undeniable

34| spicy

"THE BEST APPROACH is to say it like you've already decided. If you make it out like they have a choice then they're always going to say no." I whisper to Sam later that night, walking through my house.

"Honestly, bubba, I think you're delusional. Plus Ricky already hates me, let's not give him a reason to hate me even more." He whispers back, grabbing my waist and tugging me to the side when I almost run into a wall cause I'm looking at him.

"He doesn't hate you."

"Well, he sure doesn't like me."

"He doesn't fancy you," I say, and he just gives me a look.

"I don't think that helps much, sweetheart."

"You're so pessimistic, Samuel." I chide, and he rolls his eyes, walking down the steps with me.

"The first time he talked to me he said 'I don't like you, kid, but I love Maddie so I'll make it work'. I don't think I'm being pessimistic by facing the facts, I think I'm being realistic."

"I'm sure he doesn't mean that he probably just wanted to scare you," I say, walking through the kitchen to get to the living room.

"I seriously doubt that, but I appreciate your optimism."

As soon as we're in the living room, I blurt out, "Goodnight, I love you all, Sam is staying over, make sure to swing by for breakfast cause I'm making waffles."

Turning around and quickly tugging Sam with me cause that idiot is currently saluting my family, I hear Ricky say, "Woah, don't think you can just rush past that. What'd you say, little girl?"

"I said I'm making waffles tomorrow, make sure to bring the whipped cream." I keep pulling Sam into the kitchen so we can go up the stairs, but he seems to know my plan isn't going as swimmingly as I had hoped.

"If Sam wants to stay the night, that's fine by me, but he either takes the couch or the guest room and you keep yourself planted in your bedroom. No sleepovers."

"But he's done it before! Plus I haven't gotten the chance to wash the sheets in the guest room and they're probably sex sheets! You know the current state Lia's in, it's implied what went down in there." I reply, and Maya stifles laughter.

"Hold up, Sam has slept over here before? In the same bed as you?" Ricky demands, and at this point I know I've screwed up.

"Only twice."

"Three times, actually. Don't forget that one time you snuck him into the house, but you both slept on the couch." Emmy pipes up and I gape at him.

"How did you know about that?" I demand.

He taps the side of his nose. "I may be an idiot but I'm not stupid."

When I give him an unbelieving look he shrugs and admits, "I was sneaking out to go get oatmeal cream pies from the Dollar General down the road."

"When have we ever made it an option to have boys sleepover? And in your bed with you?" Ricky asks, bringing my attention back to him.

"The boys were okay with it."

"They shouldn't have been." He turns to my other brothers and they all share guilty looks.

"In our defense, he's a well-behaved kid." Ollie tries, and Ricky just sighs and massages his temples.

"I'm a well-behaved kid. That's new and I think it might be a compliment." Sam whispers to me, and I roll my eyes playfully, shoving him off me.