Hearing his devastated tone made me want to grab James by the balls and crush them.
I was so sorry for Brian. But I wouldn’t give up. Ari couldn’t dump my brother. Not like that out of nowhere. I paused to think, and Brian immediately became paranoid.
“Is there someone else? There isn’t someone else, is there? Tell me the truth,” he demanded coldly.
“Not that I know of. She didn’t mention anyone to me,” I murmured, putting my head on his shoulder.
“Okay, let’s talk about something else,” he groaned, irritated.
“Nothing from dad?” I asked, already disappointed.
The thought of my dad’s disappearance tortured me every night. But now, another thought plagued me. If Ari was cheating on my brother, I would find out if it was the last thing I did.
35
June
“Mom, quit taking my mascara!”
“What else should I take? You’ve only got this!”
I sighed. Her coming in and out was making me fly off the handle. Now I couldn’t stand the clacking of her heels on the floor.
“Look, I’m happy that you’re ready for prom. But heads up, I’m wearing jeans.”
“Come on, June, you’ll make me look bad!”
I stared at her, perplexed. “Huh?”
“You’ll make me look like I’m trying too hard.”
I paused to admire the black sheath dress that showcased her lean, slender figure.
“I will?” I exclaimed untactfully.
She looked at me unsatisfied. It was time to backtrack and try again.
“I mean, you look great. You look ten years younger.” I said it because I meant it. Certainly not to get anything in return because the only thing I wanted was to get out of this damn dinner, and that wasn’t happening.
“Are you sure? I don’t look like I’m trying too hard to impress him?” You could tell that she wasn’t used to dating.
“Why? Don’t you want to impress him?”
“I never go out! Let me feel hot for once, June!”
I covered my ears and wrinkled my nose into a grimace. “Why do you have to say it like that? Ew.”
Her eyes went wide. “Isn’t that what they say?”
“Yeah, but they don’t say that about moms!” I exclaimed, making her laugh.
“You’re so grown-up, June. Can you at least put this on?” she suggested, coming back to my room with one of her dresses.
“Since when do you let me borrow your clothes?” I was really skeptical now.
“Since you’ve grown up and they look better on you than me.”
I grumbled, and without being too difficult, I tried on a blue velvet dress that looked like something from the ’90s that Jennifer Aniston would have worn on the red carpet.
