Vex by Addison Moore Read Free Book Online Page B

hit the family room. The last thing I want is to experience this Countastrophy without him here to view it with me live, and in person.
    There’s a knock at the door, and I backtrack to let Gage in.
    I bite down a smile before kissing him. I love the fact Gage is able to teleport anywhere, well, just about.
    “Merry Christmas.” He pushes out a killer grin before dotting my lips with a bonus kiss. “I have a gift for you,” he says it seductive.
    “Is it in your pants?” I don’t hide the sarcastic inflection.
    “Funny,” he makes a face. “But yes, it’s literally in my pants.”
    “Well, then we’ll have to exchange gifts as soon as this fiasco is over,” I say, pulling him into the family room with me.
    We walk in to find Melissa seated next to Ethan with her arms locked tight around his waist. She’s smiling like crazy through tears. Sprinkles, the rat-dog, as Tad now affectionately calls him, humps away on Ethan’s shoe. It makes for a disturbing family picture, but Drake snaps it anyway.
    “God!” Drake muses staring into the image on his phone. “You look totally the same, like you haven’t aged a day.”
    That’s because he hasn’t.
    “Does he have to be here for this?” Tad points over at Gage standing innocently by my side.
    “He’s family,” my mother admonishes before pulling out a chair for me.
    “You are,” I whisper in his ear and watch the apples of his cheeks darken a shade as he pulls me in. It’s strange how the entire world can unravel, people can come back from the dead and inject themselves into our lives, but none of it impacts our love for one another.
    “OK,” Tad claps his hands together. “Mia, Skyla—Gage,” he says his name with disdain. “There is something I haven’t shared with you. About a month after my wife passed away, my oldest son, Ethan,” he pats his hand in his direction, “disappeared from our lives. We’ve had sporadic communication, and just when we thought he was coming back, we didn’t hear from him again, until this wonderful morning.”
    “It’s a Christmas miracle!” Melissa belts out the words in his face as she squeezes her arms around him. He plucks her off in haste and averts his eyes to the ceiling.
    It’s a miracle all right.
    “So please, Ethan,” Tad plucks a chair from the dining room and flips it backwards before sitting. “Tell us everything, and for God’s sake tell me you’re home for good.”
    “Oh, I’m fucking home,” Ethan gives Tad a hard look, and I gasp into Gage. Ethan’s really painting himself to be the devil Landon. Who knew they could get worse than Tad?
    He must have really took it hard when his mom died to run away like that , Gage says, rubbing my arm. If I were Tad’s son I’d probably consider the same thing. But then again, he was killed, so things didn’t really work out that great for him.  
    “Where’ve you been?” Tad tries unsuccessfully to siphon information out of him.
    “Here and there.” Ethan is a stone. His entire face is frozen in a hard stare. He’s not even really warming up to Melissa who hasn’t stopped pawing him.
    Sprinkles trots over to his other foot, and Ethan swiftly launches him across the room.
    “Hey!” Mia barks.
    “He didn’t mean it,” Melissa is quick to defend. “Sprinkles can be totally annoying sometimes.”
    “So,” Tad continues his quest for knowledge, “are you enrolled in school? It’s your senior year, you should be living it up.”
    “Nope.” His hands stretch across the back of the sofa, and he openly belches in Melissa’s face.
    Gross.
    Melissa wretches as she jumps off the couch.
    “Ethan, I demand you tell me something. How did you find us? Will you stay with us? You’re a part of our family. I really think you should consider this.”
    “Stop hounding me alright, Pops ?” Ethan roars over to Tad. “I’ve been hanging with a couple friends, and no, I haven’t been to school, but yes, I will get my ass back to class.” He