Reading Online Novel

Hellion, a New Adult Romance Novel(2)

 
I lean out of the doorway with my lips puckered up to get a kiss. When she caves and gives me one, I smile. “Don’t worry, Mom. When I’m rich and famous I’ll pay to put him in a nice home.” I pull my head in and lock the door before she can get to me.
 
“Quinlan! That’s not funny!”
 
“Yes it is,” I say, going back to my bed. She and I both know I’d never do that, even if it would make everyone’s life a hell of a lot easier. My brother Jersey has the energy of three boys his age and only a very small percentage of their brain power, thanks to an accident on his way out of the birth canal. He’s hell on wheels, but we love him to death. The little shit is probably going to be my roommate when my parents get too old to handle him. And when that happens, I’m going to let him eat all the chapstick he wants. That stuff smells good. Besides, who hasn’t tried a little now and again? None of us ever died from it.
 
“I’ll send him up,” she says, her voice fading as she walks down the hall.
 
“Mom, no!” I shout, stumbling to the door. I throw it open in time to see her disappearing around the corner. “Mom! I have to work!”
 
“You’re an adult. Adults work and take care of kids all the time.”
 
“But he’s not my kid!”
 
“Make it happen, Quinlan.”
 
“Stop calling me Quinlan!” I slam the door shut and let the steam flow from my ears. Dammit. Foiled again. Now how in the hell am I going to get this report done in time for Teagan’s attorney appointment?
 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTER TWO
 
 
 
 
 
MY HEART NEARLY LEAPS OUT of my chest when the big boom hits. When I can breathe again, I jump from my bed and run to the door, opening it up. I expect to find complete disaster on my doorstep, but instead I just find Jersey in a pile, wearing a cape from three Halloweens ago. It’s way too small, but does that stop him? Hell no. He’d still be in his toddler-sized Ninja Turtle underwear if our mom hadn’t thrown them out last year. Jersey has a hard time letting go of the things he loves.
 
He falls into my room, his head landing on my feet. “Hi, Sister,” he says, looking up at me, his expression pure innocence and mostly blank. He almost never smiles.
 
“What are you doing, Jersey?”
 
“Being invisible.”
 
I sigh heavily. “Could you please go be invisible somewhere else? I’m really busy right now.”
 
“Can you see me?” he asks, getting up on all fours and dog-walking into my room. He crawls under my desk and pulls the chair in as far as he can, trapping himself behind the legs.
 
“Nope. You’re totally invisible. Where are you? In the kitchen? Oh, what a great idea. Why don’t you go to the kitchen?” I shut my door and go back to my bed, sitting against my headboard and putting my laptop back on my legs.
 
“Dad said he can see me.”
 
“Dad’s a damn liar.” I tap away at the keys, putting another bulleted point on the list of things I want the lawyer to see.
 
“Dad’s a damn liar,” he says. “Dad’s a damn liar.”
 
“That’s what I said. Don’t wear it out.”
 
“Dad’s a damn liar.”
 
I ignore him. It’s the only way to get him to shut up. He gets wound up with too much attention paid to him.
 
“Mom’s a damn liar.”
 
I can’t help but grin. “You should go tell her that.”
 
“I’m not stupid, you know,” he says.
 
I look up to find him frowning at me.
 
“No one said you’re stupid. I’ve said you have half a brain, but that’s only an expression.”
 
“What does it mean?”
 
I sigh, feeling just a touch guilty. “It means you’re awesome cuz you’re not like other lame kids. Now can I please do my work?”
 
“Dad’s a damn liar,” he says.
 
“Yeah, I know.”
 
“So is Mom. Mom’s a damn liar.”
 
“Yep.”
 
“I’m gonna go tell her.” He crawls out from under the desk. “I’m gonna go tell her right now.”
 
“Good. Go tell her,” I say absently, not really paying attention to him. Another glitch in these stupid reports just jumped out at me and makes me want to slap myself for not noticing it earlier. It’s added another hour to an already too-long project that I need to have done by four o’clock.
 
I’m alone for about five minutes before I realize that it’s way too quiet in the house. With four maniac kids and two loud adults at this address, it’s never ever this quiet, not even in the middle of the night. Jersey’s a sleep-walking maniac so we always have shit going on.