Not Even Close (A New Generation) by Elizabeth Reyes (books to read in a lifetime txt) 📗

eyes got, the more upgraded theirtrip to the zoo had gotten. He’d booked the giraffe feedings, something called FlamingoMingle and a behind the scenes tour. He still hadn’t gotten their parents’ permissionto keep them from school Friday, but Byron would play dirty if he had to.Fridays were short days for them anyway. His plan was to show up early at theirplace and surprise the girls before they were chauffeured off to school.

Ali had a stronger backbone than his big pushover brother when itcame to the girls. But even she didn’t stand a chance against baby girl’s big emotionaleyes. Beast would be toast the moment he’d look into those trembling lipsFriday morning, so it was a done deal.

The movie they watched turned out to be metaphorical and a bitover Lucy’s head. Two stray dogs and a cat went on a journey to each find theirway home. It wasn’t until the end when they finally arrived at their destinationthat the viewer and the animals realize each needed to resolve some personal struggle,they didn’t even know they were fraught with before they could arrive. The homeeach one was searching for turned out to be their own personal pet heaven.

On their drive home, Byron attempted to explain to Lucy about theanimals being stuck between life and death because they each had something toovercome before they could get to heaven. Something they needed to learn or finishbefore they could cross to the other side and be truly happy.

“Do people have to do that too?” Lucy asked from her booster seatin the back.

Glancing in the rear-view mirror, Byron’s grip of the steeringwheel got a little tighter. “No one really knows what happens when you die. ButI suppose it could be true.”

“But heaven is a real, right?” Elsa who sat next to Lucywas quick to ask. “Daddy says that abuelita is in heaven but is alwayslooking down and watching over all of us.”

Closing his eyes as they came to a stop, Byron nodded but didn’tcomment.

“Do you think gwahma had something she needed to finish befoh shecould cwos to duh udda side, Uncle B?”

Curse the twist ending to that stupid movie. If Byron had anyidea he’d be taking the girls to see a movie that might have them asking thesekinds of questions he would’ve never taken them to that one. But he refused to gothere and let this line of questioning pull him back into that dark placeagain. He’d managed to stay out of it for too long now. So, the moment he sawit he switched lanes.

“I don’t know, baby girl.” He turned into the shopping center.“Who’s up for frozen yogurt?”

“I am!”

“I am!”

He switched the subject easy enough to talk about their favoriteflavor yogurts instead. By the time they were in the yogurt shop, Lucy was farmore interested in all the different toppings she’d be choosing from and Byronmanaged to snap out of the mood he’d begun to get sucked into.

Note to self: Next time he’d take them anywhere, he’d researchand read reviews before going into it blindly. Idiot.

Two

No Distractions

Vannah

“I got them all, Felix, Abel, De La Hoya and even thatBeast guy.” Vannah spoke into her earpiece as she hurried to get her clothesout of the washer and into the dryer. “I didn’t bother with the other athletes.Most were Dodgers, Lakers and even a few Raider players but I figured hewouldn’t really be into any of them. And no lie, Nena we were there for overfour hours. I was exhausted and starving by the time we were done.”

“Well, at least you got the most important ones.” Nena chirpedhappily. “His collection will be complete now. But let’s get to the mostimportant part. Were the guys there as hot as I’ve heard they are?”

Slowing her pace, Vannah bit her bottom lip feeling her face warmwhen she remembered the hot guy with the delicious smile, she’d caughtstaring at her. “Yes,” she said softly even as her sister squealed.

This had Vannah giggling despite her keeping to herself how she’dtotally blown it at the sight of that gorgeous smile aimed directly at her. Asusual she’d frozen on the spot and glanced away as soon as she’d been able togather her wits instead of smiling back. She’d save herself the lecture becauseshe knew her sister would be all over her being so shy and attempting to be moreapproachable and how a simple smile went such a long way. Vannah knew thisalready and smiling was hardly an issue for her, but she just couldn’t helpfreeze up when she was nervous or taken by surprise like she had been that day.

She didn’t tell her sister about that guy specifically,but she did fill her in on the amount of eye candy they’d seen that day. “Iknew it. Aside from all the hot boxers, Tricia was telling me ever since thatmodel Kara what’s-her-face was discovered there by the owner of that modelingagency who was there being trained by their world-famous trainers, the place isjust crawling now with aspiring models and actors looking to get discovered.”

That had Vannah thinking of that perfect smile. She did spothim talking casually with the Beast boxer. Maybe he was famous too? But hehadn’t been mobbed like some of the other athletes there who even when theywere on a break from the signings could hardly get a moment’s peace. He’dwalked out of there as quietly as any of the other non-famous people. Vannah knewthis for a fact, because her eyes had followed him until he was out of sight.

She sighed even as her sister went on in her usual excited tone.“I’m so going in there the next time I’m in Los Angeles. I heard you can get aone-time free week pass.”

“You can,” Vannah confirmed. “We all got one and I’mseriously considering just getting a regular pass.”

She explained about how you didn’t have to sign a contract. Youcould do it month to month and the student discount made it very reasonable. Somethingshe was counting on since she wasn’t sure how long it’d be before the noveltyof being a member of the famous