Conspicuous Secrets

Chapter Fifty-One

I posted Chapters 50-51 so make sure you are reading them in order!

"You know, we need to have another "Boys' Day" before you guys leave," Holden spoke up. "The three of us haven't hung out without the girls and done guy things in over a month."

"What is considered 'guy things'?" I asked.

"We can't tell you because you aren't a guy," my brother told me matter-of-factly.

"By 'guy things', he means: hanging out at his place, ordering Chinese food, and playing video games," Kason explained with an amused curl at the edge of his lips. I laughed.

"Then let's do it," my brother spoke up after a moment, hitting his hands on his thighs. "Delilah and I are leaving in two days. Two days," he emphasized. "And we don't know when we will come back."

I nodded, agreeing. "Go hang out as guys today," I told the boys. "We girls can hang out here with Lucy. We can all meet up again tonight and have a late movie night." Everyone looked between each other, looking like they were intrigued by the idea. "You are going to want this memory," I told the guys. All three of them nodded.

"Alright," Kason said from beside me.

"My place?" Holden asked Gavin and Kason. They both nodded and made their way to their feet.

I had to sit up in order to let Kason go with them. "Are you sure you'll be okay here without me?" he asked me. I slipped him a small thoughtful smile and nodded. "Do you want me to take you to the doctor instead?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "I'll be fine, Kason. You and Lucy lived. I will, too," I told him. "Go have fun." With a nod, he grinned softly and kissed me on the forehead.

My brother turned to me. "If anything happens—if you have the slightest suspicion that Charles is around, you call me."

I nodded. "I will." With that, I watched all three of the boys head out the door.

"So, what do you want to do?" Marla asked once the boys were gone.

"Paint nails, gossip, girly things..." Aria answered.

"I want to play dolls," Lucy spoke up. She had been sitting quietly most of the morning, combing her doll's hair and keeping to herself.

Marla and Aria nodded at her and smiled. "Looks like we are playing dolls."

The three-year-old grinned brightly. "I'll go get some more!" Pushing herself to her feet, she ran up the stairs, disappearing from view.

Coughing, I curled into a ball and cuddled into a couch pillow.

"They got you sick?" Aria guessed. I nodded, feeling my whole body ache.

Once Lucy brought a couple more of her dolls down, Marla and Aria joined her in combing out their hair. I played it safe and just watched them, not wanting to spread my sickly germs around. They played dolls for a good two hours before they played in her toy kitchen for another hour and then played a couple board games.

"Can we make brownies?" Lucy as they finished their game of Uno.

Aria nodded. "Sure. Do you have the stuff to make them?"

Lucy bobbed her head. "Daddy bought stuff."

Marla and Aria followed her into the kitchen and after a few minutes of gathering up the strength and motivation, I followed them in and sat down at the dining table. Marla was finishing up looking through the kitchen cabinets. "There are no boxes of brownie mix," she observed.