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"Tadaa!" Lip cheers as he takes off the cover of a beat up car. "It needs some work done to make it look nice, but it drives." He wipes the sweat droplets off his forehead waiting for an answer out of me.
"I love it," I say tiptoeing for a salty kiss.
Lip had been in the junkyard with Kev for the past week fixing up the car. After I complained about riding the L and dealing with rude and creepy people he fixed up a car for me. It was the sweetest gesture ever, and my heart exploded seeing all the hard work he put together.
"Listen. I know it's not a Range Rover or a Porsche, but it's wheels. I just hope you like it." He nervously chuckles. I lean in for another kiss for reassurance.
"Lip, I said I love it." I walk around and open the car door, plopping into the seat. My hands slide on the steering wheel and grip it tight. "Can't wait to drive this bad boy." I laugh.
"I'm glad you like it, now we don't have to carpool with Jimmy." He chuckles and adjusts himself in the seat. I look over to his eyes and lean in for another kiss. Our lips part and I bite my lip. "Come on, let's show off the car to Ian." He buckles himself.
"Y-you want me to drive it? Now?" My eyes widen,
I've only driven in California, not the streets of Chicago. Different place, different scenery, it was frightening to me.
"You have your license; I don't see a problem. C'mon don't be a chicken." He teases.
"I'm not a chicken." I nudge him and notice how serious he was. I turn my sight on the road ahead of me and take a deep breath. "I am not a chicken," I mumble to myself and set the mirrors.
I put the gear on the drive, and the car slowly moves forward. My foot presses down on the gas, and we head off. After a couple of minutes of adjusting to the car, I felt a lot more comfortable.
We arrive at the Gallaghers, and I put the car in park. I couldn't help but smile; I felt like I could burst from all the happiness. We unbuckle ourselves and lock the car. I walk behind Lip and see that Ethan and Mandy were also here.
"You look happy," Ethan smirks, and I smile wide.
"So you like the car? Lip was scared of you hating it because you must be used to expensive cars." Ian says, and Lip hits him in the back of the head.
"What you think I'm boujee or something? I love it; it was very sweet of Lip." I give Lip a peck on the cheek, and he blushes.
"Are you going to also fix up the ice cream truck?" Ethan asks Lip.
"Not anytime soon, why?" Lip asks.
"It's for me, my half sister's mom died, and she has nowhere else to go." Mandy joins in; I could tell she was down and felt sorry.
"Foster care is out of the question," Ethan adds. I look over at him with my eyebrows furrowed wondering what his deal was.
"Where is she?" I ask.
"Milwaukee." Mandy states.
"Road trip, we will help," Lip says, and Mandy hugs him. I look over to Ethan who shrugs to me.
Mandy grabs her phone and starts walking out to the car and Lip follows to make sure it's really okay to drive long distances. I grab Ethan's wrist stopping him from his tracks.
"What are you doing?" I bark at him.
"What do you mean?" He scoffs.
"Helping Mandy with serious family issues? Are you two that serious?" I cross my arms looking up at him, and he rolls his eyes.
"Okay, I get it. It's your turn to be protective. It's just the right thing to do El."
"And where is she staying? Not at our house, I hope."
"Yes, that's exactly where. She's not going to Mandy's because her father likes to molest his daughters. Besides you're too busy here anyways." He starts to walk off, and I stop him again.
"You sure you know what kind of signals you're sending to Mandy?" I ask, and he scoffs again walking out the house.
I run my fingers through my hair and sigh. I turn around to grab my things seeing Ian drinking a glass of orange juice. Little nosey fuck.
"Maybe you were a little too hard on him," Ian says, and I roll my eyes.
"I just don't want Mandy to get hurt. My brother isn't the best with the ladies." I throw my bag over my shoulder. "You coming with?"
"Nah I'm going to meet up with someone."
"Okay well, I better meet him soon!" I yell out before slamming the door behind me.
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We drive all the way to Milwaukee and pick up Mandy's half-sister. We went to Milkovich to Milkovich to see if anyone can take her in and there was no hope. I grew annoyed at the whole situation. Ethan was quite known to be involved with someone, and as soon as they leach on, he drops them.
I look at the rear view mirror seeing Mandy fast asleep in Ethan's arms and Mandy's half-sister looking out the window.
"So when are you going to tell me what's up with you?" Lip breaks the silence.
"Why would you say that?" I scrunch my nose and look over to Lip.
"You're quiet." He adjusts himself in the seat to take out a cigarette.
"Just thinking."
"Thinking about?" I can hear his lighter spark.
"About how Ethan is going to play house with Mandy," I whispered trying not to wake them up in the back.
Lip ashes his cigarette and looks at the back seat, "They're kinda cute."
"They're cute until Ethan fucks up." I scoff and keep my eyes forward.
"Then let him fuck up! Sometimes you gotta let people fuck up so they can learn." Lip blows out ribbons of smoke out the cracked window.
I thought about how he learned from his mistake from our last fight. He looks out the window watching the sun begin to set.
"You know I hate it when you're right," I smirk, and he lets out a cute chuckle.
"Everyone does." And he takes another pull.
We make it to the Gallagher's, and I nudge Mandy to wake up. Lip laughs and gets out the car heading toward the house.
I shoot my head back before Ethan leaves the car. "Hey, I'm not going to be home tonight so don't wait up for me."
"Of course you're not, you're busy playing 'house' with Lip." Ethan attempts to mimic me and leave the car.
"Oh grow up Ethan, can you blame me for feeling iffy about this? With your history?" I slam the car door, and Mandy gets out the car pulling her sister in the house.
"And what about your history? Silas? And let's not forget you're fucking my best friend right now. " He raises his voice.
"Fine. But when she clings to you don't come running to me for help." He makes a face of deep realization; I knew how this would all plan out, it was a never-ending cycle with him.
But he's my brother, and I love the fucker.
I storm into the house and walk straight into Lip's room throwing myself on the bed. I loudly sigh, and Debbie walks in.
"You're not fighting with Lip are you?" The redhead plops down beside me.
I turn over to her worried expression. "No! We're fine." I laugh, and a smile appears.
"Good, I like having you around. You're like another sister." She smiles, and I do too. It was sweet that besides the fact her family is enormous, she's okay with more.
"I just argued with Ethan." I pick myself up and lay on my elbows.
"Well you guys will makeup, he's your twin." She shrugs, and I stare back up at the ceiling. Fiona stops by the room and pops her head in.
"Hey, El! Debs, Jimmy's dad, is going to crash here tonight in your bed. You can sleep in here with El and Lip can sleep in his old bed." She smiles and walks downstairs.
Lip walks to the right after Fiona and takes off his button up and stays in his white tank. "I guess I can't sleep beside you tonight." He sighs
"Boohoo you do every day, you gotta learn how to share Lip." Debbie barks and I giggle.
"Go get in pajamas." Lip barks and she rolls her eyes then leave the room. Lip walks up toward me and leans over me inches from my lips. "If you can't sleep you can always crawl into bed with me."
"Tempting, maybe I'll take you up on that offer," I whisper and he brushes his lips against mine. I couldn't take it anymore, so I crash my lips into his while pulling him down to deepen it. We laugh in between kisses and Debbie walks back in.
"Going to bed now!" She shouts out, and Lip stands up still laughing.
"Goodnight babe." He smirks
"Goodnight."
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
I wake up to the sound of yelling from the boy's room and shoot up with my hair all over the place. Debbie wakes up right after me, and we look at each other than squirm out of bed to see what's going on.
"Who the fuck are you?!" Lip shouts and I make it to his doorway behind Fiona and Jimmy.
"It's Jimmy's dad," Ian says after.
I see Jimmy's dad on the floor butt naked and Lip towering over him. "What's going on?" Fiona asks frantically, and her eyes widen like mine at the sight.
Jimmy tries to avoid eye contact with his dad, "Whoa where're your clothes?" Jimmy questions.
"I was going to take a shower." Jimmy's dad replies. "I came in the wrong room."
"Yeah and hopped in bed with a full chub." Lip shouts at him.
"What?" Fiona, Jimmy and I say in sync.
"Jimmy's dad tried to go balls- deep on me," Lip says pissed off, and I cover my mouth giggling.
Lip said that I could crawl into bed with him if I couldn't sleep but it seems like Jimmy's dad beat me to it.
"No no. I didn't-" Jimmy's dad pleads, and Jimmy places a blanket over his naked dad.
"Then why'd you grab my sack?!" Lip argues.
"Deb's how about you get back to bed," I say, and she shrugs then walks back into the room. Jimmy walks his dad out covering him up, and I walk into the boy's room closing the door behind me.
"Fuck." Lip mumbles in disgust.
"Are you sure?" Fiona asks.
"When you feel a full chub in your back the meaning is clear," Lip says.
"Ned was looking for me." Ian blurts out, and we all turn to him. "I met him in a club; we've been hooking up for a while."
"You've been screwing Jimmy's dad?" Fiona walks over to him.
"I didn't know it was his dad at the time... He's nice." Ian shrugs.
Lip rolls his eyes and shakes his head while walking over back to bed. I purse my lips and leave the room to go back to Lips. I try to take in what just happened, and my phone vibrates on the nightstand.
'I really wished it was you crawling in bed with me, not Jimmy's fucking dad.' Lip texts me, and I laugh.
'I thought I had competition. Goodnight loverboy.'