Thrive by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie Read Free Book Online

more concern
and then she addresses Rose and Ryke. “You both realize that they have no
privacy outside and inside their
relationship, right?”
    “You tell ‘em, Poppy,” Lo says, leaning against our dresser
with crossed arms. He’s smiling in amusement. Our other two siblings look like
they could tear out his jugular.
    “He’s an addict,” Rose says. “I don’t trust him with our
sister.”
    “And she’s an
addict,” Ryke retorts. “I don’t trust her with my brother.”
    Poppy raises her hands, coming in peace. I stay quiet. This
is my role in my loud family. “It just seems, to me, that you both have trust
issues…and maybe you need to have a little more faith in them.”
    “Just so everyone knows, I have a new favorite Calloway
sister,” Lo proclaims. He almost looks like he could high-five her.
      I do like having
someone completely on our side, champions for our relationship. It feels good.
    “No offense,” Ryke tells her. “You weren’t there when they
were fucking enabling each other.”
    “No offense,” Poppy retorts, “but I’ve been here their whole
lives. I’ve seen Lily when she’s sad and I’ve seen Lo when he’s angry.”
    Ryke just nods a few times, his shoulders relaxing. “I’m
sorry then,” he tells her. “I don’t know you that well.”
    Poppy looks a little taken aback by his sudden kindness. She
says quickly, “Me too.”
    I clap my hands. “So if that’s it—”
    “Not even close,” Lo says.
    “We’re going out,” Poppy explains, running her fingers
through my hair as she gathers strands to braid.
    “Like to a club?” My brows furrow. That doesn’t sound like a good idea.
    Rose stares at me like I’ve seriously lost some brain cells
inside this room. “No, not to a club. There’s a Comic-Con in Philly this
weekend. We’re all going.”
    My eyes light up. Yes! I almost bounce to my feet, but Poppy has my hair hostage.
    Then my face falls as I seriously consider this. “Wait…I
didn’t hear about a convention.” Are they lying to me? “Is this a trick?”
    Lo already has his phone out and he passes it to me. I still
only have a shitty flip phone without internet, which thwarts any temptations
to look at porn, but it also keeps me bored. I cup his phone in my hands like
it’s a treasure. And then I quickly skim the advertisement for the small
convention.
    “Wait. Wait.” My lips slowly rise in a big smile. “The
director for the new X-Men movie is
going to be there?”
    Lo grins. “Yep.”
    “Okay, we’re going.” I pause. “Wait. Wait.” My face falls.
    “What is it?” Lo asks.
    I hand him back his phone. “What about the crowds? If
someone sees us, they’ll stop us to take pictures or ask us questions…” I trail
off. Conventions are already kind of crazy. But this craziness will surround us.
    “That’s where Lo and I have been talking,” Rose says.
    “We’re going to dress up,” Poppy cuts to the chase.
    Rose glares at our oldest sister. “I was getting there.”
    “She seemed antsy,” Poppy refutes, finishing tying my hair
off. “Done.”
    Rose tilts her head at Poppy. “She looks five.”
    “She looks cute.”
    “Jesus Christ, she looks fine,” Lo interjects. “Can we get
back to the topic here?”
    “Wait,” I smile.
    “If you say wait one more fucking time…” Ryke threatens, so irritated. I think my voice alone
annoys him.
    Whatever.
    He can’t burst this rare joy. “You’re all going to dress up in costumes? For me?”
    Poppy shares my smile. “I think we’d all do a lot more just
to see you happy, Lily.”
    It’s that kind of honesty that almost brings tears to my
eyes. Poppy has her arm around my shoulder, a maternal force that I suddenly
recognize in this moment. Even when my mother wasn’t warm and kind to me, Poppy
always was.
    I wipe my cheek and bite my lip to keep the happy tears at
bay. “I just have one question.”
    They wait for me to ask. The room calm and quiet, unlike
before. When I