That Day by Karen Deen (best novels to read in english txt) 📕

“Hey, no fair. You got a beer and Mr. Fun Police gave us water.”

“I’d like to see him try that with me.” Pulling his foot up on top of his opposite knee, Seth takes a long draw on his beer. “What smells so good? Has Barb been cooking again? Why wasn’t I born as one of her children? I mean, I’m like her favorite pretend son, so she should cook for me too, right?”

“You wish. As if you can compete with the golden boy upstairs. Apparently, he’s Mr. Perfect.” Jodie rolls her eyes at him.

“I can confirm he is a big ten in the perfect department,” I say, and both of them groan at me simultaneously. “What, it’s true.” I can feel my cheeks warming up with the attention on me, and my drunken mouth can’t seem to keep shut. “I mean, no man has ever done what he can do to me in…”

“Stop!” Jodie screams out.

“It’s going to be a long night, I can see.” Seth laughs at us. “I think the plans of setting up the security system in your house just went out the window. The party is definitely happening here.”

Jodie pouts. “Party? This isn’t a party. There’s no dancing. Oh, shit… that’s what we should do. Let’s go out to a bar and dance. How long since you went out partying, Asha?”

“Over four years, probably. I don’t really get to have a life.” Oh man, I need to shut up now.

“Not happening.” Kurt’s deep voice joins the conversation.

“Again, with the fun police shit. We want to go out and party. What’s the problem?” Jodie stands up in front of him.

“Because it’s not safe,” is all he says, walking towards the kitchen after giving me a kiss on the top of my head.

“But Asha really wants to go. You and Seth will be there. You can protect us; what can possibly go wrong?” I can’t help but giggle at Jodie almost begging her brother.

“Famous last words, Sis. Eat first and then we’ll see.” He moves around the kitchen shifting bags and getting plates out.

“You do know I don’t need your permission, I’m a forty-year-old woman,” Jodie sasses, hands on her hips.

“Uh huh, who I just walked in on, sitting on my kitchen floor with my girlfriend, giggling over an empty ice cream carton and eight empty bottles of cider. So, moot point. Back me up here, Seth.”

He throws his hands in the air. “Hey, you’re on your own here, brother. No way I’m arguing with women who are bingeing ice cream and alcohol. It just ends in tears.” Walking towards me, Seth puts his hand out and helps me stand, placing his hand on my back until I steady myself.

“Whatever. Feed us now and then we can go clubbing, right, Asha?” Jodie says, looking to me for my answer. “Come on, you need to stick with the sisterhood here. Don’t let Mr. Bossy over here rule your life.”

“Jodie!” he snaps. I can see he is trying to be patient with her but is also concerned about me.

“Let’s eat and see how we feel.” I sit at the table and he gives me an appreciative smile. “Although I really would like to go out sometime, you know, to the real world.” I look up at him with my pleading eyes.

“Man, you’re so done for,” Seth says, taking his place at the table, and Kurt rolls his eyes and looks at the ceiling for help.

Placing his mom’s beef stroganoff in front of us, I can’t help but laugh on the inside.

He reminds me of my dad. I knew I would wear him down and get what I want in the end. This is just him trying to act like he’s the boss.

But truth be known, if Kurt really thought I was in danger, there is no way we would be leaving the house.

KURT

“Tell me again why I got talked into coming to this club?” I grumble, sitting on a stool watching Asha and Jodie out on the dance floor.

“Because you are pussy-whipped, and also because you have a big sister who is scary when she wants to be.”

“True that.” Seth and I tap our glasses together.

He’s drinking light beer and I’m on water. He knows the drill. I need to be fully alert to be out in a place like this with Asha.

I feel like I’m back on the job, super alert and watching every person around her. The abusive message I got from both Scott and then shortly after, Davina, when we parked the car outside was enough to remind me of what can happen in crowded places.

But looking at Asha out there on the dance floor makes me understand more of what living in WITSEC is like. It’s necessary for survival but also so cruel.

Looking around the room again, I see Scott sitting at the bar, probably also sipping on a water or an orange juice. He gives me the death stare every time I look at him, which pisses me off a little, because his job is to be watching Asha, not me. Yet I’m torn. His eyes on my girlfriend all the time is next-level for me to try to stop the boyfriend instincts from kicking in.

I mean, tonight she is out in the middle of the floor with not too many people around her, dressed in a skintight dress that is midnight blue and shimmering in all the lights. It’s way too short, and when we walked in, I kept trying to tug it down a little on each side without her knowing. Until Jodie whacked me in the arm and told me if I stretched her top, she would kill me. Apparently, it’s her favorite top that she would normally wear with little shorts, yet with Asha being so short and my sister taller, they decided it would make a great dress.

I made sure I whispered in Asha’s ear that she was