Free When To Let Go by J.M. Sevilla Page A

next to Ava, eating whatever food she hadn’t finished yet. Wes was always hungry, but he seemed to grow inches a day so it made sense. He joked around with his sisters and when lunch was over he walked her to class.

Chapter 11
Blurred Lines
    Parker watched his sister and the Baxter triplets get out of Maggie's car.
    As they passed through the garage, he called his sister over to where he was fixing a broken go-kart.
    The day after he graduated high school, Noah had informed him that he and Malik were thinking they needed an on-site mechanic and offered Parker the job, knowing college wasn't something he was interested in. Parker immediately accepted, loving every minute of it since. The best part of the job was that he still got to see Violet every day, even if it was in passing.
    He kept that part to himself.
    “How'd it go today?” He asked his sister, knowing all summer she'd been stressed about starting ninth grade.
    “It wasn't so bad,” her voice was almost cheerful, which made Parker smile.
    “Good. I'm done in an hour. I want to take you to dinner and hear all about it.”
    Her eyes lit up.
    Parker loved that he had that back, that their relationship was as strong as it used to be. He owed it all to Noah.
    “Can we go to Fazoli's?”
    “Wherever you want.” He knew the only reason she liked to go there was because of the dessert menu. It was the best in town, and nobody loved desserts more than his sister.
    Ava happily gave him a hug before heading inside to join Wes and Maggie.
    Violet stayed behind to check on her car.
    He wiped the sweat that glistened on the top of his buzz cut.
    When he'd buzzed off all of his hair Violet gave him so much shit for it. She made fun of him that he had taken his admiration for her father to a whole new level. Parker always defended that his was kept shorter than Noah's and that it felt better in the desert heat. She'd just smile at him in that coy way that always read, “I call bullshit, so I'm going to internally laugh at you about it.” He loved and hated that smile, it was sexy and infuriating all at the same time. Just like her.
    “Feel good to be back at school?” He taunted, already knowing how she felt.
    Violet hopped up on the counter near where he was working. He always made sure it stayed clear for that purpose.
    “It was awesome. Can't believe I'm lucky enough to get to do it again tomorrow.”
    Parker chuckled, admiring her long legs in way-too-short shorts out of the corner of his eye. He couldn’t decide if he liked her eyes or legs the best. Both were works of art.
    He went over to his tools that happened to be right next to her. He didn't need anything, he just wanted an excuse to get closer. It was a game they played but never acknowledged.
    His arm brushed along her thigh as he switched tools.
    In return, she brought her fingers out to touch the bare spot on his bicep, “When are you getting this done?”
    His eyes went to the only patch of skin on his left arm that wasn't inked.
    On his eighteen birthday Stevie gave him his first patch of ink and he’d been addicted ever since.
    Now it was a way for the two of them to bond. Any time he figured out a design he wanted, Stevie happily tattooed it on. They'd chat about music and movies, which it turned out they had similar tastes in.
    “Still not exactly sure what I want.” That was a lie. He knew exactly what he wanted for that spot, he just didn't have the balls to do it and knew it was the only thing that belonged there.
    Her fingers trailed down his arm as they left to curl around the edge of the counter.
    “Did it really seem to go okay for Ava?” He wanted it from her perspective, knowing she wouldn't hold back on the truth.
    “She definitely had a doe-eyed look all day, but all the freshman did. Wes walked her to all her classes, I think that helped.”
    Parker would never admit it, but if his sister had to find a boyfriend, Wesley Baxter was the only boy he'd allow (even though he wanted