Wingless, book 1 of Wingless Series

Headaches

I squeeze my eyes shut, the light is blinding. I don't want to get out of bed. But I know I need to.

I throw the covers off. I can smell breakfast and hear my family downstairs. It's a typical morning.

I search for something to throw on turning to open my closet and scream.

"I'm sorry, Eve. You're mother said to let you know breakfast is done," my sister's husband says, pulling the door shut.

I throw on my robe and open the door.

"Thank you, Mark, I hope you got your cheap thrill." I push past him.

"It wasn't a cheap one." He winks.

"Gross." I slam the bathroom door.

***

My sister stops chewing as soon as I come into the room.

"Good morning, Eve," she says, smiling.

"Hannah." I raise an eyebrow. He already told her what happened. My face grows hot.

"I don't understand why you think Mark seeing me naked is funny," I say, praying my mother didn't know.

"I'm sorry, Eve. We didn't know you slept in the nude. Most people sleep in pajamas." She grins.

"Flannel ones right? I bet you own about a hundred pairs." I smile.

She wipes my nephew's face. He stares at me with big eyes, unaware that his father ogled my breast.

Dad clears his throat. "Eat up, Eve." He pushes his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and goes back to his paper.

I rub my head in slow circles and bite into a chunk of my melon, snagging some bacon and toss it on my plate giving Dad the thumbs up sign.

I don't enjoy any of this. They do. I would have been fine eating alone in my room. I just want relief from my pounding headache.

I watch Delilah, my niece coo at my mother. To the baby Mom is amusing.

Gray stuffs his face without a breath in between. He's heading out to play basketball.

My family is robotic. All on track, all headed for the same place.

"What are you thinking about, Eve?" Mom asks.

"Nothing," I say, I finish my juice and carry my plate to the sink tossing it in with a clang.

Outside the world is my oyster. I sigh, the cool breeze soothes my headache. I lean back against the porch swing and shut my eyes.

"Feeling better," somebody asks me.

It's Ace. And he is looking even more attractive than I remember.

"No, not really," I say, sitting up. I smooth my hair.

"Did you take some aspirin?" he asks, as if he cared.

"Yes I did, Doctor."

"Good." He sits down on my porch steps. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, just swinging," I tell him.

Gray opens the door. "Can I help you with something?"

Ace stands, he's taller than my brother and I am very happy about that.

"Not that I'm aware of. When I think of something I'll be sure to let you know though, bud," he says. "I was talking to Eve. We met the other day."