Hope for Her (Hope #1) by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle Page B

kisses across my collarbone. He made no mention of his phone call. He thought his sweet kisses would distract me.
    “Will you come?”
    “Yeah, okay.”
    My stomach churned. I prayed the apprehension I felt was all in my head.
     
     

Chapter Twelve
     
    Carrington Olivia Butler
    As we got closer to the stadium, my anxiety increased and my self-esteem deflated.
    "Are they going to like me?" I asked.
    "They will love you." He squeezed my hand. Josh grew quiet and distant as the stadium came into view.
    "Are you sure about this?" I asked.
    "It's a little late to turn back now," he mused.
    "We don't have to go to the game. We could hang out in Tampa. I've never been," I said.
    "You don't want to meet my family?" he asked. His eyes cut to me, and I grabbed his bicep and squeezed.
    "No, of course I do." I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "You just don't seem comfortable with me meeting them."
    "No, it's not that. I haven't seen my sisters in a few months. I don't know how they're going to react."
    "React to what?" I sat back waiting to hear what I already knew. Jessica's conversation was running on a recorder in my mind.
    "Last time we were together, it was kind of tense. We made up over the phone, but I haven't seen them since."
    "What happened last time?"
    "Oh, you know, family crap. It's going to be fine." He squeezed my leg as we pulled into the stadium.
    The parking pass allowed us to drive up close to the stadium. We parked the car and walked through the stadium gates. The noise of the crowd's enthusiasm abated my nerves a bit. I figured we were at a ballpark, America's pastime.
    What's the worst that can happen?
    We headed into the elevator up to the suite of seats in the middle deck. When we found the right suite, Josh pulled me aside and held my wrist; I wanted him to hold me, give me a moment of his attention. I needed some reassurance to help calm my nerves. I needed to hear how he felt about me.
    Instead, he looked me up and down, as if inspecting an inanimate object. He brushed my hair away from my face and straightened my shirt. He rubbed my lips with his thumb, nodded and grabbed my hand. His lips brushed against my earlobe, but as I leaned into him, he whispered a warning, "Be yourself,” then he turned away and dragged me into the suite after him.
    We walked into a chaotic scene of flashing lights, moving colors, cheers, and laughter. Fifteen people stopped, turned, and watched us as we entered. I held onto Josh's arm tighter than intended, and he adjusted to get me to loosen my grip. Four kids, all under the age of eight, ran over to Josh and attacked him. He leaned down to embrace them, but it resulted in him letting go of my hand as they clamored for Uncle Josh’s attention.
    I was jealous.
    A few people returned to the game, but two of the women in the room headed in my direction.
    I stiffened at the sound of my name.
    "You must be Carrington," a tall blonde with hazel eyes said as she gave me a squeeze on my shoulder. I flinched but hoped she didn’t notice. The smirk on her face confirmed she did. An amused expression spread across her face. "My name is Amanda, and this is Erin."
    Erin stood in front of me; she gave me an awkward wave, and I waved back. Both sisters stood taller than me and taller than Josh. They shared the same blond hair, but Erin's eyes took on an unnatural green tint. They were both dressed in conservative pantsuits, designer labels I was sure. Amanda's suit was fitted to her frame, but Erin appeared uncomfortable, and her ill-fitting clothes made it worse. Made her look harsh and out of place. I imagined she would have been more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt. I looked down at my jeans and fitted wrapped shirt and felt as uncomfortable as Erin appeared.
    "Nice to meet you both," I said to Amanda, "Josh has told me a lot about you."
    Amanda smirked. She knew I was lying. Strike two.
    Josh made it off the floor and introduced me to the kids before his sisters could