How to Marry an Alien Read Free Page A

base to base, and even
both of our struggles to settle in small town Winnebago.
    "This isn't like it's going to be forever,
Mom. You all will be down for parents' weekend and that is only
four months away. That's just a month longer than my internship was
last summer."
    "I know." She sniffled.
    "Okay, come here!" I took a step toward her
with my arms outstretched as she pulled me into a hug.
    "Just because you are all grown up, going off
to college and getting married doesn't mean you aren't still my
little girl," she blubbered into my shoulder.
    "I know, Mom, I know."
    I glanced in Ace's direction. He and his mom
definitely didn't have the same relationship as I did with my mom.
My mom might have made me angry sometimes and embarrassed the crap
out of me with her romance writer voice, but at least my mom never
tried to kill us.
    "Am I going to have to separate you two or do
I need to push some of these boxes aside so you can ride along,
Wendy?" Brian called while he and Ace came around the SUV.
    Mom released her grasp on me, wiped her eyes,
and turned toward Brian. "I already offered that one, remember?
Alex refused."
    Guilty as charged. Sure, I loved my mom, but
I didn't think we could spend that long in a car with each other. I
was still hoping that Ace could figure out a way to just beam us to
Arizona. He kept saying that the beaming technology hadn't been
perfected with humans, but I was willing to risk it to not endure a
three-day car ride.
    Brian put a burly arm around mom, pulling her
close to his sweat-stained shirt. "She will be fine, Wendy. Ace
will take good care of her. She's a smart girl. You don't need to
worry."
    Ace smiled, stepping to my side. "I'm pretty
sure that Alex can take care of herself. I'm just along for the
ride."
    He only said that because he knew I'd been
the one to save him, multiple times. Oh, sure, he'd saved my life a
few times as well, but I think I proved myself worthy of running
with the Caltian crowd.
    "Well." I clapped my hands together. "I guess
we should get going, so I can drive as far as I can before I pass
out from boredom or tiredness."
    "Okay." Mom nodded, the tears poking at her
eyes again. "Be safe and call when you get there."
    "We will."
    "Have a good trip, kiddo. We will miss having
you around." Brian pulled me in a big bear hug, overwhelming my
nostrils with the scent of sweat and sawdust before he let go. I
might complain about the guy, a lot, but he really was a good
person. He helped to provide for me since I was seven and never
treated me like I was anything but his own daughter.
    "Alright Brian, I'll miss you too."
    Elijah sat on the sidewalk. He hadn't said a
word to me since he woke me up. I took a few steps over and
crouched down in front of him. "Hey, Buddy, Ace and I are about to
head out. Do you want to give sissy a hug goodbye?"
    Elijah looked up, his big blue eyes,
bloodshot with tears. "You aren't too hungover to say goodbye to
me?"
    Ace, Mom, and Brian laughed in the
background. I couldn't smile. I genuinely felt bad that I groaned
at him for waking me up and that was the reason he stayed in the
background.
    "Of course not, silly. I could never go
without a hug goodbye from my baby brother." I held out my arms,
and he eagerly jumped into them, squeezing me tight.
    "I love you, sissy."
    "I love you too, Elijah."
    The sound of a horn behind me startled us
both, almost knocking me to the ground.
    I let go of Elijah, stood, and turned toward
the sound. I expected to see Ace grumbling from the driver seat of
my new car, but instead I saw Brody Birley hanging out of the
passenger door or Brad Gage's bright red truck.
    "Hey Alex!" He waved.
    Brody and I hadn't talked much in the past
few months, ever since Simone lifted her sleep creep off him. His
little crush on me finally went away, and I didn't have to worry
about him trying to get in my pants.
    "Oh, hey, Brody." I walked over to the truck.
Brad might have lived down the street from me, but I never