He lowered his head towards me, a cocky grin spreading across his lips as he raked his eyes across my body before landing them back on mine.
I clicked my tongue in annoyance before averting my eyes, ignoring the blush that threatened to run across...
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN UNWILLING SMILES!
I WAS FREAKING OUT.
It didn't hit me as I stood at the bottom of the stairs, rain hailing down my forn as I glared up at Mara McCoy in all her glory stood frozen, arms crossed as she ordered me to apologize. I forcefully had to claw the word 'please' out of my throat for the second time that afternoon—just for her to clumsily throw herself into my arms. I remembered how a wave of panic threatened to choke me as I watched her flail, arms thrown in front of her. But then again, that was before she stood in the middle of my house, eyes wide and suspicious as she moved her gaze from object to object.
Maëlis tugged at my hair, her fingers gripped at the strands as she directed me towards Mara. I gently patted at her leg as a sign to jump off—she complied, my face scrunched as the urge to scratch at my back intensified. I needed to get out of these clothes, immediately, the feeling of my shirt clinging onto my body was almost as uncomfortable as watching Mara carefully toe off her shoes.
"Um . . . where do I put these?" She asked, hands holding her wet shoes as a frown threatened to pull at her lips. Her eyes continued to waver towards the small drops of water piling onto the floor, brows scrunched as she glared down at them before looking back up at me. I narrowed my eyes at the sight of her knuckles—she avoided putting too much weight onto it, letting her shoe float over the tips of her fingers—before swallowing back a small grin at the sight of her flustered before speaking. "You can just leave them by the doormat. They'll dry by the time you have to leave."
Mara brightened up at that, I watched as she went to respond before stopping herself. I raised an eyebrow in question before following her line of sight. I chuckled; there hiding behind a random pillar stood Eli. His messy head of inky black curls could be seen as he peeked out, large green eyes carefully watching Mara before darting onto me. I titled my head in contemplation before sighing, he was wary of strangers, he would rather watch from afar than come close.
"Won't you give me my welcome back hug, Eli?" I questioned aloud, a faux frown on my lips. I furrowed my brows in sadness, from the corner of my eyes I could see Maëlis repeating my actions. She crossed her arms, stomping her foot before looking away. The easiest way to get the eight year old to come out would be to act disappointed, saddened, sometimes even angry.
"Hi, Dorry! Hi, Lily!" He shouted as he messily signed the words, a grin on his lips as he ran out from his hiding spot. I ignored the flush breaking out on my neck at the sound of my childish nickname being belted out at the top of his voice and spread out my arms. I groaned as his body fully smashed into mine, I hefted him onto my waist before I began to tickle him; happy giggles broke into the air as he twisted in my arms.
"Stop! It tickles, Dorry!" I grinned at his flushed face, the freckles doting his nose seemed to brighten with the added color. I let him down to hug his elder sister; the both of them hugged, Eli managed to reach up to Maëlis' nose with his height, he was quickly catching up to his older sister.
