Take Out Chef

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter's song: easy love by Sigala

A slow smile played in my face when I reached my house. I was so glad to be home. The door screeched as I tugged it open. "Hi everyone!" I screamed to anyone home while I took off my shoes. The couch in front of the TV had my name all over it. Thankfully, it was empty so I raised my feet and cuddled with my favorite pillow at the same time I exhaled happily.

"What took you so long?" Seth appeared on the door holding a coke in his hand. Without a shirt.

I scrunched up my nose as I closed my eyes. "God, Seth! Put on a shirt, my eyes hurt by looking at you!"

He snorted. "You're insane. I'm a mighty sight." I huffed and crossed my arms while he burst out laughing. "Where were you? We were worried."

I opened one eye. "You were worried? Juno isn't even home right now." Saturday is the day she delivers the weeks' orders to the restaurants. "And honestly, she never worries about me because she doesn't have to." I stressed out the last part because she did worry about him.

"Whatever," he slumped on the floor and grabbed the TV remote. "I'm a good boy no matter what you all think of me." I snorted at that. It came out muffled since I was laying on the pillow. I heard him switch channels before he settled on a basketball game. "So, where were you?"

"A friend's."

"The same friend who gave you his t-shirt?"

My eyes opened and I glanced at Bryan's gray t-shirt. "What?"

"You're wearing a boy's t-shirt." He pretended to sound nonchalant, but I knew how overprotective he was. "Where did you say you crashed last night?"

I smiled. "I didn't."

Seth's head snapped to me. "Jessie..."

"What Seth? I'm twenty-four. I don't need to tell you what I do or where I go."

He pressed his lips together in a tight line. "I'm your brother. I do worry about you."

Ugh. The guilt of making him feel bad made my stomach feel tight. "Bryan let me stay at his house."

Seth was starting to drink on his coke and coughed when he heard me. "Bryan? The old man that brought you home the other night! Your boss?"

That cracked me up. He got up while I closed my eyes again. "Old man?" I asked amused.

"Yes. Very old. For you!" He tugged the pillow from under me. "What happened to the he's not interested in me thing!"

"Seth!" I glared at him while I sat upright. "He's not. I asked him to stay at school and he told me that I couldn't but he offered his house instead."

He crossed his arms. "Oh, I'm sure he's really nice and shit with everyone, right?"

"He's nice. Most of the time."

My brother's gaze narrowed as he muttered, "I bet."

The pillow was on the floor. I picked it up as I rolled my eyes "Seth, we'd been over this already. He's not old and he's definitely not interested in me." I sat quietly. Sighing I stared at my lap.

"Why are you sighing? Do you like him?"

My shoulders sagged. "You know what? I'm going upstairs to my room." I stood up, placed the pillow back on the sofa and patted my jeans. "I'm going out later."

Seth started to rub his temple. "With Bryan?"

Grinning at my brother, I ruffled his hair. "No. A classmate."