Ever since the apple orchard, things have been tense between Nash and me. We both came out of our bedrooms, and he looked at me as I glared at him.

"After you," he said.

"Oh, no, after you." 

"Oh, no, I insist." 

"Fine." 

"Fine." 

"Great." 

"Fantastic." 

We sat at breakfast across from each other as no one said anything. Nixon sat next to Nash while I sat next to Noah.

"Nixon, could you pass me the syrup, please?" I asked, even though the syrup was near Nash.

"Ask Nash since it's right by him." Nixon gestured at Nash while he ate.

"I don't want to ask Nash. I asked you," I spoke through gritted to him.

"Fine. Nash pass Maggie the syrup," he said. 

I sat there, waiting.

Nash picked up the bottle of syrup and passed it to me, causing it to hit my plate and my plate to fall into my lap. "Oops." He snickered.

I let out a frustrated sigh, picked up my plate off of my lap, and set it back on the table. I scraped my pancakes off my lap and put them back on my plate.

"Noah, pass me the butter," Nash told Noah.

"Ask Maggie," Noah replied as he continued to eat.

"I asked you." 

Noah shrugged. "Maggie, give Nash the butter."

"Gladly," I said with pursed lips. I picked up the butter, threw it at Nash, and hit him in the chest with it. "Oops, I'm such a terrible shot." I smirked, enjoying Nash getting hit with the butter.

He gave me a frustrated look as he cleaned the butter off of him. That was all it took before food went flying between us, causing the others to take cover or get out of the way.

We finally ceased fire when he looked at me. "You know what?" He leaned on the table with his palms.

"What?" I leaned on the table with my palms as I came face to face with him.

"You're a temperamental little girl!" 

"Well, you're a jerk!" 

"And you're a brat!" 

"Well, you're a tool!" 

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, this tool wants to kiss you!" 

"Well, then, why don't you?" 

He reached up, placed his hand on the back of my head, and pulled my lips to his as he kissed me, taking me by surprise. I tensed as he kissed me, but I relaxed, reached up, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him back.

"Told ya," Pat told Nate. Nate rolled his eyes.

He pulled back and said, "I like you."

"Well, I hate you," I replied in kind.

"I don't care because I want to kiss you again." He pressed his lips to mine and kissed me again.

"You hate him, and he likes you. And we're one big happy family. Thanks for ruining breakfast, you twits," Nixon said. 

We stopped and looked at him.

Pat sent us upstairs to clean up while they cleaned up the kitchen. The brothers weren't happy about having to clean up our mess. Oh, well, they'll get over it. After taking a shower and changing my clothes, I came out of the bathroom.

Nash came out of his room, and I stood there waiting for him to say something. He walked towards me as I fidgeted in my spot then watched as he walked past me. Well, okay, then. I went back downstairs and got more food. I walked over to the table but changed my mind and went back upstairs. That kiss was a mistake.

"Did I miss something?" Nate asked Pat.

"We all missed something," Pat said, looking at Nash, who was busy eating his breakfast.

"Uh, Nash," Noah said, getting Nash's attention.

He looked up. "What?"

"Ma's giving you the stink eye," Nathan said.

He looked at her. "What?"

"My son is a tool," she said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

I sat in my room while eating my breakfast. All I could think about was that kiss. Did Nash want to kiss me, or was it something in the heat of the moment? It's Nash Gray. Nash Gray would never be interested in someone like me, and none of the Grays would be.

I'm a girl that got dumped on them by her parents. Since the day they left, I haven't heard from my parents - no phone call, no letter, no postcard. It's like they forgot me. I sighed. And now I have a guy that says he likes me, kisses me, then acts like nothing ever happened. FML.

After I finished my breakfast, I took my plate down to the kitchen and heard Nate on the phone with someone.

"Brian, please don't do this to her. Yes, I know we said we would take her, but you said you would also be back. You can't do this. She's your daughter. What do you mean, it's not your problem anymore? Fine. You know what? Have a nice life, you selfish prick," he said, hanging up his phone. He turned to see me standing there. "Maggie." His expression held a mixture of anger towards my father and sympathy for me.

"That was my dad, wasn't it?" I didn't need to ask since I already knew, but I figured I would go through pleasantries.

"Yeah, he said your mom and him are having a good time and miss you." He tried to ease the painful truth.

"That's a lie. My parents don't miss me. If my parents did, they would have called me or sent a postcard. They're not coming back, aren't they?" I couldn't even look at Nate. It was nice to know no one wants you.

"No, I'm sorry, Hunny. But I guess you'll stay here as long as you want." 

"Thanks, Nate. Don't worry. After I graduate, I'll find a place, and it's a lot to take on another kid when you already have five."

"Maggie, don't worry about it. You're a part of our family, and I'm sorry that you have piece of shit parents." 

"Yeah, I am, too. I know my parents never wanted me, and I was an interruption to their lifestyle. It's funny. I grew up around all this money but only wanted a family, you know?" 

He looked at me. 

"It doesn't matter. I learned a long time ago that no one wants me, and I'm only someone to deal with."

Nash stood by the doorway and listened to the whole exchanged between his dad and me, wincing that I felt unwanted. When he heard me walking towards the door, he made a hasty retreat upstairs.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Nixon asked.

"No, I heard Dad on the phone with him, then Maggie heard it," Nash said.

"Dude, that's messed up," Noah added.

"Tell me about it." He sighed.

"Besides her having losers for parents, what about the elephant in the room that you're avoiding?" Nathan asked him.

"What elephant?" 

"Not only did you tell her that you liked her and kissed her, but now you're ignoring her," Nixon answered.

He looked at them. "I don't know. What if Maggie doesn't like me back?"

"Dude, she freaking kissed you! She likes you," Nathan said.

"You think?" 

"Oh, yeah," they all said.

"Okay, now what?" 

"Go tell her that you like her, you tool," Nolan said. 

They all looked at him. 

"What? Do you disagree with my statement?"

"He has a point," Noah said.

"Okay, but if this blows up in my face, I'm kicking all your asses," Nash said.

"It won't. Now stop acting like a whining little bitch," Nixon said.

Nash got up and opened Nixon's door, walking diagonally to my room. He knocked on the door. Then he stood there, rubbing his palms on his pant legs.

I opened the door. "Nash?"

He pulled me into a kiss. Butterflies form in my stomach. "I'm an idiot. I like you, Mags. I didn't think you'd like me back. Say something because I'm dying right now."

"Okay." 

"Huh?"

"Okay, I like you."

"Really?" His face lit up.

"No." 

His expression changed to dejection. 

I said, "Just kidding." I grinned. 

He gave me an annoyed look and pulled me into another kiss. "You're a funny girl. Do you know that?" He spoke against my lips.

"Well, I live with funny boys." I shrugged. "Funny looking, that is."

"Oh, ha, ha." 

I giggled.

"I like you, and you like me......." 

"And we're a one big freaking happy family! It isn't Barney. Ask her out already!"

"That damn Nixon." 

I couldn't help but laugh. 

He turned to face me. "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

"Yes." I smiled.

"Great." He backed away from me.

"Great." 

"Awesome." He walked out of the room, and then I realized he never said when. Well, shit. He popped his head in the doorway. "A day and time would work?"

"Yep." 

"How about tomorrow night, around five?"

"That would be good." 

"Great, I'll see you then."

He left as I stood there. See me then? We live in the same house. Well, this was an interesting dynamic.