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

❦Thirty-One❦

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 I wasn't sure how to read Easton's expression right now. It was unreadable to me. I couldn't tell if he was annoyed, concerned, or confused about what Eli said. 

Everyone else in the room seemed to be doing exactly what I was which was sneaking a glance at Easton.

His blue eyes continued staring back at Eli---the thirteen-year-old still wearing that grin he'd inherited from his dad. Easton's brows furrowed while slowly tilting his head before turning his gaze onto me. I stared back in silence, still trying to read the way he was looking at.

"Should I be worried?" he asked. Something I wasn't expecting, to be honest.

I raised a brow, looking at the others---more particularly Thea and Dennison---but they all shrugged. 

Helpful...

I shook my head, grinning as I rubbed the back of my neck and shrugged a shoulder. I explained to Easton that Lincoln and I ended on good terms, so there was nothing to worry about. 

"For you..." Jonah snorted, reaching into Eli's Dorito bag. Eli's brown eyes widened, watching his uncle's hand slowly emerge with not one but a handful of chips. The teenager's mouth dropped open, his gaze following the handful of stolen chips. Then Eli's stunned look turned into a scowl and curled his lip to growl at Jonah.

I narrowed my eyes---temporarily ignoring the stink eye Jonah's nephew was giving him---and asked for clarification on what the older Dennison twin said.

"Well, yeah..." Jonah shrugged a shoulder, shoving the handful of chips into his mouth---something that made Eli suck in a breath and watch with horrified wide eyes. While chomping, Jonah muffled, "Ju might be good wiff him... but he might not wiff 'im!" he pointed at Easton while raising his brows.

Jonah's wife sighed, shaking her head at her husband's inability to chew with his mouth closed while Dennison mumbled a scolding at his brother that he was spitting chips everywhere. 

"You're wasting 'em!" Eli cried, slapping his hand at the air between him and his uncle who was attempting to steal more chips. 

The older Dennison twin scoffed with a grin, "Sharing is caring, Eli! Now give me the bag!" 

"No! Get your own!" 

"I would... But yours is closer."

"Mom!"

Thea sighed, frowning, "Eli! Jonah! Stop it!" she looked at her son and scolded him that he shouldn't be eating so many Doritos to begin with. That he was spoiling any room for dinner. Eli stopped, straightening while tilting his head and lowering a brow. It was a real 'You're not serious?' kind of look that Dennison seemed to support since he shrugged a shoulder and reminded his wife that their son's appetite was different than normal growing boys.

For a moment, Eli's brown eyes shifted to his dad who wasn't looking at him. I could see the way Eli stared up at Dennison like he was seeing him for the first time. His bottom lip stuck out in a slight pout before turning away to his mother who rolled her eyes and muttered that Dennison was always defending their boys. 

"Especially Eli," Thea grumbled, giving Dennison a look.

Her husband stared at her for a moment then shrugged before turning his attention elsewhere. I noticed this and apparently so did Eli who let his gaze drop to the floor. 

For months, Eli had been distant from Dennison. 

Since the return of Maddox, Eli couldn't get enough of him. He'd express how much he missed Maddox and that Maddox would appear in the middle of the night to warn Eli about his little brother's nightmares. Then he'd tell Maddox about Eli's and Maddie's newfound abilities to see flashes of people from touching certain objects, like the dirt from the supposed grave that was on me that one time.