Chapter 40: Chapter 40

I smack his cheek before he can tell him my name. "Ouch what was that for, sis?" He whines and turns to me and Keenan I turn uses the opportunity to enter.

"Because you have a big mouth and an empty brain. There's a reason he calls me Sofia."

"Because he doesn't know your real name?" He asks and I nod.

"Where's your phone?" Josh asks, wiping his hand with a towel as he comes out of the kitchen.

"There are two?" Keenan asks in shock.

"Three," Jake replies from across his room, something tells me he has been around for a while just watching us.

"Ah!" Keenan gasp in fear. "Three?" His surprise and disbelief can be felt from a mile away.

Who can blame him? He is the first outsider to have seen the three Js at the same time in a long time.

"Who is he?" Jake ask.

"A stranger who lost his way here." I sarcastically reply. Oh no, Taylor, two aren't stupid you know.

See what you've gotten me into.

"He's not the phone you threw outside is he?" Josh raises an eyebrow at me.

"What?"

"What?" Keenan and I ask at the same time.

"Of course not"

"Who is he?" Jack ask. "Spill or I'll spill your name."

"What?"

I never thought a day my kid brothers would gang up on me like this would come.

Before I can speak, Keenan does. "We met last night and my name is Keenan and you guys are her little not so little brother."

"Well, we are her younger brothers," Jake says to Keenan, moving over to Keenan and offering him a handshake. "I'm Jake." They shake hands and I want to mentally pull my hair at how friendly they are. "That over there is Jack, he's the mouth of the family and the other weird one is Josh." He explains to the still surprised and confused Keenan.

"Urm nice to meet you all."

"He looks and smells rich, where did you catch him from?" Jack whispers into my ears and I almost rolled my eyes.

I can't say I'm surprised.

"Clear your thoughts, I'm not going after him." I clench my fist, "he's not my type."

"What? Excuse me? I didn't get that last part 'cause I do not speak Latin."

I turn to flash him a threatening smile. "That makes the two of us 'cause I don't speak stupid."

"I see you're interested in my sister." Jack raises his voice. "She going to cost you, red hair, probably everything you've ever have."

Jack is not referring to the expression side of the "cost you everything you ever have," he is referring to the literal side of it and the only reason there's still a dumb smile on Keenan's face is because he does not know that.

Or maybe he does understand what Jack means.

"Well, I do not care being broke just to have a girl like her you know." As he says this, he turns and winks at me.

My cheek goes red and I grit my teeth to control myself.

Unlike Rory, someone is ready to give up everything and just fight for love.

"Aren't you guys suppose to be in school?" I ask, desperately wanting us to change the topic of our discussion.

"The annual state race I told you was coming up and I, Mike, and Marco were the three top runners and I was doing a one hour race every morning starts next week Monday and we are not having any classes until it's over." He explains happily.

"You're a runner?" Keenan asks with an interesting look.

"Yep, I am."

"That's amazing! I'll be at the competition."

Jack put an arm over Keenan's shoulder before saying. "I like him already, Taylor, you have my blessing."

He called my name, he just fucking called my name!!! I shut my eyes, mentally trying to rewind what big mouth just said, or at last hope, Keenan didn't hear it, but as I hear Keenan ask "Taylor?" I know that the deed can never be changed. "Your name is Taylor?"

Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling about this?

"Yes. Taylor, that my name." I glare at Jack who shrinks away from beside Keenan as he begins to approach me. "It's just an ordinary name for an ordinary girl." I try to chuckle, but it comes out as a whimper.

"Taylor..." He says again, this time deep in thought. "Is there any chance that your surname is Snowfall?"

My eyes narrow at him, which is disbelievingly intense. "Yes."

"Oh, fucking Judas!" He turns away. "I should have known, I should have known!!! Nerdy glasses, tomboys dressing, blonde hair, blue eyes, outwardly challenging, incredibly daring, dangerously pretty, most of all too good for me."

I'm gonna say it, I do not get what he's saying.

I walk to him and turn him to look at me. "What's wrong with you?"

His eyes stare into mine with a half sad, half apologetic look. "You're Rory's girl!" He exclaims like that's something everyone knows.

I frown, "I'm not Rory's girl, how do you even know my full name and that you were mumbling just now how did you know."

He covers his face as though struggling to keep himself on the sane part. "That's because Rory told me."

"Why would he do that?!" Rory has no right to give my info to anyone, much less a stranger! I fold my hands and look up at him. "Who the hell are you then?"

"I'm Keenan, Rory's best friend."