“Of course I am.”
“Well, I guess there’s one positive thing about all this,” he said. “Now that my father’s okay, I’ll be making amends with Fen. And since the two of you are chilling, I guess we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other, huh?”
“Will we?” I asked, trying to challenge him like he challenged me, but it didn’t come out with the same confidence. I tapped a little nervous rhythm on the side of my leg.
“Sure. You and me?” Eddie said in a dark tone that rumbled somewhere between ominous and threatening. “We’re practically in-laws.”
Track [26] “They Can’t Take That Away from Me”/Ella Fitzgerald
Jane
Serj Sarafian’s heart attack wasmajor, and his recovery took longer than usual. His doctors kept him in the hospital nearly two weeks: first where he had surgery, then in a cardiac rehabilitation program at the lake.
That’s about the time that things got hectic for Fen because everyone who ever knew Serj came into town to visit him in the hospital. In fact, I didn’t speak but a few sentences to Fen for several days, and our texting nearly ground to a halt.
Fen was busy and preoccupied, staying back at home in his childhood bedroom at the villa, helping his mother out with the twins.
And.
Catching up with Eddie.
Could only imagine how Fen would handle that conversation with his older brother.…Long time, no see. While you were in prison, I was having sex with your girlfriend.
Ugh, ugh, ugh!
But really, no. Fen wasn’t going to say that. Couldn’t.Wouldn’t.He’d be mature—for the sake of his family. His fatheralmost died, after all. He wasn’t going to stir up drama. I was sure everything was different now, and I could imagine that maybe, just maybe, Eddie was right to want to mend fences with Fen. And maybe, just maybe, Fen would agree that it was the right thing to do. And that they absolutely were not talking about me.Please. No.
Besides, if something awful had gone down between them, I’d probably have heard about it, right? And all seemed to be eerily placid in the Sarafian house, as best I could gather in my limited contact with Fen. So I tried to put away my fears, and I just figured that mending his relationship with Eddie took a lot of energy, so I gave him his space.
But I’d be lying if I said that there wasn’t another reason for me giving Fen his space. Because there was. I wasdreadingfacing Eddie after our conversation at the hospital. Deep in my bones. The entire situation between us now was messy and volatile, and I was more than happy to avoid seeing either brother while everyone adjusted to the New Normal of me and Fen.
Early evening on the day before Serj was due to be released from the hospital and come back home, Dad told me if I wanted to talk to Fen, I’d need to be a pest and go over to their house like everyone else. I knew he was right. Time to put on the big-girl pants and go face the mess I’d made.
Starla was using the hybrid, so Dad dropped me off at the Sarafians’. I was extraordinarily nervous to walk down the driveway and ring the doorbell, but when Ms. Makruhi answered and rushed off, leaving me in the foyer, I didn’t have time to worryabout my own apprehensions. The villa was overrun with family and close friends. From where I could see at the villa’s entrance, people chatted in the living room and on the back terrace, everyone drinking and eating.
Were the Sarafians having a party? Maybe I should call my dad and get him to come right back and get me.
“Hey,” a voice said from the stairwell above.
I looked up, past the glass octopus sculpture, to see Fen smiling down at me from the second-story railing. He pushed a hand through his dark curls as he bounded down the foyer staircase, turning to the side to make his way around a couple chatting on the bottom of the steps. “What are you doing here? You should have texted me.”
“You hadn’t responded lately, which is fine. I assumed you were busy,” I told him. “But maybe I should’ve texted, you’re right. I didn’t know you’d be having people over.”
“Pssh,” he said, waving his hand. “These aren’t real people. This is family. Mostly out-of-towners visiting the big man. I think my mom’s going to kick most of these assholes out in a couple hours, but don’t worry, you’re good. You get a free pass along with my grandparents.”
I did? I wasthatimportant? Grandparent-level important? I felt like a fraud, like I didn’t deserve that, after all the cheating we’d done. Maybe I shouldn’t even be here, mingling with his family.
Who’s the Ruiner now?
But Fen was oblivious to my self-conscious woes. His eyesdarted behind me as if he was checking to make sure the coast was clear, and when the couple on the stairs wasn’t looking, he dipped down and kissed me.
Kissed me.
Right there. In the foyer.
Under the exploding octopus.
“Sorry,” he whispered, a small smile on his lips as he pulled away.
