CHAPTER TEN
KOLBY
My mother, Alexis Lyn Talbert-Bradford, makes the best cupcakes. I don't know what addictive substance she mixes into their fluffy batter, but, every time, without a doubt, I am left in awe in lieu of my rejoicing taste buds. Maybe it's because I don't live at home anymore and my idea of a home cooked meal is a Jimmy Dean's microwaveable breakfast, but mom's food has somehow gotten better. And I'm not even kidding. Sadie looks like she has died and entered heaven where she sits at the bar, scraping the mast bit of cake batter from the bowl as Mom begins to busy about, cleaning dishes and wiping down every possible surface with a damp rag.
The twins are currently MIA. According to Mom, Jess is at his girlfriend Raya's house, and Drew is out playing a pick up game of football at the small park down the street with some of his friends. Which means the only people currently at the Bradford residence are Mom, Sadie, Dad, and me. And Dad is still up in his office, filling out some form of paperwork no doubt. But, that's what happens when you own a real estate business — the paper flow never ends.
Eighties country floats from the Bluetooth speaker sitting on the counter, and briefly I wonder if it sits at the same place Willa had when she and Drew had been caught, but I quickly bat the intrusive thought away — I'm trying to lick the mixer thingies completely clean, here.
And speaking of licking — Indigo isn't here yet. For whatever reason, I cannot get her out if my head. Confessing to Braden this morning had made my sudden onset feelings for her all the more real, and sitting barely five feet away from Sadie has my heart racing. I wonder if she can hear my lies, or smell my deceit. Fuck, I hope not.
"Can you believe it," Mom's rambling about, I don't know if she's talking to me, or to Sadie, or hell, she's probably talking to herself.
Sadie and I share a quizzical look. Believe what, we both seem to ask one another.
"Oh, you two don't listen worth a shit," Mom pouts, adding another dish to the sink.
We both fervently shake our heads, "We were listening," I promise.
"Yeah?" She cocks a brow, "What was I saying then, huh?"
I lick my lips, Sadie twirls a piece of her hair around her finger.
"Oh, you two are little fuckheads, you know that?" Mom throws her blonde hair into a bun, the same exact one Sadie sports. "I said, I can't believe that both Jess and Drew got scholarships to Calum! All four of you!"
My head bolts uptight. Jess I had known about — he plays football, just like me, but Drew plays baseball. Catcher. And is damn good. "What?"
Mom nods proudly. Drew is her baby boy. He's the youngest of the four of us — actually, that's pretty much bullshit, him and Jess are twins for fucks sake, but alas, being born two minutes and thirty six seconds after Jess, Drew is Mom's sweet, do no wrong baby. Except for fucking girls on counters, that is.
"Yup, Coach Classaun wants him — wants him something fierce, too," she praises. It's so sweet, how fiercely and unconditionally she loves us all. No matter what we do, she continues loving us so full heartedly. I don't know how she does it. All of the arguments she gets into with us, all of the angry words we don't mean, how does she barely bat her eye?
"Oh my God," Sadie squeals, "Mom! How come you didn't tell us?"
Mom throws her hands hl, flicking soapy water in each direction, "I just did! For fucks sake, Sadie Heather, open those ears and listen every once in while instead of dreaming about boys with tattoos!"
"MOM," Sadie practically screeches, her blue eyes enlarging to the size of saucers.
I guffaw. "Mom, you know they're not actually dating, right?"
Mom has met Braden only a handful of times — we didn't meet until our freshmen year, to be fair — but from the first time she set her eyes on him, she has claimed that Sadie and Braden are destined to be together. Me? I think imma bullshit. Braden doesn't date. Hell, he hardly ever glances a girls way.
"Great things come to those who wait," she tsks, before clapping her hands. "Grab the streamers, KB, will you? And hang them up by the door?"
I lean forward and grab the two packages of streamers — one gold, one blood red. The twins favorite colors. The gold is Jess's — he's always been so oddly obsessed with winning, winning, winning, so it only makes since that he favors the color of first. Drew's, red for the Saint Louis Cardinals, who he swears he'll play for one day, maybe even taking over for Yadier Molina himself.
As I put up the streamers, I listen to mom and Sadie's steady stream of conversation.
"— she's just been acting different," Sadie's saying, "I think she's seeing someone and just hand my told me yet. Though I don't know why not. I'm her best friend for fucks sake!"
"Maybe she's afraid you'll judge her."
Sadie guffaws. "What would I judge her for? Greer was an ugly nasty piece of shit, I'm glad she's moving on."
My hands still where they are. Indigo. They're talking about Indigo. About how she's acting strange. About how Sadie thinks it's because of a guy.
It takes me a second to realize: I am the guy.
"Because it's only been a month," Mom says as if it should obvious.
I bite my tongue to keep down a rude retort. Who cares if it's only been a month? Indigo's a fantastic girl. I wish I had realized the extent of her fantastic-ness earlier. Then we wouldn't have to suffer through this terribly awkward dance. We could fuck, and we could date, and then I could take her on dates. And we could fuck. Maybe. If she wanted. Whatever she will give to me I will take. My life will not be complete without the beautiful enigma that is Indigo Brown. All of her seriousness, in all of her drive and ambition, all of her, no matter the form, I will take.
"So? I went out with that one Perrie guy two days after that Jalal kid."
I can practically see mom roll her eyes, "You hadn't dated Jackson for two years before you and Preston went out."
"Jackson and Preston?" Sadie says, "No wonder it didn't last, they sound like douche canoes."
"Sadie Heather!"
• • •
Indigo Marie Brown will be my undoing.
Indigo Marie Brown in running shorts and a sweat shirt tow sizes too big for her will be the beginning of my undoing.
It will be my undoing for a few things. One being that her legs are so long, and so pretty, and so tan. Two being that she just looks all snuggly. And three being the very simple, yet very dangerous fact: the sweatshirt Indigo Marie Brown has on her perfect little body is mine. I'm used to seeing Sadie in my clothes. Or Jess's. Or Drew's. Or Braden's. Or Colton's. Or Reid's. Or dad's. The list of men she's stolen clothes from goes in for miles — but Indigo in my clothes? A never before seen sight. I wonder if she knows it's my hoodie? It says Calum Football in big black letters, so surely she put two and two together, right? Right?
In that case — what's the message behind her wearing it? Is this her telling me she wants me to make the move to further our relationship? Is this her telling me to fuck off?
Women. Are. Complicated.
Point. Blank. Period.
"No, babe, I just think maybe she has a point," Jess is saying beside me. And on the other side of him is Raya, who he's been arguing with for nearly the entire time since they got here. And I've had to sit here and endure it, all while sporting a stiffy in my jeans.
I hear Raya take a deep breath and promptly envision knocking my head against the wall. Full-fucking-force. Enough to knock me unconscious so I don't have to listen to her tell Jess all the ways he's stupid.
"So you think another girl should take my spot as cheer captain?" Her voice is even, soft, one might say, but the reason behind that is not because she understands, but because she doesn't want to bother with making a scene.
"You said so yourself — you don't have the time," Jess bites back. He's yet to master the art of quiet fighting, so a few heads swivel towards them. And by association me. I frown as one of Drew's friends — the baseball coach's daughter, figure that — smiles broadly at me, flicking her blue eyes up and down, taking in the upper half of my body.
"So?" Raya hisses, rolling her black-brown eyes, flipping her black hair behind down her back, "It doesn't mean I don't want to be captain still!"
Fuck. This is awful. I wish they would just stay broken up. I've lost count by now how many times they said doneso, only to go back to one another. Probably nearing ten, if I actually had to guess.
"Fuck, Raya, I don't know what you want me to say then," Jess snarls back, before pushing away from the counter and walking off.
Raya and Jess. They're toxic. Beyond toxic. Like putting gasoline on a flame.
"He's such a prick," Raya says, to who, I don't know, before she gets up, too, and I'm left all alone to stare at Indigo while she talks animatedly to Mom and Sadie.
"Dude."
I look up to see Drew, looking down at me with raised brows. Drew looks so much like our mother it's almost scary. They have the same big blue eyes that just kind of stare and take everything in. The same unruly blonde curls that just do whatever they please. The same pale skin, the same chiseled faces. It fits him, his baby-like face. He's quiet. He's kind. He's thoughtful and charming and built like a fucking stick. A long stick. Taller than me and rail thin.
"Dude," I mock in a high pitched voice.
He grins at me, the singular dimple on his left cheek appearing in earnest as he sinks down onto the stool beside me, where his twin had just sat. His twin, and yet they looked nothing alike.
"You know, maybe you should just tell her," he says, with a knowing look and a gesture towards Indigo.
My eyes widen, but other than that I keep my face the same, my mouth pressing into a thin line. "I have no idea what you're talking about. How's your birthday. The big one eight, huh?"
He doesn't take the bait. "Oh please. You look at her like she just offered you a chance to walk onto the Cowboys. Face it, you're in looooove."
My face pales. "Love is a very very strong word."
"Okay," he gives, nodding, "maybe not love. You have a strong liking for her though."
I shrug. "She's cool, I guess."
He mocks me, and I flip him the finger. Fucking brat. He only laughs at me, "What, afraid Sadie will make you unmanly?"
"Hey Drew," I say through clenched teeth, "go fuck yourself — or, better yet, Willa."
He scowls at me. "You're a dick."
I push off from the counter and flash him a smile, "Right back atcha."
I make a beeline for Indigo, though I'm sure everyone assumes I'm headed to mom. Good. Let them think that.
I loop an arm around Indigo's neck, standing behind her. I feel her entire body stiffen in my embrace, but she doesn't do a thing. This, we've done this before in public. Before. Granted I had whispered in her ear and then been done with it, but I love how warm her body is, pressed against mine.
"Mom," I say, resting my head on Indigo's shoulder, "Drew called me a bad word."
"Drew!"
"Hey!" Drew yells from the kitchen, "He flipped me off!"
"Kolby!" She swats at my head.
I grin, and then turn my head so that my lips are pressed against Indigo's ear, I see her skin flush pink and have to fight to suppress my smugness. That's right. Blush for me, baby.
"You look ravishing, Blue," and then I'm off again, settling myself onto the couch between Dad and Sadie.
Sadie takes no time in throwing her feet in my lap as she texts on her phone, a frown on her freckly face.
Jess and Raya are on the couch, too, his arm thrown around her shoulders, her head resting on his chest. I guess they made up.
Drew walks in, and even though I've known the two of them their entire lives, I'm still surprised at how much Drew and Jess do not look alike. Drew is all gangly and blonde and blue eyed. Jess is shorted and stockier, with hair more like mine and Sadie's, a weird mixture of reddish hair and blonde hair, some pieces curly, other pieces straight. His eyes are brown and not nearly as big, and his face is not nearly as sharp and angular. Plus, they act nothing alike. Jess has this party boy aura to him, and Drew just wants to play ball and get good grades. Two sides of the same coin.
"Raya," Drew nods in greeting, before plopping down beside Jess, shoving his phone in his face.
Mom walks in next, Indigo trailing behind her.
"All of your friends just left, Jess," she says pointedly. I duck my head to keep from smiling, and then stuck my hand out to twirl it in Sadie's hair — she hates it, but I've been doing it since we were little.
"So?"
Mom huffs as she sits beside dad, her dress floating around her, and Indigo sits down by Sadie, her brown eyes pausing on me with a odd look before she shakes her head and pulls out her phone.
"So you didn't say bye!"
"I'll see them on Monday," he says dryly.
"That's not the point!"
"Then what is?"
"They were your guests," Mom says, as if it should be obvious, "And you should have said good bye."
Jess shrugs, "Sorry."
Mom huffs, and pokes dad's huge ass arm. Dad was a college athlete, too, though he played basketball and never could understand the love of football Jess and I had. He had tried for years to get us to be basketball players, even going as far as putting us on traveling club teams, but it had never stuck.
"Tell your son to stop being an ass."
The room rumbles with Dad's laughter. Ben Bradford is the nicest man anyone could ever meet. I'm only slightly biased.
"My son?" He asks.
Sadie and I share a look. Mom and Dad love to knit pick at one another. It's annoying as fuck. But Sadie frowns and turns back to Indigo.
They're both staring at her phone when Sadie announces, "Oh my God! Block him."
"What? No?" Indigo looks panicked, she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"He just called you a whore when he's the one that cheated? Block him. Right fucking now."
My body reacts before I do as I lunge toward the girls and take Indigo's phone from her grasp. She squeals and says something, though whatever she's saying is drowned out by the rage roaring in my ears.
GREER: CAN WE TALK? I MISS YOU BB
INDIGO: NO?
GREER: WTF? WHY NOT
INDIGO: YOU LITERALLY BROKE UP WITH ME???
GREER: I KNOW BB I FUCKED UP PLZ COME BACK
INDIGO: AND U CHEATED
GREER: ONE TIME COME ON
INDIGO: NO
GREER: WHATEVER WHO WANTS TO DATE A WHORE LIKE U ANYWAY
My pulse quickens in my veins.
My gaze is tinged red around the edges.
Kill him. I will fucking kill Greer Evans.
"Dammit, Kolby!"
I flinch as Indigo steals her phone back. "Hey!"
"Don't you hey me," she says, aghast, "you stole my phone!"
I turn around, already making my way to the door, "Yeah? Now I'm going to murder your ex boyfriend."
a/n: hey besties how we feelin bout this chapter!?