Etched in Skin

6. I was safe wasn't I?

I woke with the biggest headache in existence. It felt like I had fallen and hit my head. Then someone smashed it with a sledgehammer. I rolled over and groaned. The mattress next to me was empty but there was a dip where someone had taken the spot. Probably Summer. A small part of me was glad that she was feeling better.

After a few minutes of rolling around in bed, I slowly got up. I had figured I wouldn't be able to fall asleep again with a headache this huge. I stumble into the hallway and walk to my mother's room. Amber was sitting in her cot and there was no sign of my mother in the room. I walk over and pick up the infant and stepped into the hall. Only at that point had I noticed the shower was running. At least she was up and having a shower.

As I started to walk down to hall, Colton emerged from his room, a beaming Summer under his arm. I raised my eyebrow at the two, eyeing their closeness. A grin spread across my face as Coltons flushes a bright red and Summers pale face drops to a shocked look.

"Well hello you two." Amusement was laced in my voice as my smile grew. Colton dropped his arm from around Summers shoulders down to his sides. "Awe is my brother embarrassed?" From that I get a growl and a glare.

"I don't know what you're talking about?" His eyes were still glaring daggers into me. I didn't meet his gaze as I send a smug look to my best friend. A guitar fills the air with music, causing Colton to pull his phone out of his back pocket. I take note of his hand reaching out and landing on the small of Summer's back.

"Pine is here." He mutters before passing me and making his way downstairs. I raise my eyebrow at Summer, who was just staring at the spot where we had just watched Colton disappear from. I clear my throat and she shot her head back to look at me, giving a sheepish smile.

"So?" I bumped hips with her, making sure to keep my arms around Amber tight enough so she doesn't fall.

"So what?"

"You two are close?" My beam grows as I wiggle my eyebrows at her.

"Oh my god no!" She squealed and jumped back, her chocolate eyes wide. "One, he's your brother, two, he's too old for me, three, he isn't interested in me." She crossed her arms and gave me a pointed look.

"One," I start my rebuttal, "he's my brother, so you two would make the perfect couple. I mean you are friends aren't you? Close friends? Because of yours truly thank you very much"

The side of my lip turns up in a smirk as she kept quiet.

"Two, you are literally going to be the same age in like two days."

"Four days, three hours and," glancing at her watch as he face dropped, "two minutes." She looked down at her feet.

"Exactly." I pull my shoulders back, proud to deliver my final blow. "And he is so into you. I'm surprised he hasn't asked you out yet." I roll my eyes as I lift the baby further onto my hip, turning down the hall.

"Screw you Ly!" Summer calls after me, amusement dripping from the insult.

Amber clinged to my jumper and watched where we were going. I checked the time and figured it was time for her to get some formula. I brought her to my room and sat her on the bed. She sat quietly as I closed the window and curtains, pressing a light kiss to her head as I passed her, making sure I close the door.

My feet hit the cold wood floor of the kitchen and make me yelp, then laugh. I instantly regretted it as my brain pounded against my skull, begging for silence. My brother comes barrelling out of the living room, into the tiny square kitchen and stops in his tracks as he sees me. His eyes travel down my body to see if I was hurt or anything. I'm surprised he could hear me through the loud game playing in the living room.

"The fuck are you doing?" He groans and walks to the cupboard to grab a glass. I ask him to grab two bowls for us girls that were upstairs while he's there and then explain to him that I was making formula for Amber. He grunts his response and pass me my bowls.

"What are you even doing home?" I raise my eyebrow and start preparing the formula in front of me. "Aren't you and Pine having your weekly bro-date?" I grin when I heard a chuckle behind me. Pine and Colton went way back, having being in kindergarten together. They were always the troublemakers when they were younger. Always pulling girl's hair to get their attention or making fart jokes. It's a shame because Colton could do so much better with his dating life if he set his mind to it. Yet I never said anything because he was happy with his best friend. Thanks to them I met Jax so I definitely wasn't complaining.