Tommy Sallow is onto better and brighter things. After working a small hometown beat in upstate New York, he's finally in sunny California. As expected, it's the same shit in a different town. Except, you know, now he's near the ocean and miserable...
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It's quiet in Sadie's house. Christmas Eve was just an elevated version of June's late night shenanigans. It turns out, she's been off her sleeping schedule for weeks. But thanks to yours truly, the little wild one has actually gone to bed at a normal time since I got here. What can I say? She loves her Uncle Tommy. I've been named the best night time book reader in the whole wide world, a badge I will cherish forever.
I pull the door to the girls' room closed and meander in the direction of the kitchen, hoping to find something to eat. But the sight of Austin macking on my sister in the living room makes me wanna find a bottle of lime juice and pour it into my eyes instead.
The sound of my throat clearing obnoxiously sends him flying across the couch, away from her, and I about die of laughter. He makes it so fucking easy.
Sadie just whines. "You don't have to do that, Austin."
"Do what? I wasn't, uh... I wasn't doing anything," he murmurs, suddenly immersed with something on his phone.
"Ugh, we're married," Sadie reminds him with a groan, shooting me an evil glare before looking back at her husband. "You've been with me for like twelve years, three kids together, and this is your house."
I stifle a snort laugh as I proceed through the dining room. "By all means, don't let me stop you, buddy. I was just on the way to find a snack. It seems you already found yours."
Pretty sure what I hear next is a pillow being thrown. And then, "Get over here and kiss me." Sadie's whisper-threat to Austin floats around the corner with me as I disappear into the kitchen, followed by her muffled giggles which tell me that he did, in fact, get over there and kiss her.
I can't even stay grossed out. The truth is, they're great together and I'm fucking jealous of what they have.
I've tried really hard these past couple days to put Amber and Mia at the back of my head in the name of enjoying the holidays with my family but it's been a lot more difficult than I imagined it would be. Everything still comes right back to them. To her.
Amber.
She's in my head and she won't leave. I'm worried about her. Worried for her. My mind keeps playing a round of scenarios about how things are going in my absence, in the presence of him. Fuck. I don't want to think about it anymore. I just want to see her. Why do I have to be so fucking far away from her right now?
The kettle is warming up on the stove as I reach for a packet of hot cocoa. Yeah, I drink hot cocoa now. With marshmallows. Just another thing you can add to the list of what Amber Hill has done to me. Blame her daughter for the marshmallows.
A knock at the front door interrupts my search for a piece of fruit and my eyes travel to the clock on the stove to see it's after midnight. Who the heck is here this late?
