His | Mine | Ours

Chapter 91

--------------------------

Leah's POV

--------------------------

I sit at the table, shaving sweet potatoes.

Mom is at the stove, cooking.

"Are those potatoes ready?" she asks.

I look at the bowl of shaved potatoes and the one in my hand. I still have to slice them.

"Almost." I say.

"Well get a move on!" she says. "We got a hungry family to feed!"

I shake my head and finish shaving the potato.

When I start cutting them, I watch Mom take peek out into the living room, probably to check on everyone before returning to stove duty.

"She seems like a nice girl." my mom says. "Did you go introduce yourself?"

"I'm still cutting the potatoes." I tell her.

She looks at me.

I sigh and stop what I'm doing. I stand from the table and go to the living room.

"Hi." I say before quickly leaving.

I take a seat back at the table and pick up a potato to cut.

I ignore my mom's stare.

I no longer feel her eyes burning holes in my head and hear movement at the stove.

I guess she decides to ignore me, too.

"Emily called this morning." She says. "She'll be joining us for dinner."

I pause.

I look up at my mom in hurt and disbelief.

"You can't be serious." I say, baffled.

I didn't want to believe my mom would pull a stunt like this and betray her.

Mom turns to me with a firm expression.

"She's your cousin, Leah. Your family." she eyes soften. "You can't avoid her forever, Leah. You can't avoid them. I don't like the situation, but I won't let it ruin our family."

I jump out my seat.

"She is NOT my family." I hiss.

"Leah-" she starts.

"Save it!" I snap, storming away.

"Leah Clearwater!" mom yells after me.

I ignore her and rush out the backdoor.

I just run, not caring where I go or where I am going.

When I finally stop to catch my breath, I don't know where I am.

The sky is dark and all I see are trees. Something howls somewhere and the sounds of nature fills the cold night air.

I rub my shoulders and begin to walk, cursing at myself for not bringing a coat with me.

I try to retrace my steps back home, but only find trees.

I'm lost.

"Idiot." I hiss at myself.

Instead of standing there, waiting to become a human icicle, I keep moving and hope that my house eventually comes into sight.

I walk for what feels like hours.