𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡

|𝟽𝟶|

Kohl Warren

"That's not fair," Reese pouts as I slyly move the cone to make it harder for her to score a goal on me.

"Life's not fair, kid," I chuckle, enjoying the competitive edge in her ten-year-old glare.

"I say kick him!" Leia shouts from the porch, making Reese burst into laughter.

Leia walks over to Reese, looking effortlessly gorgeous, and I can't help but admire her beauty.

"Wow, you're so pretty," Reese says, her eyes sparkling as Leia kneels down to her level.

"Not as pretty as you," Leia replies, causing Reese to blush and hide behind her hair, showcasing her cute freckles.

I can't help but grin as Reese focuses on the soccer ball and kicks it, sending it directly into my groin. I drop to the ground, clutching my balls in agony.

"Oh, I'm sorry uncle Kohl," Reese says apologetically as she rushes over to me, attempting to perform CPR while Leia stands by, laughing uncontrollably. I shoot her a glare, but she just keeps on laughing.

"Score before he's back on his feet!" Leia shouts, and to my surprise, Reese follows her command, kicking the ball between the two cones.

Once the pain in my nether regions subsides, I sit up, only to see Leia giving Reese a high five.

"That's cheating," I accuse Reese, who nonchalantly wipes her hand on her bright orange dress.

"Life's not fair, kid," Reese retorts, mocking me. I roll my eyes, fighting back a smile, while Leia grins at Reese.

"Are you okay?" Leia asks me, settling down beside me. Reese plops herself down between us, eliciting giggles from Leia.

"Are you two lovebirds?" Reese inquires, looking at Leia with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Do you really think I'd date this stinky guy?" Leia replies, holding her nose in playful disgust, causing Reese to erupt into fits of laughter.

"I'm Reese," Reese introduces herself proudly, prompting Leia to reciprocate with a warm smile.

"Do you like strawberries, Leia?" Reese asks, noticing Leia's fruity scent. They both share a mutual love for strawberries, instantly bonding.

"We're officially best friends," Leia declares, causing Reese to blush with happiness and make me smile.

"Sorry, Kohl, but I think I like her better," Reese confesses, feigning heartache as I dramatically collapse on the grass, pretending to be wounded.

"But you're my second favorite now," Reese reassures me, making Leia playfully stick her tongue out at me, earning a chuckle from all of us.

"I can live with being second favorite," I jest, as Reese head bumps me in our unique gesture of camaraderie, a sign of her strength.

"Reese, come inside for dinner," Sabrina calls out, prompting Reese to bid Leia farewell with a final head bump before darting into the house.

"She's adorable, but my head might just crack," Leia remarks, rubbing her head as I laugh.

"Every time I see her, those head bumps get stronger," I comment, noticing a new, radiant smile on Leia's face that warms my heart with joy.

"What?" I ask, feeling my body burn as she continues to smile at me, making me quickly look away to avoid her catching me staring.

"You and your family, I love seeing you guys all get along," she says, her eyes scanning the clear blue sky above us. I nod in response, feeling a mix of pride and embarrassment.

"I kind of feel envious of you," she adds, biting her lip in a way that sends a strange sensation through me, like something is cracking inside.

"I love you," I blurt out, surprising both her and myself with the confession.

Despite her wide eyes and parted lips, I don't regret saying it one bit. It's been a long time coming, she can push me away, but I won't leave. I can't. I'm too obsessed with her not to tell her.

"Warren, you-" Leia's voice is cut off by the sound of breaking glass, prompting me to jump up and rush towards the commotion.

I slide open the door to find my mom and aunt tangled in a heated fight, with a shattered yellow glass star scattered across the hardwood floor.

Sabrina is already trying to clean up the mess, while gramps and Sammie attempt to separate the feuding women.

"Are you insane? Get off me!" my aunt yells, struggling against my mom's firm grip on her shirt.

"Mom, get off!" Melanie pleads, but my mom seems determined to hold her ground.

I step in and manage to pull my mom away from my aunt, though they continue to exchange heated words as the rest of the family tries to calm them down.

Twenty long minutes pass before everyone is finally seated on the couch, my mom sandwiched by me and gramps, and my aunt surrounded by Sammie and Sabrina.

Meanwhile, Leia is keeping Reese distracted in my room, braiding her hair to shield her from the chaos downstairs.

"You two are grown women fighting in front of a guest and a child?" Gramps scolds, his usually jovial tone replaced by a stern one that commands attention.

"Well, maybe if she didn't snatch the decoration from me, none of this would have happened," my mom retorts childishly, causing my aunt to snap.

"I snatched it from you? Last I checked, it was still in my hands before you took it," my aunt counters, earning a disappointed shake of the head from Sammie.

"Enough! You two aren't going to ruin Christmas tomorrow by acting like children. Be adults and talk it outside if you have a problem, understood?" Gramps' authoritative tone silences the room, prompting both my mom and aunt to sheepishly agree.

As the tension eases, Leia and Reese come downstairs. All our eyes widen as we burst into fits of laughter at the sight of Leia's face.

She's sporting an excessive amount of blush, green eyelids, and black lips that make her look like she stepped out of a circus act. Even my mom and aunt can't help but join in on the laughter.

Reese flexes her arms boastfully and declares, "I should be a makeup artist!" This only adds to the hilarity, with Sabrina chuckling but quickly apologizing to Leia for the disastrous makeup job.

Leia, still in shock at her reflection in her phone camera, mutters, "Maybe you should choose another career path."

Despite the awkward moment, I find myself strangely okay with the fact that Leia didn't reciprocate my "I love you."

Maybe it's because she's still by my side, or maybe it's because my love for her runs so deep that she can't do no wrong in my eyes. Either way, I know that my love for her will never waver, no matter what.

(How do we feel about this chapter?) ->

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