“Hmm. Evasive. Why am I not surprised?” Maisie quipped. “I’ll be expecting my tea served hot later, G.”
“Goodbye, Maisie!” She waved to her through the doorway.
Bacon coated the air inside Remi’s kitchen when Giselle stepped in. Pausing in stride, she locked eyes with the young girl at the kitchen table, stuffing pancakes into her mouth. Immediately, it was like looking into a mirror. Same skin tone, same nose, although hers had a small stud in it. Giselle saw a younger version of herself and instantly knew this girl was her sister. She chewed slowly and sat up in her chair, looking Giselle over with scrutiny before picking up her glass of orange juice.
“Good morning!” Remi walked over with a pan of eggs scrambled and kissed Giselle’s cheek. “You okay after last night?”
“I’m fine,” she answered, dropping her purse on the table across from Gem and studying her.
Remi scraped some of the eggs onto Gem’s plate.
“Good. You hungry? There is plenty of food. Have a seat.” She nodded to the chair where Giselle stood.
Yanking it from in front of her, she slowly lowered herself into it.
“Giselle, meet Gemalynn. Gem, this is Giselle.” She introduced the two of them.
“Hi,” Gem said after clearing her throat.
Giselle only looked at her before shifting her gaze to her auntie again. There was nothing warm or welcoming in her stance at that moment. If anything, she was on the defense.
“What exactly is it you want from me, Remi? You want money to take care of her?”
“Giselle!” Remi hissed.
“I don’t know why I’m surprised you’re a bitch. My mama always said your mama was the same way.” Gem tittered, eyes drifting to her plate as she cut into another piece of her pancake.
Giselle stood abruptly, causing her chair to scrape against the kitchen tile and tip over behind her loudly.
Remi closed her eyes, silently praying over the situation.
“Gem—”
“What? She started it.” The young girl aimed her fork across the table at Giselle. “I don’t have to pretend to be nice or like her. If she wants the smoke, I got that.” Her oval shaped brown eyes landed on Giselle once again, watching her nostrils flare as she fought the urge not to lunge across the table and dog walk her.
“You are sisters?—”
“We share the same father, but then again… even that’s not true. She got a father. I got a ghost.” Gem stuffed her face and chewed resentfully while continuing to canvas Giselle.
She wasn’t what she expected, but it was clear from their outer appearance that Gregory Knox was in fact their father. She’d wondered about this girl for as long as she knew she existed, and while Giselle was obviously gorgeous, her attitude was a different story.
“I’m not hungry. I’m going to shower.” Giselle stomped out of the room.
“We’re going to be leaving soon!” Remi called after her. “I have to get some stuff together for the block party on Saturday, and the whole family is going! Giselle, you hear me?”
The only response she got was the bedroom door slamming shut upstairs behind her. “That girl, I swear,” Remi mumbled, shaking her head before she picked up the chair and sat down.
One would have thought she was the younger of the two with the way she was acting. Being an only child hadn’t exactly humbled her. Remi knew Giselle had a good, pure heart. She just got used to not showing it to people because it didn’t seem to matter or they would use it against her. Most of the night, she tossed and turned, wondering if the girl was ever going to be okay. Now that Gregory was gone, she couldn’t help but feel responsible for both of his girls. She hated that he wasn’t here to help deal with the fallout. Giselle nor Gem were to blame, yet they each held some kind of resentment toward the other.
“I told you.” Gem scooped some eggs on her fork and took a bite. “I’m almost eighteen, Remi. While I appreciate you, Maisie, and Crew looking out for me… I’m good. I don’t need to be taken care of. I can get a job and work. I don’t need her or that money.”
“That money is also your money. Giselle isn’t heartless.”
“Hmm, I can’t tell,” Gem grumbled.
“She’s been through a lot. This is all a big change for her, and I don’t think she’s even processed everything.”
“Well, why is that the rest of the world’s fault?” Gem queried, her perfect brows drawing together. “She’s not the only person to ever lose her parents, so she doesn’t get to walk around with a chip on her shoulder and be disrespectful.”
