“Your one-sided decision is ridiculous. But more than that, your reasons are ridiculous. It shouldn’t be about Victor and Tia. It should be about Tia’s well-being. Arrrgh!” Abi’s voice sounds almost like a dinosaur roar.
The front door shuts loudly. Abi has walked out. I sigh. I don’t want these two to argue because of me. I wish I could be friends with Abi. She’ll always think of me as the bad sister who makes trouble.
I need to leave ASAP. I try to swallow the sour taste in my mouth. What do they say about lemons? When life gives you lemons, oh, whatever… Lemons suck.
“Okay, but this is a temporary solution. Just for now.” My voice lacks any enthusiasm.
Alek and I used to be on the same team when life threw lemons at us. Now we are on opposite teams, throwing lemons at each other. I didn’t dodge this one in time.
He used to protect me from our dysfunctional parents. Now I’ll protect him, even if he doesn’t know it.
Alek dashes after Abi. I sit my butt down on a high kitchen chair and place my head in my hands, elbows resting on the table. My shoulders slouch and my legs grow heavy.
How many more lives will I ruin?
Now that this argument is over with, I have another daunting issue. How am I going to stay awake tonight?
Chapter Six
My nose detects a delicious combination of basil and tomatoes, and I raise my head. I sniff the air. Cheese and garlic?
Wow. I could melt in it. I can’t remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal.
I ignore my growling stomach. Having dinner with them, all of us sitting around the table together, feels special to me. Because I’ve never had that. I can’t get attached to them.
How long have I been in this position, spaced out? I get up from the chair and head to the corner to pick up my suitcases, throwing glances at Victor’s back. He’s busy at the stove with something that sizzles with gusto—the aroma was making me drool.
This guy cooks?I don’t know what I was thinking. Of course he does. He has to take care of his body in order to perform at his best in the fights.
“I’m going to leave my suitcases in Alek’s room.”
And stay there.
My hands are on the suitcase handles when Victor teleports himself in front of me—another superpower I didn’t know about. His hands envelop mine, and the touch sears my skin.
“I’ll help you.”
Before I can respond, my hands release the bags. I only nod.
Upstairs, Victor places my bags on the floor near Alek’s huge bed. He walks back to the door and I admire the rigid muscles flexing underneath his shirt.
He turns his gorgeous face to me. “I’ll see you downstairs unless you want me to come back up here to walk downstairs with you.” He winks at me and leaves.
Unbelievable. “I’ll go downstairs for dinner onmy own… only because I’m hungry.” I yell from the room and hear Victor’s chuckle from the staircase.
The room is clean and organized, natural light coming in from vast windows. Alek was a slob before he moved out. His football gear was everywhere on the floor in his old room. I wonder if Abi has anything to do with this change too.
The pictures on Alek’s dresser draw my attention and I walk up to it. He has a few pictures of him and me, him and Abi, and him and Victor. That’s it. Victor’s comment about me looking more beautiful than in the pictures floods my mind. Was Victor talking about this picture?
I hope he hasn’t seen the occasional selfies I texted Alek over the last three years. They were always up close and silly, with me sticking my tongue out or drinking coffee at the school cafeteria.
I can’t believe Alek chose this picture of us and framed it. Actually, it makes sense he chose this picture. He’s in his swimming trunks, flexing his arm muscles, and I’m next to him in my two-piece bathing suit. I remember this day as vividly as if it happened yesterday. My first time at the water park. My body was smaller than it is now. I look so miniature next to Alek. Flat chest, no butt, no curves. An easy smile tugs on my lips.
Much has changed since then. Alek and I changed, not only physically, but emotionally too. With two hands, I take the framed picture of us and watch the happy-looking kids. Alek had an amazing ability to make me laugh and feel happy even when the world around us was crumbling. I place the picture back before the tears drop onto my cheeks.
The next picture is of Alek and Victor zoomed in—maybe a selfie. They’re both smiling. I admire Victor’s flawless facial features. He should volunteer at the sculpting classes on campus. His body and face are perfection. What is it about him that makes me so aware of my body and so aware of the inches of distance between us that I want to crawl out of my skin and jump into his?
I get out of the bloody shirt and take a fresh one from my suitcase and put it on. When I get downstairs, I’m glad to see Abi is back. She gives me an apologetic glance, and I return the smile of a person who is sorry for creating an edge between lovers.
