OLD VERSION: Amendable (Book 3 in the Original SOCIETY Series) ✔

❦Twenty-Two❦

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I hadn't even gotten within ten feet of my Aunt Penny's back porch when the back door swung open and a gray-eyed child came sprinting out of it. 

"Cousin Kale!" Maddox beamed, throwing his arms up after jumping off the porch steps. 

He barrelled into me and I bent, smiling while patting his back in the awkward angled hug. Chuckling, I straightened to see the small face smiling back up at me. Maddox bounced up and down, giggling that he missed me and hadn't seen me in soooooo long. 

Grinning, I lowered a brow and told the jumping bean I saw him at the beginning of the week. 

Maddox's nose scrunched, his gray eyes wide, "But that's so long ago! It felt like years!" 

"Years, huh?" 

Maddox nodded, "Uh-huh!" then his eyes glanced to the person beside me and grinned, "Hiya, Uncle E!" 

I glanced at Easton beside me who grinned while bending to lift Maddox up once the child ran over to him. Easton feigned a groan once he was picking the boy up and propped him on his hip. 

"You get heavier and heavier every time I see you, Little Guy." Easton raised a brow, using a finger to poke the little boy's belly. "Have you been eating a lot?"

"Lots!" Maddox giggled with his arms thrown up in the air. 

Easton winked, nodding, "As it should be!" 

Maddox beamed again, turning to the back of the house where my Aunt Penny frowned, "Maddie! Come back here! You haven't finished your grilled cheese!" 

The boy in Easton's arms scrunched his nose and groaned enough for Easton and I to hear. He looked at us a little worriedly and whined, "I don't wanna eat that grilled cheese..."

"Why not?" I asked, frowning at Maddox even thinking of denying food. Period. 

"You love grilled cheese sandwiches, Maddie."

His gray eyes glanced at my aunt on the porch with her hands on her hips, still waiting for Maddox. 

The boy then scrunched his face more and used a hand to cup the side of his mouth and told Easton and I, "But not Auntie's!"

Easton threw his head back to laugh, making me frown and punching the side of his arm while Maddox blinked a few times between us both. He didn't seem to understand what was so funny. 

"Stop it!" I scolded the blond Were who was failing in trying to contain his laughter again. 

Maddox's brows furrowed as he looked at me and pleaded for me to not tell Aunt Penny. 

I honestly don't blame Maddox. 

My aunt's cooking isn't terrible... but it is sort of bland. She kind of lacked the understanding of what seasoning was and that it was okay to put it on food. It was like a family thing maybe because, you know... my apple pies suck ass.

"Aw..." I grinned, ruffling Maddox's hair who made a small "Meh!" sound as Easton placed him on his feet. "Don't worry, Kiddo. I'll handle it, okay?"

"You promise?" He looked up at me with wide eyes and I chuckled, nodding that I promised.

He looked a lot happier again and took hold of my hand while walking between Easton and I. Easton even took hold of Maddox's other outstretched hand towards him so that we both could swing Maddox back and forth. 

He loved it. He was squealing and giggling the whole way up to the porch where Aunt Penny lowered a brow at her nephew.

"Maddox Dennison! You know better than to run off like you just did! Especially during lunch time! " She clicked her tongue against her teeth, shaking her head and reminded, "I will put you on time out if you don't listen!"