Chasing Blue

Chapter Ten

CHAPTER TEN
KOLBY

My mother, Alexis Lyn Talbert-Bradford, makes the best cupcakes. I don't know what addictive substance she mixes into their fluffy batter, but, every time, without a doubt, I am left in awe in lieu of my rejoicing taste buds. Maybe it's because I don't live at home anymore and my idea of a home cooked meal is a Jimmy Dean's microwaveable breakfast, but mom's food has somehow gotten better. And I'm not even kidding. Sadie looks like she has died and entered heaven where she sits at the bar, scraping the mast bit of cake batter from the bowl as Mom begins to busy about, cleaning dishes and wiping down every possible surface with a damp rag.

The twins are currently MIA. According to Mom, Jess is at his girlfriend Raya's house, and Drew is out playing a pick up game of football at the small park down the street with some of his friends. Which means the only people currently at the Bradford residence are Mom, Sadie, Dad, and me. And Dad is still up in his office, filling out some form of paperwork no doubt. But, that's what happens when you own a real estate business — the paper flow never ends.

Eighties country floats from the Bluetooth speaker sitting on the counter, and briefly I wonder if it sits at the same place Willa had when she and Drew had been caught, but I quickly bat the intrusive thought away — I'm trying to lick the mixer thingies completely clean, here.

And speaking of licking — Indigo isn't here yet. For whatever reason, I cannot get her out if my head. Confessing to Braden this morning had made my sudden onset feelings for her all the more real, and sitting barely five feet away from Sadie has my heart racing. I wonder if she can hear my lies, or smell my deceit. Fuck, I hope not.

              "Can you believe it," Mom's rambling about, I don't know if she's talking to me, or to Sadie, or hell, she's probably talking to herself.

              Sadie and I share a quizzical look. Believe what, we both seem to ask one another.

           "Oh, you two don't listen worth a shit," Mom pouts, adding another dish to the sink.

              We both fervently shake our heads, "We were listening," I promise.

             "Yeah?" She cocks a brow, "What was I saying then, huh?"

             I lick my lips, Sadie twirls a piece of her hair around her finger.

             "Oh, you two are little fuckheads, you know that?" Mom throws her blonde hair into a bun, the same exact one Sadie sports. "I said, I can't believe that both Jess and Drew got scholarships to Calum! All four of you!"

             My head bolts uptight. Jess I had known about — he plays football, just like me, but Drew plays baseball. Catcher. And is damn good. "What?"

Mom nods proudly. Drew is her baby boy. He's the youngest of the four of us — actually, that's pretty much bullshit, him and Jess are twins for fucks sake, but alas, being born two minutes and thirty six seconds after Jess, Drew is Mom's sweet, do no wrong baby. Except for fucking girls on counters, that is.

"Yup, Coach Classaun wants him — wants him something fierce, too," she praises. It's so sweet, how fiercely and unconditionally she loves us all. No matter what we do, she continues loving us so full heartedly. I don't know how she does it. All of the arguments she gets into with us, all of the angry words we don't mean, how does she barely bat her eye?

"Oh my God," Sadie squeals, "Mom! How come you didn't tell us?"

Mom throws her hands hl, flicking soapy water in each direction, "I just did! For fucks sake, Sadie Heather, open those ears and listen every once in while instead of dreaming about boys with tattoos!"