Even if all she did all day was complain about me to mom and blame me for different things. 

“Good girl. Now I am gonna hang up, okay? Take care,” I said. 

“You too,” she said and I waited for her to hang up. “Hey, Ali?” 

“Yeah?”

“Love you,” she said in a rush, taking me by surprise but I recovered myself in a second. 

“Love you too, dumbass,” I said and laughed. She joined me in too and it felt nice to hear her laugh. I felt a hundred times better than I did tomorrow. All my sadness vanished and my heart felt whole. The homesickness feeling was suddenly disappearing and I smiled because mom was coming home tomorrow. 

-------

“I am so fucking bored,” Noah said as he placed his hands in his chin, sprawling his hands over the counter. He stared at me with his big brown eyes and a frown on his face. I looked up from the fanfiction I was reading about Percabeth. 

“And…?” I supposed that was my moment to flirt with him, get to know him and ask him out but I was reading. I didn’t like being interrupted while reading especially when my OTP was about to kiss after fifty chapters of angst. And it felt rather nice to be the one doing the ignoring for the first time.