The Best of Fools (Jane Austen Book 2) by Marilyn Grey Page B
Authors: Marilyn Grey
Tags: Romance, Jane Austen, British, American, pride and prejudice, clean, sweet, beautiful, the longest ride, nicholas sparks, long distance, sense and sensibility, the notebook
Ads: Link
wrapped box.
Oh, great. Trying to get to Donov—
"And no, it's not my way of kissing your ass so Donovan comes back."
"Took the words right outta my ass."
Autumn tried to hide her smile and ended up stuffing her face into a pillow as she erupted into laughter. I laughed a little.
"I'm trying to be nice," Zoe said. "I'm really thankful for ev—"
Autumn popped up, holding her stomach and howling with laughter. I couldn't hold back anymore and cracked up as I opened the box, my hands shaking as I tried to control my laughter, and then I saw it.
I stopped laughing.
"Zoe...." I held the gift to my chest. "How...."
She blushed and folded her hands in her lap.
"How did you know?"
Autumn was still laughing in short bursts.
"I pay attention to what you say," she said. "And I noticed in your room that you had like all the Batman collectible figures, except this one. I'm not a huge fan, but my ex was and he got this for me as a gift one year. He's one of those people that like buys whatever he would like and gives them as gifts, instead of figuring out what they might like."
"I don't know what to say."
"I really didn't do it for any reason other than to let you know how thankful I am to be here. I kinda have a bad situation at my house with my brother. I don't know if Donny told you." She looked at me as though that was a question. I shook my head and she continued, "Anyway, it's not good there so this has really helped me."
"I ... I'm...."
Zoe squeezed the life out of me, then walked back to her room.
Autumn slapped her thighs and turned to me. "What the hell just happened?"
"Uh." I looked at the collectible in my hand. The in-the-box-excellent-condition-collectible-of-my-wildest-dreams. "Um ... yeah."
And Zoe? Of all people?
Speechless.
Chapter 14
Astounded by Dad's recovery, his doctor released him two weeks later. He could walk on his own and his speech was a little off, but nothing that would keep him from getting back to life.
Mom served him with even more enthusiasm. Bringing him drinks and snacks and tea while he rested on the couch. He kept telling her to sit down and just be with him. After the fifth time, she sat beside him and they spoke to each other with their eyes.
I understood the speaking with the eyes thing. Autumn and I could do that. Donovan too. But for that long? I couldn't imagine staring into someone's eyes for an hour and not getting bored. Or hungry.
I went to the kitchen and grabbed a tea cake, then made myself some warm milk with nutmeg and vanilla. Weird to be back home and not call it home. I left the love birds to themselves and knocked on Eddie's door.
"Yeah?" he said.
"Made you some milk."
"Come in."
I opened the door. "Technically the cow made the milk, but I warmed it up and added spices."
"Not nutmeg, right?"
"No. Put cinnamon in yours."
"Thanks." He set it on his desk and sat back down.
I sat on the bed and looked around the room. So different from my room. Mine was modern. Bright walls. Yellow and white chevron blanket. Black frames with modern Batman art. Watercolors on canvas. Photos of classical composers. His room, on the other hand, was moody and earthy. Hunter green walls. Brown and tan bedding. No art. No photos. Just wooden shelves he made with his own hands and a bunch of furniture he also made with his own hands. Stained dark when I would've painted them a distressed white or grey. Weirdest part of all ... he collected those trolls from the 60's and 90's. Lines and lines of them decorated his shelves. So bizarre. I'm sure my Batman figures (still in boxes of course) were weird to some people too, but hey ... trolls? Just kidding. I found it endearing.
We finished our milk at the same time and he went back to writing something at his desk. I looked around the room, remembering when we he used to sleep on the top bunk and me on the bottom. We were so close then.
"I miss you, Eddie," I said, still rummaging through memories in my mind.
"Yeah," he said
Oh, great. Trying to get to Donov—
"And no, it's not my way of kissing your ass so Donovan comes back."
"Took the words right outta my ass."
Autumn tried to hide her smile and ended up stuffing her face into a pillow as she erupted into laughter. I laughed a little.
"I'm trying to be nice," Zoe said. "I'm really thankful for ev—"
Autumn popped up, holding her stomach and howling with laughter. I couldn't hold back anymore and cracked up as I opened the box, my hands shaking as I tried to control my laughter, and then I saw it.
I stopped laughing.
"Zoe...." I held the gift to my chest. "How...."
She blushed and folded her hands in her lap.
"How did you know?"
Autumn was still laughing in short bursts.
"I pay attention to what you say," she said. "And I noticed in your room that you had like all the Batman collectible figures, except this one. I'm not a huge fan, but my ex was and he got this for me as a gift one year. He's one of those people that like buys whatever he would like and gives them as gifts, instead of figuring out what they might like."
"I don't know what to say."
"I really didn't do it for any reason other than to let you know how thankful I am to be here. I kinda have a bad situation at my house with my brother. I don't know if Donny told you." She looked at me as though that was a question. I shook my head and she continued, "Anyway, it's not good there so this has really helped me."
"I ... I'm...."
Zoe squeezed the life out of me, then walked back to her room.
Autumn slapped her thighs and turned to me. "What the hell just happened?"
"Uh." I looked at the collectible in my hand. The in-the-box-excellent-condition-collectible-of-my-wildest-dreams. "Um ... yeah."
And Zoe? Of all people?
Speechless.
Chapter 14
Astounded by Dad's recovery, his doctor released him two weeks later. He could walk on his own and his speech was a little off, but nothing that would keep him from getting back to life.
Mom served him with even more enthusiasm. Bringing him drinks and snacks and tea while he rested on the couch. He kept telling her to sit down and just be with him. After the fifth time, she sat beside him and they spoke to each other with their eyes.
I understood the speaking with the eyes thing. Autumn and I could do that. Donovan too. But for that long? I couldn't imagine staring into someone's eyes for an hour and not getting bored. Or hungry.
I went to the kitchen and grabbed a tea cake, then made myself some warm milk with nutmeg and vanilla. Weird to be back home and not call it home. I left the love birds to themselves and knocked on Eddie's door.
"Yeah?" he said.
"Made you some milk."
"Come in."
I opened the door. "Technically the cow made the milk, but I warmed it up and added spices."
"Not nutmeg, right?"
"No. Put cinnamon in yours."
"Thanks." He set it on his desk and sat back down.
I sat on the bed and looked around the room. So different from my room. Mine was modern. Bright walls. Yellow and white chevron blanket. Black frames with modern Batman art. Watercolors on canvas. Photos of classical composers. His room, on the other hand, was moody and earthy. Hunter green walls. Brown and tan bedding. No art. No photos. Just wooden shelves he made with his own hands and a bunch of furniture he also made with his own hands. Stained dark when I would've painted them a distressed white or grey. Weirdest part of all ... he collected those trolls from the 60's and 90's. Lines and lines of them decorated his shelves. So bizarre. I'm sure my Batman figures (still in boxes of course) were weird to some people too, but hey ... trolls? Just kidding. I found it endearing.
We finished our milk at the same time and he went back to writing something at his desk. I looked around the room, remembering when we he used to sleep on the top bunk and me on the bottom. We were so close then.
"I miss you, Eddie," I said, still rummaging through memories in my mind.
"Yeah," he said
Similar Books
