"I still can't believe you're staying with sex gods" Paige shrieked. Spitting toothpaste into the sink, I took hold of my phone and stared at her with a blank face.

Maybe face timing her wasn't the best idea. She hasn't stopped talking about them since I decided to call her to tell her about this whole fiasco.

"Can you shut up about them already?" Feeling irritated, I ran my toothbrush under the faucet and rolled my eyes as she continued to ignore me.

"Hell no! You haven't gave me enough time to interrogate you?" With a tinge of a smile, I unlocked the bathroom door and quietly proceeded to my new room. "How am I meant to write about this in my blog if you- oh my god are you outside their bedrooms?!" Her voice in an excited whisper, I pushed open the door and shut it firmly behind me.

"A, You're not writing some creepy article to go on your blog. B, you need professional help" Reaching my hand to my ponytail, I pulled off the hair tie and let my hair hang messily from my scrawny shoulders.

"Um A, freedom of speech, okay? As a resident of the land of the free, I know my rights chicka." I sighed inwardly as I tried to prop my phone up by the desk. "B, you need professional help if you're seriously not thinking about riding Noah Carter until the cows come home." Dropping my jaw, I didn't know whether to laugh, scream or cry.

Maybe all 3?

"You're disgusting." Opening up my laptop, I ignored her inappropriate grunting and fake sexual noises as I started up safari.

Hearing a knock on the door, the person didn't even give me time to tell Paige to shut up before barging in.

"Oh yeah baby, just like that-" grabbing my phone, I was pretty damn mortified once I saw Brooks standing there looking as entertained as ever.

"Grind on me! Relax your mind-" Vastly ending the call, I contemplated in my mind if I should just join my parents in Africa now or later.

"Hey" I uttered with both a flustered expression and tone.

"Hey" He looked bewildered at the least. He was still in his grey jogging bottoms, but had switched his white shirt for a baggy black shirt. His tousled chestnut hair was held back with a black headband which I could only describe as hot.

Very hot.

Gosh, snap out of it Marnie. He has a girlfriend who looks like she was genetically engineered in a lab. You can't think these things.

"I just came to say dinners ready if you're hungry" his dark eyes showed nothing along with his expression.

It's been 1 day and I already know this guy only has about 2 different emotions.

Amusement, and the plain odd unknown.

"Thanks" I mumbled in a gentle voice. After the incident in the living room, I kinda just wanted to act as if that scene had never happened - and the easiest way to do that was sleep.

Nodding his head in acknowledgement, I turned back to face my laptop as he started to drag his feet to my door.

I glanced back over my shoulder to see him hanging on my door with his back facing me.

Tightly shutting his eyes, he span back around and opened them.

"No one thinks you're stupid for chocking after Anastasia called you Noah's girlfriend" he said with a tight smile. "Weird, but not stupid." Gaping at him, I tried to understand how that made me feel better in anyway.

Because everyone thinking I'm strange is such a mood riser.

"Thanks for that" i retorted dryly.

Looking down at my phone, I gasped a small amount once I noticed how Paige had already whatsapped me around 42 times in the past 5 minutes.

"We're having nachos if that helps." Swinging back and forth on the door, I raised my head whilst stuffing my phone in my baggy shorts I had stolen from my brothers room. "With all the bean dip your heart desires." He said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Weighing out the possible pro's and cons of sitting down to eat with them all, I thought of a lot more cons than pros - but I was super hungry, and they were having nachos.

"You can even sit on my lap if that makes you feel any better" His chuckles echoed throughout the room as I punched him on his upper arm.

Should he really be saying all of this when his girlfriend is just downstairs?

He's just joking Marnie, calm down already. It's not like he's making advances at you.

He rubbed at the spot I had punched, making the sleeve of his shirt ride up. Straight away I noticed the detailed tattoo of an angel upon his muscle.

I didn't even realise my hand was already touching his arm and running my fingers over the mosaic pattern upon one of the wings until I heard him clear his throat.

Snatching back my hand, I glanced up at him with my lips sealed and my palms growing sweaty.

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"So you in for the nachos?" He said casually. Blinking up at him, I bit down on my lip in embarrassment. He had changed the subject because I basically just sexually assaulted him. He felt uncomfortable so he interrupted me, God I need to get out more.

"Yeah, okay sure." I muttered with a forced smile. Turning his back on me, he started to walk his way out of the room with me following. Holding my head in my hands for a second or 2, I tried to think of something to break the silence, but was beaten to it.

"I sent you a friend request on facebook, you should accept it." His monotone voice triggered the squinting of my eyes.

Was that a demand or a suggestion?

"Oh, okay." As we walked the rest of our way down to the kitchen in silence. The closer we got towards the kitchen, the noisier it seemed to get. Reaching the doorway, I stopped at a stand still while Brooks walked straight in.

It looked like pure chaos, but still homely - if that's possible.

They all were either laughing or stuffing their faces with a warm expression on their faces.

Eli was writing something down in his note pad with one hand, while shovelling some lettuce into his mouth. Noah was trying to show Walter how many nachos he could fit in his mouth, but Walter looked like he was on the verge of gagging.

There were 2 boys sitting on the edge of the counter with their nintendo's in their hands, and I'm sure they weren't here earlier.

A door behind me closed shut making me spin around in wonder. It was Mr Carter.

He had his briefcase in his hand and his suit jacket hung over his arm. My eyes soaked up his attire, christ were all the men in this family good looking. His dark hair in a slicked back style, and his chocolatey eyes shone with a slight smile as he saw me standing in the hallway.

"You must be Marina" He said politely. Setting down his briefcase, he loosened up his tie with one hand and outstretched the other whilst walking towards me. "I'm George."

Grasping his hand, his eyebrow quirked just like Will's had earlier.

"Good grip, you'll need that around here" he chuckled. Smiling up at him awkwardly, I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to get out at least a syllable.

"I've been told" I said with a smile.

"I thought I heard your voice" Mrs Carters voice sang from behind me. Letting go of his hand, I took a step backwards to let them both have some space.

"Marnie, why don't you go and take a seat, make yourself at home, dear." Her hand fell on my shoulder as she walked towards her husband.

Nodding my head silently, i scurried off before I had to be put through the embarrassment of seeing them play tonsil tennis.

Now all I had to do was find a seat.

I saw 3 possible chairs I could sit in. 1 was next to Ana who was practically trying to force feed a bored looking Brooks. A seat next to Jos who was strangely playing around with a lighter - I don't fancy getting my hair set on fire tonight, so I'll pass. The last seat was inbetween Noah and Eli.

Brooks had turned his neck to look in my direction, and did a double take upon noticing I was still standing there. Raising his hand, he was about to signal me to come sit next to Ana before Noah beat him to it.

"Oh girlfriend-" Noah sang playfully. Waving his hand at me dramatically with a cheesy grin, I rolled my eyes in mock annoyance. "Come sit next to me?"

My eyes subtly shifter towards Brooks who was glaring at a satisfied looking Noah.

I sensed tension, and I didn't like it.

"Can you not?" I murmured loud enough for him to hear whilst walking over and pulling out the chair next to him. Eli had glanced up from his notepad with a smile, but it shortly turned into a scowl once he saw my face.

Did I do something to him?

Noah had seen the icy reception and returned the scowl to his brother. Now I was sat in the middle of 2 hot guys scowling at eachother like their lives depended on it.

"Don't be an annoyin' little shit" Noah suddenly snapped. It was as if Mrs Carter had bionic hearing, because she came waltzing into the kitchen with an eyebrow arched and her hands on her hips.

"Noah Lucas Carter, what have I told you about that kind of language?" Rolling back his eyes, he leant back in his chair and tilted his head back with a groan.

"That it ain't how you raised any of your children to talk like" there that southern accent was again, damn.

Running my fingers through my hair, my eyes flickered to a concentrated Eli and then back over to the happy couple. My eyebrows lowered into a furrow once I saw Ana was sat alone taking selfies of herself on her phone.

Hashtag stop that.

As Mrs Carter and Noah kept on talking, I zoned out as a hand holding a plate came stretching over from behind me.

"You'll need this." Brooks voice whispered from behind me. Taking the warm plate with a smile, I nodded and turned around to face him slightly.

"Thanks." Winking down at me with a smirk, he slowly made his way back to Ana and sat back in his seat. I averted my eyes quickly as I saw him gently pull at her chin towards him with his finger, and tug on her lips with his teeth seductively.

"Get a room" Mr Carter's voice mocked disgust as he came walking into the kitchen in more relaxing clothes. He was wearing sweatpants and a black tee with fury pink socks, which not only made me laugh - but everyone else aswell.... Even Eli.

The 2 boys that I was yet to be introduced to ran up to their father with open arms and cheeky grins. Slamming into Mr Carter, he chuckled after the oomph sound escaped his mouth.

I smiled at the picture with my head at a slight tilt, making Ty who was sat at the end look at me with an amusing smile.

"Oh damn, that reminds me!" Mrs Carter had burst out while holding the steaming pot of mince beef.

"That's Joey-" she pointed towards the blonde boy with her wooden spoon and smiled towards me. "And that's Rodger". Looking at them both, they flashed me 2 toothy grins and said hello before taking their seats around the table.

"What's your name?" Joey asked sweetly. His big blue eyes stated up at me innocently, I had to pinch myself just to stop me from leaping over the table and pinching his cheeks.

"Marnie." I smiled.

"Actually it's Marina.." Brooks mumbled under his breath, well it was meant to be a mumble, but I'm pretty sure the whole table heard.

"How old are you and when's your birthday?" Snapping my head towards his brother with my eyes widening a little.

"I'm 17, and my birthdays 31st of August" They both nodded their head as if what I was saying was vitally important.

"Hey cool, mines 30th of August." Walter chuckled. I grinned widely, not because our birthdays were close, but because I was starting to build common interests with some of the Carters.

"Okay okay, now everyone stop yappin' and start eatin'" Mrs Carter laughed whilst kissing Mr Carter on top of the head.

I couldn't help the smile that stuck on my face throughout the meal as I listened to everyone laugh and talk about their day, and even try to involve me like it was a normal thing to do.

I could feel Noah's arm drape over my shoulder and pull me towards him as he tried to sneakily shove some nachos into my mouth.

Soon enough I was in fits of laughter trying to fight off his strong grip, and yet still trying to keep my shit together.

It was hard okay? He's super hot and literally centimetres away from me.

To say that dinner wasn't enjoyable would be an utter lie, apart from the death glares that I was receiving from both Brooks and Ana, it was way better than I expected.

Way better.

•••••

A/N:

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