She frowned. “If you quit, what will you do?”
I shrugged. “I’ve been saving everything I make for eight years. I can do whatever I want to do.”
“Well, there you are,” Melody said in a sing-song voice as she breezed into the room. “It’s about time you got here.”
“I’m not here,” I corrected. “I’m picking up a few things and then I’m staying with a friend for a few days.”
She nodded toward Jaxon. “Is that the ‘friend’?”
“That’s the ‘none of your business.’”
“Why are you being such a bitch?” she snapped.
I felt Jaxon stiffen at my back and I sighed. “Melody, I will no longer take the abuse you’re dishing out. I hope that, in time, you’ll see this is the best thing for both of us. I’d like to just go back to being your sister, but I cannot be your assistant and stay sane.”
She threw her arms in the air. “Well, what the hell am I going to do in the interim?”
“I’ll work on a part-time basis and help find someone even better than me. But not until next week. I’m taking some time off.”
She crossed her arms and stomped her foot. “I’m shooting next week.”
“Which is why I’m not going to leave you high and dry, DiDi,” I said, trying to stay as calm as possible. “But you’re just running lines right now, so you don’t need me. Billy’s always been my back-up and he’s fantastic.”
“But I don’twantBilly,” she whined.
I shrugged. “Well, that’s no longer my problem.”
“Please, NiNi, you know I can’t do this without you.”
“Of course you can,” I countered. “You’re a brilliant and capable young woman. You can do anything you put your mind to.”
“You selfish—”
“I’d highly suggest you stop whatever you intended to say,” Jaxon warned.
“And on that note, I’m going to go ahead and take my leave,” I said. “I will see you Monday morning bright and early, Melody.”
“Dinner on Saturday night?” Lyric asked.
“We’ll see.”
She hugged me and I tried not to run out of the room. Jaxon followed me back to my room and the second the door closed behind us, I burst into tears and planted my face in his chest.
“Okay, Rufus, I got you,” he said, pulling me close.
“I don’t want to hate her, Jaxon, but she makes it so fucking hard not to.” I slid my arms around his waist. “I just don’t understand how we got here. We used to be so close.”
“Sometimes shit just happens,” he said. “Her trauma crashes into your trauma and you can’t find your way through the mess. You just have to do your best and let the rest of it sort itself out. How your sister acts or reacts to something isn’t your responsibility.” He lifted my chin and stroked my wet cheeks. “All you can control is you, baby, and I think you’re doing a pretty fantastic job. Melody’s gotta work her own shit out.”
“I know all that logically, but why does it hurt so bad anyway?”
“Because you love your sister,” he said with a gentle smile.
“That’s true. I don’t like her right now, but, yes, I do love her.”
“Let’s get out of here. I’m going to take you out for dinner. Do you like French food?”
“Oh, my god, I love French food.”
