Firebomb (The Jewel Project #2)

02.2|| The Babysitter

Grandma blinked and broke eye contact. "I think they're from your mother's side. If I remember correctly, your grandfather had green eyes."

"I never noticed Jerry got his color from you. I always thought it was from Dad."

Grandma huffed. "Oh, Sam, the color is too different. I'm sorry Freider didn't inherit my color and rather his aunt's. I must say, you three... I mean you five, are wonderful combinations of your relatives." Her eyes became teary as she glanced from one to the other. "Though I'm amazed all of you got your grandfather's hair and didn't turn out redheaded."

Oh, so that explained the jet black hair. "Why would we be redheaded?" Sam asked. As far as he knew, no one in the family had red hair.

"My mother was a redhead and..." Her voice trailed again and tears brimmed from her eyes.

Sam frowned, wondering why his grandmother had turned so sentimental. Probably thinking about her long dead mother and husband. Was no conversation topic safe with this woman?

"Anyway." She forced a smile. "You should consider yourselves lucky, handsome boys. Few have the good fortune to be part of such a diverse family."

So they weren't adopted. Not that Sam had seriously considered that, but he'd had his fun with it. He opened his mouth to ask to be excused again, but he jumped once Kyle's phone started ringing, sending blaring rock music through the room.

Kyle looked at the screen and answered immediately. "Hey, Jess."

Sam straightened in his chair. Jessie? Why was she calling Kyle?

"Yeah, we're good." Kyle looked at Jimmy and mouthed, "Where's your phone, dumbass?"

Jimmy immediately started searching his pockets, but he'd clearly left it somewhere else. He and Tom weren't exactly used to carrying cell phones around seeing as they didn't have any before.

Kyle rolled his eyes and shook his head as though Jimmy was hopeless. "Nah, don't worry. I'll get it from him. Bye. Head's up!" He threw the phone to Jimmy who caught it with ease and left the room.

"Kyle, I don't approve of this behavior," Grandma said, swelling with indignation.

"You wouldn't approve of much of my life, I'm sure." Kyle said it with a smile that seemed to melt Grandma. Her eyes became teary again, and she stood.

"I think I'll retire for the rest of the evening." She threw Kyle one more glance and hurried away, sniffling.

Kyle frowned in confusion and looked to Jerry as if expecting to be told he'd done something wrong, but Jerry only shrugged.

"I wish Angie would call," Tom mumbled, stretching out on the couch.

"What's up with you?" Sam asked. "You seem oddly depressed."

Tom lifted his sunglasses on top of his head and looked at the ceiling. There was a swirl of emotions spinning behind his pupils: doubt, disbelief, sadness. Sam shuddered and wished Tom would put his sunglasses back on.

"I'm not depressed." Tom finally said. "I'm just confused. I'm not used to being part of something, of a family. It's weird. I feel strangely... caged."

"You feel caged. By your family," Sam said skeptically.

"Of course he does," Kyle said, stretching back on the armchair. "I wouldn't be forced to sit through this shit at Max's place. I could do whatever the hell I wanted whenever the hell I wanted. Now everyone's breathing down my neck. No offense, Jerry."

"Yeah, what he said," Tom said pointing to Kyle.

"Rules offer security," Jerry pointed out.

"Yeah, what he said," Tom said pointing to Jerry. "See why I'm confused? I feel great having a family, but I kinda miss my old life, too."