Sidelined Read Online Free PDF

lightly squeeze his shoulder and then walk out into the kitchen.
    I pour him a glass of water from the dispenser in the fridge door and take it to him. He completely ignores me as I set it on the table, but I don’t mind because his fingers are nimbly pushing aside the piled-up pieces at the side as he looks for what he needs.
    I lightly brush my fingers over his shoulder and leave him to it. It’s crazy, I know. The first time Cal told me how Dad was dealing with it, I laughed. Until I realized he was serious. Now, it’s both happy and sad. Sad because he has to do something like that to keep his mind, but happy because he has s omething like that to keep his mind.
    “Okay?” Mom asks, lifting her eyes to mine as I reenter the front room.
    “Fine.” I smile. “He’s really into those puzzles now, huh?”
    “He has been for a while,” Amy answers, her eyes on the television. “I helped him complete the last one. I think it was a Paris scene.”
    Smile and nod, Macey. “Great. I’m sure he appreciated it.”
    “He did. He said the help was nice.”
    “Hey, babe,” Cal says, touching Amy’s arm. “Could you get me a coffee?”
    Amy frowns but gets up. “All right.”
    As soon as she’s out of earshot, Cal leans forward and hisses, “Behave!”
    “Me?” I widen my eyes. “I didn’t even say anything to her. She’s the one who threw her bitch at me!”
    “Mace,” he warns.
    “No. Why the hell are you with her?”
    “I can’t answer that with our mom in the room.”
    “Oh, Lord. Are you two teenagers or in your twenties?” Mom snaps quietly. “Mace, we all know you don’t like Amy, and it’s clear she doesn’t like you back, but for the love of my remaining sanity, can you not fight?”
    “I. Didn’t. Say. Anything.”
    “Cal,” Mom sighs.
    “I know.” He leans back. “I’ll talk to her, all right?”
    “Better,” I mutter under my breath.
    “You know, you’re still smaller and weaker than me, Sprout.”
    I give him the finger as Amy walks back in and shoots a disgusted look my way.
    Cal returns the gesture, and a minute’s eye contact leaves us both grinning. His girlfriend might be a bitch, but my brother is still the coolest guy ever. Even if he did break all the heads off my Barbies when I was seven. Bastard.
    “So, Mace,” Mom says before any tension can tighten up. “You usually call when you’re coming over and I do dinner.”
    “I know, Mom. I just…felt like stopping by.”
    “Or you’re running from something again,” Cal observes.
    “Or I just felt like stopping by.”
    “Macey Jay Kelly, you never go anywhere without calling first. You even call me before we meet for an arranged lunch to make sure we’re still doing it,” he snorts. “What are you running from?”
    Double bastard.
    I sigh and tuck my legs beneath my butt. “I met this guy, and well, we hooked up.”
    “I need a cup of tea,” Mom mutters, scurrying out of the room.
    “Carry on,” Cal prompts.
    “And he seems to think we can have something more serious, and yeah, no.” I shrug a shoulder. “He called earlier, Ryann made me answer the phone, and he said he was coming to my place at six. So I kind of stood him up.”
    “Coming to your place for what?” My brother’s lips tug up.
    I stare at him flatly. “Pizza and sex. What else?”
    “And who is this guy?” Amy inputs. “Anyone important?”
    “Important…how?”
    “Well, this is L.A. Like, important famous?”
    Yeah, Macey. This is L.A. Obviously, everyone here is famous.
    “Oh, well, I guess,” I mumble, scratching behind my ear. I guess. Ha!
    “Well?” Cal pushes. “Who is it?”
    “This conversation is already way too intimate.”
    “Macey.”
    “Jack Carr!”
    “The football player?”
    “No, the fucking astronaut.”
    Amy’s jaw drops open. “As in, L.A. Vipers’ running back?”
    How does this chick know him and I didn’t?
    “The same guy,” I answer slowly.
    “Oh my god.”
    Words I have said several