Effortless (Thoughtless, #2)(84)

“I’m sure Griffin misses you, Anna. He wouldn’t still text you if he didn’t.” I hoped that sounded encouraging, but really, their relationship still mystified me.

Anna rolled her eyes and scoffed, bringing her feet up onto the couch that our mom was anal about keeping clean. “Whatever…I’ll see him when I see him.” Her voice was a little strained and I thought she almost looked misty-eyed…but I couldn’t really tell.

Shaking her head, she looked over at me. “When’s Kellan coming up?” I looked out the living room archway to the kitchen, to see if either of our parents was listening. Mom was carving up a turkey, the sound of her electric cutting knife filling the air. Occasionally I could hear her snapping at Dad to stay out of the olives. Smiling, I figured they were engrossed in their own activities and couldn’t hear me. I didn’t want to bring up Kellan’s arrival any more than I had to.

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“Don’t know.” I lifted the phone I had in my other hand. “He’s going to call when he knows for sure.” As if on cue, the cell buzzed in my palm. I blinked at the contraption as Anna started laughing.

Shaking my head at Kellan and his timing, I read the text message on my screen. ‘I can’t wait to see you tonight. I’ll be in around nine. Should I meet you at your parents’ place?’

Giggling that this was actually going to happen, I texted back a reply that was horribly impractical. ‘No, have the cab take you here…’

I texted him the address of my most favorite park in all the world. I knew it was romantic and sappy, meeting up at a secluded spot instead of just having him come straight here, but he’d been gone for an eternity, and I wanted to shower him in affection before introducing him to my parents. Plus, he had said that he wanted to see all of the places I loved.

‘Okay, it’s a date. I love you.’

I texted that I loved him too, then held the phone to my chest as I sighed contently. God, I’d missed him. Anna just stared at me, an eyebrow raised. “Huh,” she muttered.

Adjusting my posture so I didn’t look so school girlish, I shook my head. “Huh, what?”

She smiled, then kissed my head. “Nothing…you’ve just got it bad, Kiera.” She frowned, just slightly. “I hope…I hope you get what you want.”

I started to ask her what she meant but she stood up and left the room.

Maybe she was just starting to have twisting feelings about Griffin and she was transferring that doubt onto my relationship with Kellan. If she knew something…I was sure she’d tell me right away. Sister’s code and all.

The rest of that day went by so slowly that I felt like another couple of months had gone by. Kellan and I being together again, even if it was just for one night, and he had to leave again tomorrow, was the best 235



Christmas gift I could have asked for. Better than any material object in the world.

Everyone dressed in their finest for our Christmas Eve meal. It was just the four of us, but we’d always fancied the meal up like we were serving the Queen; Mom even brought out the good china. Dad dressed in his favorite sweater vest, looking very academic and proper, like he should be in a leather-bound chair, smoking a pipe while discussing Thoreau. Mom put on her pearls, her dress neatly steamed and pressed. I scrounged through my old closet and found a simple black dress. Anna outdid us all in a sleek, fitted red dress that she nearly spilled out of.

Glancing at the clock on the wall as the food was set so appealingly that even Martha Stewart would be proud, Mom said, “Should we wait for Kellan, dear?”

My dad twisted his lips, not thrilled that a lazy, drug-smoking rocker was about to throw off his Christmas traditions. I didn’t bother telling him, again, that Kellan wasn’t like that. Instead, I sighed at the seven o’clock time staring me in the face. “No, he’s still a couple of hours away.

I’ll save him some for when he gets here.”

Mom nodded and began serving slices of poultry. Dad raised an eyebrow at me. “You know, we never fully went over where he’ll be staying, Kiera…it won’t be with you.”

Sighing, I looked down. “I know, Dad…no boys in the house.” Geez, you’d think I was still fifteen.

Anna crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t be ridiculous, Dad.

Where exactly is he supposed to stay?” She pointed her finger out the window, to the main part of the city of Athens in the distance. “There were no rooms at the inn on Christmas Eve, remember?”

“Anna,” Mom warned, her visage disapproving of my sister’s analogy.

Anna sighed and shrugged. “Just saying, things are going to be full.

You can’t just kick him out if he’s got nowhere to be…that’s not very merry.” I smiled, loving that Anna was sticking up for him. Remaining 236



quiet, since Anna could sometimes sway our parents more easily than I could, I watched my dad frown, then consider.

Rubbing his lip, he thought for a moment. Finally, he raised his eyes to me. “He can stay in the tent out back. I’ll set it up after dinner.”

“A tent? Dad!” I finally exclaimed. “It’s snowing outside…he’ll freeze to death.” Crossing my arms now, I added, “You were going to let Denny stay with me last year…in my room.”