All Grown Up (6 page)

"Seriously
, Leo. Get out so I can go back to sleep," Chloe blurted out quickly and I turned back to her, ready to vomit when I saw her stand up and walk across the room to Oliver. She was wearing the tiniest boxer shorts and tank top.
Did she fucking shop in the little girls section? Oh, hell!

"Oliver, are you crazy? What about
Alicia, huh? Did you happen to mention her during your little ‘hook up’ with my sister’s best friend? Who, I might add, is like fucking family!" I spat out at him.

"Actually
, he did mention her Leo. Why don’t you mind your own business and go back to bed, please?" I could hear the real plea in her voice. She placed her hand to her forehead and sighed heavily.

"Chloe, you are family and you can’t seriously…" She cut me off
, stomping toward me and poking me in the chest. Even the poke sent a charge through my body.

"Leo
nard Anthony Mackey, you DO NOT get to dictate what I can and can’t do. I am not your sister and I am not your responsibility!" She was pissed and she was even hotter when she was pissed. Hearing my full name come out of her mouth made my dick twitch again.
I am a sick bastard.
Then she seemed to calm down. "Leo, you are making more out of this than there is, okay? I appreciate your concern but it’s unnecessary. Nothing happened, we were talking and we fell asleep."

I didn’t know what else to say. It still felt like there was something else that was being hidden from me, but I
could tell that I wasn’t going to get any more from them. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair.

"Can I please go back to bed now?" She headed toward the bed and I grabbed her arm.

"You can go to Mina’s room, Chloe." She turned and scowled.

"Fine!"
She huffed and walked out. I followed her and Mina as they headed back to Mina’s room. I watched as they went into her room before I went back to mine. I was exhausted and fell into a dreamless sleep.

Oliver

I heard Leo yelling and knew I had to make
an appearance. What I wasn’t ready for was Chloe taking of all the heat. If only she knew it had made things a thousand times worse. I'd watched Leo when he was around her. At first, I believed that it was a big brother thing; protect your little sister and all that. But I knew him too well. It wasn’t brotherly love that had him protective of her and watching her. He was still denying it, but it would only be a matter of time before he finally fessed up. He was into her and would either act on it or get over it. I was leaning toward him acting on it.

I hadn’t told Mina about
Alicia either, so that was going to fuck me over big time now. I don’t know what I had been thinking, but I couldn’t stay away from her. Mina is just so…fuck…I don’t know what, but I can’t stay away from her. When that kid sat between her legs tonight while we watched movies, I wanted to rip his fucking head off. I knew that it was the same kid that was all over her at the fire that night at the beach.

Leo was not going to let this go. He had for now but come tomorrow
, or the next time that we were alone, he was definitely going to interrogate me about Chloe. With the way he is feeling about her, I know that it would have been easier to deal with explaining Mina.
Shit!!!! Fuck!!! Damn!!
Chloe hadn’t known that. I mean, how could she? But I was screwed. Mina would hate me for Alicia and Leo would be pissed off at me for something I didn’t do with Chloe. Hell, I hadn’t even done anything with Mina except make out and sleep next to her.

Yep, I was fucking screwed!

Chapter Seven
Crushing

Chloe

"Chloe?!"
Mina grabbed me as soon as we entered her room. I turned to see her shocked face.

"Mina, there is nothing to say. You would do the same for me if it was the other way around." She smiled and I hugged her. "Now
, please, let me get back to sleep." I threw myself onto her bed.

"Umm...Chloe?"
She was almost whispering as she sat on the bed next to me.

"What now?" I groaned and turned my head to look at her.

"Did you see how Leo reacted?" I nodded but she didn’t look at me.

"Yeah" I said aloud. "His big brother routine gets old
, doesn’t it?" I chuckled. "You can thank me tomorrow." I rolled back over and closed my eyes, letting the sleep I desired take me back over.

Mina

Chloe had rolled back over and started to fall back asleep. I couldn’t
sleep, everything still swirling around in my head was making me dizzy.

When Chloe first spoke up and took the whole situation
upon herself, relief washed over me. However, what I wasn’t expecting was Leo’s face. He didn’t just look angry about it, he looked hurt. I had shrugged it off as him being his overly protective brother style but, as he went on and I watched his face closely, it occurred that it was something else. He seemed to be almost spiteful of Oliver and Chloe. Something is going on with my big brother.

Then there is
Alicia. Who the hell is Alicia? Oliver and I spoke all the time and he had never mentioned anyone. Was she his girlfriend? I mean, he could have at least told me about her. She is obviously important enough to bring up in outraged conversation, so she must be someone worth talking about. Ugh! I just don’t know what to think.

I finally
lay down on the bed. Glancing at the clock on my side table, I realized that it was three in the morning. That was the last thing that I remembered.

Chloe

I rolled over and stretched out
, hearing Mina’s deep breathing next to me. I looked over to the clock, it was almost noon. I headed to the bathroom quietly, changed into my running gear and went downstairs.

Walking to the front door
, I heard a loud noise in the kitchen. I rushed over and saw a pitcher and orange juice at Leo’s feet. I tried not, I attempted to hold it in, but this was just too funny. I busted out into loud roars of laughter. His head snapped up to me and I covered my mouth, trying to stifle it.

"I guess it is kind of funny" He chuckled and ran his hand through that glorious sex hair that he always has.

"More than ‘kind of’," I laughed. "Are you okay?" He nodded. "Do you need any help?"

"No
. Thanks, though."

"
Alrighty then," I turned to leave.

"Chloe?"
I twirled back around. "Umm…I’m sorry for freaking out on you last night. It’s just that…"

"Don’t worry about it, I get it. It’s the brotherly instinct
," I shrugged "but you have to remember that I am not your sister and that I am almost eighteen. Oh, and by the way, if you hadn’t noticed, so is your sister." I winked, giggled and started back towards the door.

"Are you leaving?" I spun around again and I couldn’t read the expression on his face.

"No, just going to run. I try to do it at least every other day."

"Do you want some company?"

"Umm...sure. I guess."

"If you don’t then it’s fine. I understand." He was now throwing the pitcher in the sink and putting towels down to soak up the juice.

"It’s not that. I just typically run alone and I have my IPod on, so I’m not great company for conversation or anything." I didn’t want to hurt his feelings but it would be a little strange to run with anyone. Especially with him, especially after last night.

"I don’t mind. I’ll grab mine as well." He smiled at me and threw the orange juice soaked towels in the sink. "I’ll be right back, if you don’t mind?"

"Umm...sure." I wasn’t really sure. I figured that, after last night, I wouldn’t be someone he was trying to ‘hang’ with. If this is some brotherly bonding moment where he is going to lecture me about older guys, aka Oliver, then he was going to be surprised when I tripped his ass while he ran.

Five long minutes later he appeared at the front door in shorts,
a t-shirt and running shoes. "Ready?" I asked him. He nodded. "Good, cause you take longer than a girl to get ready," I teased and walked out the door.

We started off slow until we figured out each other’s pace and then it picked up. Nothing was spoken as we both had our
IPods on. We just ran, side by side. On the return to the house Leo decided to pick up his pace. I picked up mine. Then he picked up his again. I knew what he was doing and, when I saw the smirk on his face, I started sprinting. Before he could catch on, I had put a good ten feet between us. I was about three sprints from the Mackey’s yard when I felt him gaining on me, I glanced over my shoulder, quickly confirming it. I pushed with everything I had in me, I needed to win. I ran into the lawn, totally beating Leo. All of a sudden, Leo smacked into my side, tangling our feet together and sending me face forward. I put my hands out to brace the fall, but instead I landed on my side and not on the ground.

Leo wrapped his arms around me, preventing my fall.
Instead, I fell, very awkwardly, on top of Leo. "Are you okay?" I asked him quickly, getting up on my knees next to him.

He nodded. "Y-yea…I think so
," he struggled. He had the wind knocked out of him.

"Do you think you can get up? Or should I go get Oliver?" His face quickly hardened
into what could only be described as anger, then hurt and finally determination.

"I can get up
," he spit out as he tried to stand. I reached for his arm and helped him up. That damn spark that ignited every time we touched, shocked the palm of my hand. As soon as he was on his feet, I let go.

"Can you walk?" He nodded, so we headed inside.

We entered the kitchen and found Mina, Oliver and Eve sitting at the breakfast bar eating eggs and toast. Eve abruptly stood up.

"Baby, are you okay?" She rushed to Leo’s side. I moved out of the way and went to stand by Mina who was eyeing me curiously.

"Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just had a collision, that’s all." He looked at me. I blushed and turned to get some food. "I’m just going to head upstairs and get a shower."

"Let me help you." Eve wrapped her arm around his waist and helped guide him upstairs.

Once they were gone I looked up to see Oliver and Mina both staring at me. "What?" I asked over my glass of juice.

"Pray tell
, Miss Fisher, what happened with you and Leo?" Mina wiggled her eyebrows.

"Eww, Mina, he wanted to run
, so he went with me." I shrugged. "He tried to race me and we ended colliding in your yard and tripped over each other. Which was his fault, by the way." I picked up my fork and started eating my eggs. I could feel their glances still on me.

"Uh huh
," Mina and Oliver said in unison.

"Oh Jesus
, you two, what now?" I put my hands, palms down, on each side of my plate.

"Well
, Leo hasn’t gone for a run in forever. I didn’t think he did it anymore." Mina stood, sipping coffee, leaning against the counter. She seemed to be deep in thought over her statement.

"Not that I know of
, either" Oliver added. "When he first came to school, he ran all time. But, he fell out of the habit."

"So what?"
I said and went back to my breakfast. They seemed to be having a silent conversation between each other, which was slightly awkward. So, I finished eating quickly, attempting to escape the force that was now Mina and Oliver.

I rinsed my plate and began to walk away when Mina stopped me. "You know
, Chloe, I think my brother has a crush on you." I turned, completely astounded.

"I’m serious
," she giggled.

"Shut the hell up
, Mina. That’s not even funny!" I spit at her lame attempt to joke. "Don’t say stuff like that, what if Eve heard you?!"

"I’m not joking
, Chloe,” she looked at me with a serious face.

Then Oliver decided to join in on the ‘make Chloe look like an asshole’ team.
“Chloe, I hate to tell you but I see it too. I don’t know how you don’t, to be honest.”

Shock doesn’t even cover the way I felt, but anger is what came out.
“Shut up, both of you. Leo treats me like I am Mina. Now, if you both want to continue to make up stupid crappy rumors about people then maybe I’ll just have to go spread the word about last night.” I eyed them both as their faces dropped to look down at the floor. Now Mina damn well knew I wouldn’t do it, but I threatened her anyway. “That’s better! I’m going to get a shower.”

~ ~ ~

A few weeks passed and Leo, Eve and Oliver had gone back to Seattle. I had helped arrange a ‘get together’ for Mina and Oliver before they left. Ever since Leo had mentioned Alicia, Mina really avoided him and I could tell that both of them were miserable. So, I pulled a Mina, with the help of Roni, and we got them alone to talk.

Alicia
was indeed Oliver’s current girlfriend and Mina was slightly sad and a little more pissed off. She agreed to be friends with him, but she wasn’t going to be some ‘on the side, high school hook up’ for him (her words, not mine). Oliver had reluctantly agreed to keep their relationship as strictly friends only. Very reluctantly. I could read the hurt expression on his face every time he looked at her. See him physically restrain himself from touching her.

Mina, Roni and I made plans for the remainder of the summer. A couple of beach parties, some shopping trips, a weekend camping get away down at the campground, and I still had some projects to work on before returning to school. We were all amazed at how quickly the summer was going; our last summer before Roni left us.

I was spending the afternoon watching Michele while Randy took Christy out for some much needed alone time. Mina came down and rushed through the door. "Chloe?!" she was out of breath.

I sat up quickly on the couch. "What
, Mina? Is everything okay?"

"Well, sort of, umm…I have to tell you something though." She looked nervous.

"What, Mina? What’s wrong?!" She was starting to make me panic now.

"It’s, umm, it’s Lucas." I didn’t know how she said it all in one breath, but it was impressive.

"What?"

"I saw Lucas making out on the boardwalk in Port Angeles today while I was shoppin
g."

"Oh."

"That’s it? Just, ‘oh’?" She looked furious with me.

"Well…I mean, we haven’t been talking or hanging out really at all. I guess I should’ve expected it to happen." She was looking at me like I was an idiot. "What? It’s not all his fault
, Mina, and you know it."

"
Chloe Michele Fisher! It’s not a matter of fault. It’s the fact that he went behind your back instead of breaking it off with you first!" She was right.

"That Asshole!"

"That’s more like it, Fisher!" She nodded her head once in approval. "Now, what are we going to do about it?"

We sat down and decided that I would simply call him because seeing his face would make me punch him.
It was a little irrational, seeing as we should have broken it off a while ago, but I was pissed. So I called and ended it with Lucas. I told him off, explaining that he was an asshole for going behind my back.

After hanging up
, Mina picked up her phone and looked at me while she was doing it. "You know what this means right?"

In unison,
we exclaimed, "Fuck Men Night!"

"Roni
, it's Mina," she spoke into her phone and told Roni what happened with Lucas. "So you know what that means this weekend."

"
YEP!" She laughed. "Meet us at my house tomorrow afternoon so we can get ready." With that, she hung up.