Cassie’s room. She’s never here at night anyway,” she smirked, covering her mouth with one hand to cough, “Slut…”
“I guess I’ll talk to her about it later. I don’t mind sleeping on the couch, really.” Considering the circumstances, I was just glad to have gotten there in time. “I’m going to go see Dad. Do you want to come?”
“What for? I talked to him yesterday.”
Her utter indifference shocked me. Darlene had always been something of a selfish bitch, but she was still family. “Alright, maybe we can all have dinner later tonight when Cass gets home from school.”
“Cassie’s not at school. She’s up in her room asleep.”
“At this hour?”
“She’s practically nocturnal these days. She came in around dawn and poured herself into bed. If you get up early, she might never notice you’re sharing the room.”
“Ah, okay. Well, we can all visit later then. I’m going up.”
“Yeah, laters,” she waved, pulling at her still damp top.
I suppose it made sense for the nurse to take over my room. I hadn’t lived there full-time since moving into the college dorms anyway, but it still felt weird walking in on what’d been my room and finding it cluttered with a stranger’s things. Looking for a scrunchie in the bathroom drawer, I wasn’t sure if it was mine or hers, so I left it alone. Instead, I snuck into Cassie’s bathroom to steal one, knowing she’d never miss it. Sure enough, her bathroom counter was littered with beauty products and hair ties, and I picked out her long blonde hairs before I put it in mine.
“Stealing is a crime in all fifty states, you know,” Cassie yawned from the door.
It was my turn to jump about a foot into the air as she scared the crap out of me. “Oh, sorry, Cass. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
She waved my concern away. “It’s time for me to get up anyway, I have a waxing appointment this afternoon.” Peering into the mirror, she swept away the dark tracks of old eyeliner with the tips of her fingers. Her hair was a tousled mess, but somehow still sexy, as if she’d styled it that way on purpose. Cass had always had that sex kitten look about her, with her sleepy eyes and bow shaped mouth. All she had on was a short, knit skirt and a black bra, and I hoped her top was lying on her bedroom floor, not in the back of some dude’s car.
“I’m glad you’re home. He’s been a real bitch to deal with since you left, you know? I swear to God, I was ready to smother him with his own pillow before Nurse Jillian showed up.”
“Hey, show some respect. He’s had a rough time.” When the hell had both my sisters grown so blasé about the whole thing?
Cassie rolled her eyes, slowly, directing them at me with plenty of intent. “Oh come on, you know what he’s like. This bed rest is making him shittier than usual. I’ll be glad when it’s over.”
“Cassie! How can you talk about him like that? He’s our father.” She’d knocked me senseless. “Disrespect is one thing, but talking about being glad when he’s dead…?”
“Dead?” Her eyes stretched wide before she collapsed in a fit of giggles. “Holy fuck, you thought I meant I’d be glad when he was dead? Shit, I’m not that cold, Lily. Give me some credit.”
“Frankly, I’m not sure what to believe anymore,” I retorted, my eyes narrowing. “Does he or does he not have a week left to live?”
“A week to… no. He’s on bed rest for a week. Who told you he only had a week to live?”
“His nurse said…” Christ, was my Spanish that rusty? “He’s on bed rest for a week?”
“Yes, he’s over the worst of it. All that’s left now is that damn cough and a temper that could choke a monkey. You know how he gets.”
“I don’t…” Relief mingled with anger, as I tried to settle my churn of emotions. “If he’s on the road to recovery, then why did your
“I guess I’ll talk to her about it later. I don’t mind sleeping on the couch, really.” Considering the circumstances, I was just glad to have gotten there in time. “I’m going to go see Dad. Do you want to come?”
“What for? I talked to him yesterday.”
Her utter indifference shocked me. Darlene had always been something of a selfish bitch, but she was still family. “Alright, maybe we can all have dinner later tonight when Cass gets home from school.”
“Cassie’s not at school. She’s up in her room asleep.”
“At this hour?”
“She’s practically nocturnal these days. She came in around dawn and poured herself into bed. If you get up early, she might never notice you’re sharing the room.”
“Ah, okay. Well, we can all visit later then. I’m going up.”
“Yeah, laters,” she waved, pulling at her still damp top.
I suppose it made sense for the nurse to take over my room. I hadn’t lived there full-time since moving into the college dorms anyway, but it still felt weird walking in on what’d been my room and finding it cluttered with a stranger’s things. Looking for a scrunchie in the bathroom drawer, I wasn’t sure if it was mine or hers, so I left it alone. Instead, I snuck into Cassie’s bathroom to steal one, knowing she’d never miss it. Sure enough, her bathroom counter was littered with beauty products and hair ties, and I picked out her long blonde hairs before I put it in mine.
“Stealing is a crime in all fifty states, you know,” Cassie yawned from the door.
It was my turn to jump about a foot into the air as she scared the crap out of me. “Oh, sorry, Cass. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
She waved my concern away. “It’s time for me to get up anyway, I have a waxing appointment this afternoon.” Peering into the mirror, she swept away the dark tracks of old eyeliner with the tips of her fingers. Her hair was a tousled mess, but somehow still sexy, as if she’d styled it that way on purpose. Cass had always had that sex kitten look about her, with her sleepy eyes and bow shaped mouth. All she had on was a short, knit skirt and a black bra, and I hoped her top was lying on her bedroom floor, not in the back of some dude’s car.
“I’m glad you’re home. He’s been a real bitch to deal with since you left, you know? I swear to God, I was ready to smother him with his own pillow before Nurse Jillian showed up.”
“Hey, show some respect. He’s had a rough time.” When the hell had both my sisters grown so blasé about the whole thing?
Cassie rolled her eyes, slowly, directing them at me with plenty of intent. “Oh come on, you know what he’s like. This bed rest is making him shittier than usual. I’ll be glad when it’s over.”
“Cassie! How can you talk about him like that? He’s our father.” She’d knocked me senseless. “Disrespect is one thing, but talking about being glad when he’s dead…?”
“Dead?” Her eyes stretched wide before she collapsed in a fit of giggles. “Holy fuck, you thought I meant I’d be glad when he was dead? Shit, I’m not that cold, Lily. Give me some credit.”
“Frankly, I’m not sure what to believe anymore,” I retorted, my eyes narrowing. “Does he or does he not have a week left to live?”
“A week to… no. He’s on bed rest for a week. Who told you he only had a week to live?”
“His nurse said…” Christ, was my Spanish that rusty? “He’s on bed rest for a week?”
“Yes, he’s over the worst of it. All that’s left now is that damn cough and a temper that could choke a monkey. You know how he gets.”
“I don’t…” Relief mingled with anger, as I tried to settle my churn of emotions. “If he’s on the road to recovery, then why did your
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