fourteen;

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Thursday morning, as expected, Alex arrives in his truck to pick me up from the hotel lobby. He's dressed in a black long sleeved tee and dark wash jeans that he's paired with his usual pair of worn-in black Timberland boots.

"Hey," he greets me, leaning over the console to press his lips to my hair. "You look gorgeous."

I roll my eyes in an attempt to brush off his compliment, but my heart still reacts, pounding in my chest. I haven't done anything particularly special to my appearance, though Hazel did insist that I wear a dress before she left. Much to her disappointment I had picked something more conservative: a long sleeved charcoal grey sweater dress that I paired with flat heeled brown leather boots.

I pull off my bright blue wool mittens once I'm inside the truck and warm my fingers against the heating vents.

"Did you seriously bring your book bag?" Alex asks with a grin, gesturing to my backpack on the floor.

I let out a huff, my lips twisting into a pout. "Of course I did. I wasn't lying when I said I was using the break to prepare for finals." My bag is packed with pajamas, a change of clothes for the ride home tomorrow, my laptop and charger, biology textbook, flash cards, and several notebooks from my classes. I suppose packing light isn't in my vocabulary.

"Just a fair warning, don't let my family scare you off. My sister can be a little...exuberant," Alex warns. "And she gets it from my mother."

I shake my head at him with a smile. "I'm sure they're both lovely women."

"And you gotta cut that polite shit out, Mabes. Otherwise they'll eat you alive."

"So I can't be nice?" I tease, rolling my eyes.

"You're never nice," he retorts with his trademark grin.

I purse my lips and reach out to pinch his cheek. "Shut up, I'm the nicest and you know it."

✖️✖️✖️

I don't know what I was expecting the cabin to look like, maybe more like an actual cabin made with logs and a fireplace. Even though the one we arrive at has wooden siding , it also has a garage, two floors complete with a basement, and large windows that overlook the mountainous landscape. It's anything but the modest cabin in the woods I was expecting. But then again, I guess that's Aspen for you.

Alex reaches out a hand to rub my bare leg reassuringly after noticing my awestruck look. "Are you ready to go inside?"

I'm suddenly a bundle of nerves at the realization that I'm about to meet Alex's family. As his date.

"I don't know if I'll ever be ready," I admit honestly.

"Come on Mabes, don't flake on me now."

I allow him to lead me inside, and Alex holds my hand the entire walk up to the door while I fiddle anxiously with the strap on my bag. His touch helps to weaken the icy grip of my anxiety just enough that I'm able to walk in a straight line.

A woman with graying golden-brown hair pinned back into an elegant bun greets us at the door. She smiles warmly, her brown eyes crinkling at the outer corners. "I thought that was you," she says, pulling Alex into a hug.

He returns the embrace and then gestures to me. "Mom, this is Mabel. Mabes, this is my mother."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Woods," I murmur, waving my fingers at her in greeting.

She purses her lips and then rolls her eyes. "Oh please, Mrs. Woods is what my students call me. You can call me Martha."

"Ok...Martha." Her name feels awkward on my tongue, but I push through it, hoping that she doesn't my struggle.

She grins and a matching set of dimples appears in her cheeks. "Great. Dinner should be done in about an hour. Alex, your dad and sister are in the rec room downstairs. Go and say hi, would you?"

Alex sheds off his coat and takes mine to hang them up near the door.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to Dad and Lizzie." He places a hand on my lower back, his touch warming me even through the thick material of my dress, and brings me down into a furnished basement. We find a woman with pale lavender colored hair sitting next to an older man on a sofa in front of a flat-screen television. She's beautiful of course, but I'm not entirely surprised. The two of them are talking and laughing together, not paying us any mind.

Alex grins mischievously and holds a finger in front of his lips to keep me quiet. I nod in understanding, cocking my head to one side in curiosity.

He sneaks forward, ducking low so his reflection doesn't show in the TV, until he's hiding behind the back of the couch. In a flash, he springs back up, grabbing the girl from under her arms and yanking her out of her sitting position. She lets out a terrified yelp, waving her arms around to fend off her attacker. Alex maneuvers his hold until he's holding the purple-haired girl over his shoulder.

"What the fuck Alex? Get your ass out of my face," she grumbles, crossing her arms over her chest as she hangs limply over his back.

"Alex, put your sister down," the man on the couch sighs. He doesn't bother to look away from the screen, but he runs a hand over his face and shakes his head. "And Lizzie, watch your mouth."

"Yeah Alex, put me down," Lizzie repeats, reaching out to pinch her brother's calf muscle.

I watch the display of sibling rivalry in amusement, trying my hardest to smother my laughter.

"Fine, you asked for it," Alex grumbles back. His hold on her legs loosens and Lizzie lets out a startled cry.

"Wait, wait! Don't drop me, asshole!"

"Elizabeth Marie!" Their dad barks out a laugh and finally turns to face his children. "Just because you're twenty-four doesn't mean I won't go grab a bar of soap for that mouth of yours."

She sticks out her tongue at him before pinching Alex's leg again.

"Would you quit it?" Alex says with a chuckle, trying to keep his legs from her reach.

It's no use, and the two topple over into the ground in a heap of laughter.

He gets to his feet, holding out a hand to help Lizzie up. She takes it, and once she's standing, she punches him in the arm. He feigns hurt, rubbing at the place she hit him dramatically, and then yanks on her hair.

"Nice hair, I bet mom just loved it," he teases.

She wrinkles her nose. "Nice face, I bet the girls just love it."

"It's no shave November," Alex says, scratching at his growing beard. Thankfully, "no-shave November" didn't stop him from trimming it, so the facial hair that's grown in is shaped with his jaw and not scraggly. "I haven't had any complaints."

"You're a pig. Now introduce me to your girlfriend." She gestures over to me and shoots me a grin. "It's rude to just leave your guest unattended."

Alex rolls his eyes and crosses the room to wrap an arm around my shoulders. "Mabes, this is my Dad," he points to the man on the couch who waves his hand at me, "and...well, there's no one else worth meeting."

"Prick," Lizzie mutters under her breath. She strides forward, coming to stand in front of me. "I'm Lizzie. You must be Mabel."

I offer out a hand for her to shake but she stares back at me as though I've grown a second head. "What's a nice girl like you doing with my brother?"

"I'm great in bed," Alex deadpans, causing my cheeks to ignite.

"Alexander," their father groans, getting to his feet.

I can see where Alex gets his height from. Both Martha and Lizzie aren't short by any means, but their father is tall and built for his age. His hair is jet black and a salt and pepper scruff lines his jaw.

"You're going to give poor Mabel a heart attack speaking like that. Just look at her, she's as red as a tomato."

"Naah, she's used to it. Right, Mabes?" Alex ducks his head to press his lips to my forehead, which does nothing to stop the heat that continues to spread across my face.

"It's okay Mr. Woods," I squeak.

"Go ahead and call me Harvey, sweetheart," he corrects me with a warm smile. "Now come on you three, lets play a friendly game of pool. Winning team gets to break the wishbone from the turkey."

"Why don't we make it a little interesting and put some money on the table?" Alex suggests, shooting me a sly wink as he follows his family members to their pool table.

My eyes widen and I rush to catch up with him. He can't be thinking what I think he is...right?

"So have you played pool before, Mabel?" Harvey asks as he begins racking up the numbered balls.

"Yes" I answer truthfully, shooting Alex a meaningful look. I'm not about to scam his family out of money the first time meeting them. Or ever.

"Are you any good?" Lizzie asks, pulling a stick off the far wall.

"She can definitely kick my ass at it," Alex pipes in with a chuckle.

A wide grin spreads across his sister's face. "Well good, I'm glad someone can put you in your place."

We start the match, and the teams aren't what I expected. I had thought that I would be with Alex, but Lizzie quickly calls the game to be a battle of the sexes. Apparently whenever they play a game for the wishbone—whether it be darts, pool, or a video game—Martha usually plays as well, and it's mother and daughter versus father and son. From what they tell me, their mother is pretty much the queen of pool, and I have a lot of expectation to fill her place. The winners get $75 each from the pot and get to break the wishbone.

It's a close game, and much to Alex's disappointment, Lizzie and I end up winning. Martha comes down the moment Lizzie is in the middle of her victory dance and she's wearing a frilly pink apron and a pair of oven mitts.

"I'm guessing Lizzie won?" she jokes.

"Yeah," Alex grumbles sullenly.

"You can break the wishbone with your sister if you want," I offer, but he shakes his head.

"I don't want a pity prize, Mabes."

"Don't be a sore loser, bud," Harvey says, clapping him on the back.

"Come on boys, I need you to carve the turkey. Lizzie and Mabel would you mind helping to set the table while I put the pies in?" Martha beckons the four of us to follow her back upstairs, and we all comply. She seems really sweet, but something tells me she's not to be messed with.

"If you think you'll be uncomfortable alone with Lizzie you don't have to set the table," Alex whispers to me as we leave the rec area, trailing behind the rest of his family at a comfortable distance. "She doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut."

"I like her. She seems cool," I tell him reassuringly.

When we reach the top of the stairs he presses his warm lips to my cheek before we go our separate ways. He heads into the kitchen with his father while I follow Lizzie into the dining area.

"You seem like a nice girl," she says conversationally, handing me a stack of dinner plates. "Since my brother obviously intervened the last time I asked, I'll try again since it's just us girls. How did someone like you end up with my douchebag of a kid brother anyway?"

"He can be very sweet," I answer earnestly as I begin setting the table.

"Sweet?" She echos uncertainly, testing the word as if it doesn't fit. "Alex? He's a foul-mouthed jackass."

I stifle a laugh into my shoulder. "Sometimes, yeah."

Lizzie steps around to the other side of the large dining table, setting down silverware as she walks. "Let me know if my brother hurts you, okay?"

Startled , I look up to find her watching me with warm brown eyes.

"If you haven't noticed, he's a little late to the dating game," she says lightly. "He's probably going to mess up a ton and hurt your feelings, but I doubt it'll be on purpose. Just show him a little patience and I'm sure he'll come around."

"Thanks Lizzie."

"Yeah, yeah," she replies, waving me off with a wide grin. "He seems to care about you a lot, otherwise you probably wouldn't be here, but that doesn't mean he still won't be a dick from time to time. If you ever need anything just let me know."

I return her smile wholeheartedly, a giddy feeling rising up in me from being accepted so readily by Alex's sister.

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I really loved writing the scene between Alex and Lizzie. It's always nice to have some upbeat fluff.

Anyone else happen to have an annoying younger sibling? I've found that you end up getting closer to them the older you get.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to comment/vote/add this story to your reading list if you want more 😉😉

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