My face pinkened at his words but I was far from offended. Cypress Tree openly claimed me.
“She no want talk to you! Jacked ass! Fuck and run like giant dummy! Cy not run! Cy stay my Pru!” After a series of loudgrowls, he added smugly, “Cy stay all the times, all the nights, the days-”
The answering snarl that cut him off told me he’d gotten Elm’s goat. But why did Elm care if he said he didn’t mean to?
“My Pru claim Cy. My Pru claim Elm? Cy claim my Pru! She say she mine! Lots of times!”
Birch rumbled out something and Cy snapped, “Not always when Cy inside my Pru, she say she mine.”
“Good god in heaven,” I whispered, grabbing at my face in horror. Cypress Rowan Tree. He did not just say all of that out loud!
As if Elm could hear me, a soft snort I knew to be his issued from the vicinity of my porch. It was easy enough to pick it out with my bedroom just off the front room.
“No know Pru like Elm,” my ex bestie and one time lover shot back quietly.
“No know Pru like Elm,” Cypress mimicked in a high falsetto, like any sibling taunting another would. “No know Pru like Cy know my Pru!”
“Do not make me break you two up again!” Sunny threatened. There was a smacking sound and Cy growled.
“Why you smack me? Cy not love on Pru and run, make her cry! Hithim!”Cy grumbled.
“She- Pru cry?” Elm croaked out softly.
Cy grumbled something softly I couldn’t make out.
The strange noise Elm let out had my heart skipping a beat. He sounded- I’d say he almost sounded like he was in actual physical pain at the thought.
No, he ran like the dickens, like his butt was on fire, mumbling that he didn’t mean it, he didn’t mean to jump my bones. What did he think my reaction was going to be? Jumping for joy?
Erm. I highly doubted he’d been expecting me to hop right into bed with Cy, either, I had to concede.
Ah, Pru, what the hell have you gone and messed up now?that little voice in my head chastised.
Hi. My name’s Pru and I like to muck shit up irreparably. If I had a catch phrase for the tragically overly dramatic, reactive mess that I am, I’d probably go with that.
Cy grumble mumbled out more but again, I’d be damned if I could make any of it out.
“Oh, Elm, honey, you didn’t,” Sunny gasped out.
Forest rumbled something, and then I heard Elm’s retreating steps, but my ex bestie didn’t sound happy about it.
“Cy too,” Forest grumbled curtly.
“What I do?!” Cy barked. “Cy not make love to my Pru, make her think she do something wrong, then run like chicken with no head!”
“Be that as it may, I think Prudence needs a minute to herself, is what your daddy is trying to say,” Sunny soothed.
I could make out Sunny telling Elm to “give her time” and that I’ll “come around”.
Not likely but thanks for playing.
A grunt left me and I gritted my teeth. You can’t play takebacksies like that! That’s not how it works! A weird crinkling sound had me glancing down. One look at the way I was mangling the book in my hands and I dropped it with a disgusted huff.
Folding up the thick blanket I had draped over my legs, the blanket Cy had placed on my butt and forgotten, I forced myself to get up, put on a sweater, and head towards Dad’s office, where I was storing the packing boxes.
It had to be done. Had to be. I was procrastinating and I knew it.
It was just hard to rush in with any kind of enthusiasm, room by room packing up, picking what to toss, to take, to give to someone who might make use of it, the only home I’ve ever known, the last bit of my parents I had left and held dear.
