Crushed by Leen Elle Read Free Book Online Page B

poking his head in the doorway.
     
    "Hey." She answered back, setting down the box she'd been moving in her room. For the better part of the day Sophie had been arranging her things, oblivious to the world outside her bedroom. The sound of Teddy's voice had jolted her back into reality, and she glanced at him in surprise.
     
    "Rob fixed us dinner." Teddy mumbled, not daring to meet her eyes. His lips were stuck out in a pout, and his brow was furrowed, the very picture of indecision. Teddy looked like he was bursting with curiosity, but his loyalty to Robert was telling him not to get close to Sophie.
     
    Glancing at her watch, Sophie realized it was after six o'clock. Time had flown by while she was fixing up her room, and she was still far from done. Her room still seemed like the same chaotic mess from earlier.
     
    "Oh, okay." Sophie wondered if this was Teddy's way of inviting her to eat. She took a hesitant step towards the door, debating whether she should go downstairs or not.
     
    "Are you hungry?" He continued, still not looking at her.
     
    "Kind of." Sophie said, putting a hand on her stomach. She hadn't realized it until now, but she was starving. "What's for dinner?"
     
    "Spaghetti." Teddy said glancing at her curiously.
     
    "Am I invited?" She probed, feeling like an idiot for being so awkward. She wasn't used to being around kids, and she felt like Teddy wasn't the average child.
     
    "Duh." Teddy rolled his eyes, but his lips curled into a smile. He finally pushed her door all the way open, and stepped inside. "Hurry up!" He motioned for Sophie to follow him as he backed out of the room.
     
    "Okay." Sophie hid her grin.
     
    As they walked down the hallway towards the stairs leading to the first floor, Teddy didn't take his eyes off of her. His curly black hair continuously fell into his eyes, causing him to constantly brush it backwards. His sharp green eyes were wide with interest, and he seemed excited at the chance to talk to her.
     
    "What happened to your hair?" Teddy asked her quickly.
     
    "I cut it all off." She replied, frowning.
     
    "Why'd you do that? It makes you look like a boy." Teddy couldn't fathom why she would do something so strange, and truthfully, Sophie wasn't sure how to explain her behavior either.
     
    "I wanted to." She answered, trying not to get offended. He was only a child, and he didn't mean it to be rude. "Haven't you ever wanted to do something for no reason at all."
     
    Teddy shrugged away the question. "Well, Rob said he likes it, so I guess I like it too."
     
    "Who likes it?" Sophie froze on the first step, and watched Teddy clump down the rest.
     
    "Rob." Teddy repeated, looking frustrated. "He said we should consider you a boy."
     
    "What?" Sophie was at a loss for words. She'd been momentarily flattered by the fact that Robert had said he liked her hair, but this next part threw her off guard.
     
    She followed after Teddy, wanting to catch up to him before they arrived in the kitchen. However, by the time she'd reached the bottom of the staircase, he'd already burst through the kitchen door. "She's coming." He announced loudly.
     
    Taking a deep breath, Sophie braced herself for what she would find in the other room. She expected that neither Robert or Gwyn would be especially happy to see her, and she wondered if she should've declined dinner. She was still a stranger, and it was presumptuous of her to try and join in on their family time.
     
    The moment she entered the kitchen, her eyes locked with Robert's. He was leaning back in a chair, staring at her with a smug expression on his face. His eyes searched her, trying to focus on something to find fault with. Once again, Sophie felt like he was challenging her, but she had no idea why. She was momentarily captivated by his expression, but the sound of Teddy's voice woke her up again.
     
    "Come sit down!" He ordered, motioning to the chair sitting beside of him.
     
    Sophie reluctantly complied,