him during the last few months. Apparently I cannot boycott my family meetings without some repercussions of my own.
“Nah,” I mutter distractedly, fondling his locks, “It’s super cute. What do you think, D?”
“Well, that’s all I’ve been saying since he walked in here today. But you know this boy,” she rolls her eyes, “He never pays attention to anything I say.”
Loathe as am I to admit it, there is some resentment there, buried beneath my friend’s playful tone. Naturally, two beautiful creatures such as Delilah and Alexander are bound to end up with one another at some point during the time of their friendship; and indeed they did. About two years ago, Alex decided to be gutsy and ask my delightful, drop-dead gorgeous friend out for coffee. They were inseparable for over a year before clashing personalities drove them apart.
Luckily I can still keep the two of them in one room without too much fuss. In fact, they seem to have kept their friendship thriving just fine on their own.
Alex clasps my hands in one of his own; ignoring the sting of Delilah’s almost slight as he brushes my unruly hair from my eyes. I can see the near spill of unasked question brimming on his face and somewhere deep down inside of me I sigh at the lecture I know I am about to get.
Seeing the look of panic on my face, Delilah stands to order me another drink.
“Eva,” As I roll my eyes, his voice picks up volume, reaching a booming level I remember all too well from childhood arguments ending in ‘Because I’m the eldest!’
“Do not roll your eyes at me, Missy! You owe me an explanation.”
“About what? None of this has anything to do with you!”
“Yes. It. Does. You’re my sister. You’re both my sisters. And you’re living in some weird, hippy commune with this guy like playboy bunnies!”
“Hey! Who the hell said I was living with him?”
“Who the hell do you think?! Delilah, of course.”
I glare over at the bar where I can see that Delilah’s ears have started turning red although her back is turned to us. Of course she can hear the conversation.
“So what if I am living with him? You don’t know him,” I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I struggle to defend Dimitri, and it makes me sick that I can’t control my own feelings in this regard. I’m a reporter, for god’s sake. I need to learn to reign myself in.
“Fuck, Eva! What is it with this jerk? How much is he paying you three?”
The chill begins in my hands and creeps into my arms, then my chest and neck, finally settling in my face in a cold flush. “Did you just call me a whore?” Alexander tries to interrupt me, but I cut him off, fury raging through my gut.
“I’m sorry-”
“No, no. I get it. It’s okay. This is about Delilah’s involvement. Not mine. Or Cecily’s. Look I’m just going to go. I still have a ton to do,” I mumble as I start to stand. My eyes are growing blurrier with each blink and I can feel a heave of emotion desperate to be allowed escape as I gather up my bag, avoiding my brother’s eyes. It may actually be fair what he’s just said. I’ve been wondering all these things myself, but he doesn’t have to throw it in my face. The last person in the world that I thought would hold my actions against me, and here he is, my big brother, judging me.
Alex’s hand grasps my shoulder firmly, pushing me back towards my seat. He sets me down and tilts my chin outward, forcing me to look at him. Infuriatingly, the tears spill from my eyes (which now feel puffy, scratched, and overused) just as he looks at me. He wipes one away with a gruff, calloused, smoke-filmed hand.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be such an asshole. I just think you deserve better than to share a man with two other women. Even if they are people you love.”
“Three,” I mutter.
“Three, what?”
“Three other women,” I glance up at him and sniff apologetically.
He pinches the bridge of his nose and the bones
“Nah,” I mutter distractedly, fondling his locks, “It’s super cute. What do you think, D?”
“Well, that’s all I’ve been saying since he walked in here today. But you know this boy,” she rolls her eyes, “He never pays attention to anything I say.”
Loathe as am I to admit it, there is some resentment there, buried beneath my friend’s playful tone. Naturally, two beautiful creatures such as Delilah and Alexander are bound to end up with one another at some point during the time of their friendship; and indeed they did. About two years ago, Alex decided to be gutsy and ask my delightful, drop-dead gorgeous friend out for coffee. They were inseparable for over a year before clashing personalities drove them apart.
Luckily I can still keep the two of them in one room without too much fuss. In fact, they seem to have kept their friendship thriving just fine on their own.
Alex clasps my hands in one of his own; ignoring the sting of Delilah’s almost slight as he brushes my unruly hair from my eyes. I can see the near spill of unasked question brimming on his face and somewhere deep down inside of me I sigh at the lecture I know I am about to get.
Seeing the look of panic on my face, Delilah stands to order me another drink.
“Eva,” As I roll my eyes, his voice picks up volume, reaching a booming level I remember all too well from childhood arguments ending in ‘Because I’m the eldest!’
“Do not roll your eyes at me, Missy! You owe me an explanation.”
“About what? None of this has anything to do with you!”
“Yes. It. Does. You’re my sister. You’re both my sisters. And you’re living in some weird, hippy commune with this guy like playboy bunnies!”
“Hey! Who the hell said I was living with him?”
“Who the hell do you think?! Delilah, of course.”
I glare over at the bar where I can see that Delilah’s ears have started turning red although her back is turned to us. Of course she can hear the conversation.
“So what if I am living with him? You don’t know him,” I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I struggle to defend Dimitri, and it makes me sick that I can’t control my own feelings in this regard. I’m a reporter, for god’s sake. I need to learn to reign myself in.
“Fuck, Eva! What is it with this jerk? How much is he paying you three?”
The chill begins in my hands and creeps into my arms, then my chest and neck, finally settling in my face in a cold flush. “Did you just call me a whore?” Alexander tries to interrupt me, but I cut him off, fury raging through my gut.
“I’m sorry-”
“No, no. I get it. It’s okay. This is about Delilah’s involvement. Not mine. Or Cecily’s. Look I’m just going to go. I still have a ton to do,” I mumble as I start to stand. My eyes are growing blurrier with each blink and I can feel a heave of emotion desperate to be allowed escape as I gather up my bag, avoiding my brother’s eyes. It may actually be fair what he’s just said. I’ve been wondering all these things myself, but he doesn’t have to throw it in my face. The last person in the world that I thought would hold my actions against me, and here he is, my big brother, judging me.
Alex’s hand grasps my shoulder firmly, pushing me back towards my seat. He sets me down and tilts my chin outward, forcing me to look at him. Infuriatingly, the tears spill from my eyes (which now feel puffy, scratched, and overused) just as he looks at me. He wipes one away with a gruff, calloused, smoke-filmed hand.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be such an asshole. I just think you deserve better than to share a man with two other women. Even if they are people you love.”
“Three,” I mutter.
“Three, what?”
“Three other women,” I glance up at him and sniff apologetically.
He pinches the bridge of his nose and the bones
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