Bitch made a comment about Ari’s face, and Ari told her that maybe she should eat a mint to cover up her dick breath *shrug emoji*
Ariana
I was trying to be helpful!
Lil
It was pretty epic when you pulled out four different flavors of mints and asked which one she wanted
Ariana
I WAS TRYING TO BE HELPFUL!
My face breaks out in a smile, and I breathe out a low laugh. Then I freeze. What the hell is happening to me? I don’t laugh. I don’t smile. I don’t grin or giggle.
Ariana, that’s what.
It’s not only her. It’s the whole family. The whole house. They’re lightening my mood, making me not feel so heavy and dark. I’m less broken here. Like the pieces of my soul are coming together. And Ariana… she completes me, filling the cracks where the pieces don’t quite fit together.
And it fucking scares me. I’m used to being unloved. Unwanted. Suddenly, people care about me. I care about people. The thought of this all blowing up in my face later? Of having love and losing it, of being needed and then pushed aside? It would be the end of me.
I stew in my thoughts for an hour before the door opens and students pour out. A brunette walks by me quickly, looking over her shoulder and muttering, “Stupid DeVille bitches,” as she goes.
“Guess Melissa didn’t want to fight,” Lil says as they stroll out of the room.
“Oh, well.” Ariana raises a freshly-painted middle finger atthe brunette, who scowls just before disappearing around a corner. The yellow nail polish she applied in the last hour will be gone by the end of the night. She picks it off constantly.
As we walk up a flight of stairs, I get a flash of the tiny flamingo on the back of Ariana’s thigh I noticed earlier today. It’s a simple line tattoo in bright pink, right below where her skirt stops. Jesus Christ, I’ve been fighting a goddamn erection all day, following her plump ass around in that swaying skirt, knee-high socks, and sexy red shoes.
“Can you update the book challenge doc? I finished another novella.”
“You and your fucking novellas. Better read them all now, Ariana, because they aren’t going to count next time.”
“I’m not agreeing to that. What if some good ones come out next year?”
“I might be willing to say three novellas count as one book if I drink enough vodka first.” Lil looks at her phone. “I told Mom we’re stopping at the grocery store for a few things, so now I have a list of shit she wants us to grab while we’re there.”
I try to hold in my groan but don’t do a very good job. My life, or at least the next few months, flashes before my eyes. Hours upon hours spent wherever these girls decide to drag me. It better not be a mall.
“Ah, don’t be like that, Luca. We’ll even let you pick out your favorite snacks.” Ariana grins and wags her eyebrows at me. Fighting to keep my face neutral results in me frowning. Ariana frowns, too, and then she looks at Lil. “Is it just my imagination, or is Luca even more scowly and grumbly and grouchy than normal?”
“Nope, definitely extra scowly and grumbly and grouchy.”
“Maybe he needs some ice cream… or cake… or doughnuts!” Ariana declares as we get in the car.
I follow them around the store as they throw the most random collection of food I’ve ever seen into a cart, chatting the entire time. I begrudgingly add a bag of chips and some string cheese when they ask me if I want anything, which Ariana holds hostage until I confirm that I eat it the correct way—by peeling it apart and not just biting it like ‘uncultured swine.’ I don’t really need much. Becca already got everything for the protein shakes I like after working out and a few cases of sports drinks. There’s a ton of food back at the house.
Lil puts a case of beer, a six-pack of hard lemonade, and a bottle of wine in the cart and grins at my ‘what the fuck do you think you’re doing?’ stare and hand gesture.
After what feels like a year, Mia calls to check in.
“We’re almost done here. We’re just a little slower than normal because we’re dragging around this dead weight Dad sent with us,” Lil says into the phone.
“Are you bitching to Aunt Mia about me?” I run my hand down my face.
“What? No. Whatever would we have to bitch about? You’ve been a delight.” She rolls her eyes, and Ariana stifles a giggle. Her face lights up when she giggles.
Mia adds a couple more things to the list, which extends our shopping trip by another six months.
