Conspicuous Secrets

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I hadn't been so comfortable in weeks. Keeping my eyes closed, I didn't move a muscle, knowing that this feeling wouldn't last forever. For the first time in years, I had slept without having a nightmare. It was a good feeling.

Realizing the object I was laying on shifted, I opened my eyes. I was leaning into Kason's chest and his arm was wrapped around me. I didn't move so he wouldn't know I was awake. Glancing across the room I saw my brother sitting on the recliner, staring at me with an amused grin and a knowing look in his eyes. We had once had a conversation about me starting to like Kason. That feeling had definitely intensified since our exchanged words.

Sitting up, I pulled away from Kason and stretched, knowing that if I continued to pretend to be asleep, Jaxon would say something and make everything awkward. Kason looked at me as I stretched out my back and grinned softly. "Good morning," he said.

I smiled closed-lipped in return. My brother stood from his chair and left the room without saying a word, leaving Kason and me alone. "We fell asleep?" I recalled once my brother was out of sight.

He nodded, glancing away for a split second. "Yeah. We did."

"You guys better get ready if you are wanting to go find some breakfast in town!" Jaxon called from the boys' bedroom.

Without saying a word, we both sighed and stood from the couch before going our separate ways.

As soon as I walked into the girls' bedroom, Aria and Marla stopped rummaging through their drawers in the dresser and grinned at me knowingly. "What?" I questioned, seeing the teasing look in their eyes. I grabbed my suitcase and began looking for something to wear.

"You and Kason fell asleep on the couch together," Aria told me matter-of-factly.

Nodding, I pulled out a pair of black leggings and an emerald green sweater. "Yes, thank you, I'm aware of that," I replied.

"You looked pretty comfy," Marla added, closing the dresser drawer after pulling out pants and a shirt.

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up."

"You totally like him!" Aria suddenly shrieked.

My eyes widened and I ran to the door and made sure none of the boys were outside of it. None of them were in sight and their room door was closed. I quickly closed ours. "Will you keep your voice down?" I shrieked in panic.

"She really does!" Marla agreed, turning to Aria.

"It totally makes sense! She went ballistic when he fell yesterday!" Aria told her.

I crossed my arms. "Oh, please. We all went ballistic," I reminded them. "We thought he died."

Marla looked at me and lied down on her bed on her stomach. "Not as much as you did."

I breathed. "Again, please shut up."

Aria was smiling brightly from ear to ear. "I found you a boyfriend!"

"You did nothing."

"But I told you that I'd get you one soon," she said. "And it's happening."

"Not really."

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Oh, just let me enjoy this, please."

At that time, my brother appeared in the doorway. Spotting Marla, he collapsed on the bed beside her and hugged her from behind. "What are we talking about?" Jaxon asked smiling as Marla leaned back into him. "How cute Kason is?" He laughed obnoxiously at the glare I gave him, and Aria looked at me with a hint of worry in her eyes.