Evangeline
Someone comes up behind me and sets their hands on my waist. I get a whiff of clean soap as Asher's golden head pokes over my shoulder. "Whatcha making?" I smile brightly and turn in his arms to face him. "Pumpkin soup, bread, and baked chicken with potatoes? Oh, but the bread is store-bought," I clarify. Asher grins. "You're amazing, you know?"
I avert my eyes and blush. Asher may be shy at first, but once you get to know him, he's super outgoing like Chris, but bolder, and...flirtier. "Can I help?" I nod. "The chicken's being defrosted. Will you help me marinate it with the sauce? It's in that bowl." I say, gesturing to a little porcelain bowl on the counter. He nods and gets to work.
Not five minutes later, I hear footsteps. The twins. I'm super focused right now, carefully tipping the sautéed pumpkins into the blender. I can predict what they're going to ask already, so I save them the trouble of opening their mouths, pointing behind me to the freezer. "Fresh baguette, second shelf. Heat it up, slice it evenly." I look up from my task with a smile and a 'please'. They chuckle. "Sure," I hear them chirp.
More people join us. Over the whir of the blender, Owen comments. "She's really in her element." Lucas chuckles. "And the food is divine," Asher pipes up.
"Yeah, that's why we love her." I stiffen. Love. He may have completely forgotten about his drunken, carelessly spoken words that night, but I certainly haven't. Not to mention, the kiss! God. Recently, I've been too buy with school and Dad being home that I've not thought about it at all. And should I? Perhaps it's better to pretend it never happened.
I pour the purée into a pot. Owen comes around the counter to peer at the contents, maintains a respectable distance. We are acquaintances, after all. He sniffs it and shrugs. "Smells good." Lucas joins him and smacks the back of his head. "What do you mean, 'smells good'? Moron." He scoffs, as if offended in my honor. My brothers are so cute.
I simply grin. "Wait till you try it. The soup needs still needs mash potatoes, salt and butter." Max, apparently finished with the assigned task, dips his head. "I'll get those." I thank him and turn my attention to Asher. "You good?" He nods. "Chris has the potatoes chopped."
The six of us carry out various tasks, chipping in for dinner preparation. Asher and I work in silence, while Owen and Lucas chatter away about school stuff, and whatever 17 year olds talk about. Girls? I guessed right, because I catch the names of several in the conversation.
Their kitchen skills have improved drastically. I remember, at the start, their skill level was abysmal. Hell, Asher hadn't ever stepped foot in the kitchen other than to get snacks, Max couldn't even hold a knife properly and Chris thought heating up eggs in the microwave was the way to go. God. I shudder a little.
"Will you pass me the extra virgin olive oil?" I address Lucas, who has done the potatoes for the soup. He hands over a bottle from the cabinet, but I catch the label. "Uhh, Luke, this is just plain olive oil." He snickers, hooking a thumb over his shoulder to where Owen is arranging the slices of baguette on a plate in an artisanal manner. "The extra virgin is over there."
My eyes widen in shock, and everyone else looks up as well. Owen blushes a pretty pink. "Asshole." Lucas raises his hands placatingly. "Okay, sorry. Inside joke totally not appropriate for the little kids." Max and Chris snigger obnoxiously. I wonder how many firsts they've had. From what I hear from Carrie, she lost her v-card to Landon already. I still think that's a little too quick, but to each his own, I guess.
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Owen
Once dinner is over, we all head to the living room, after thanking Evangeline for the meal. Their parents won't be back till past midnight, so we have the house to ourselves. Ora permitted me to stay over if I wanted to, but honestly, I haven't done that since I was 10, before Aunt Mariam remarried.
Evangeline curls up next to Asher, who is playing on his phone while the ret of us engage in casual conversation.
Lucas and his brothers are still their banter-loving, playful selves, but lately, the subtlest changes can be noticed in their behaviour. Lucas has a lighter demeanour, the twins are way more enthusiastic about everything, and Asher, the baby, has matured considerably. Most importantly, they are all happier, and I think we have Evangeline to thank for that.
