Page 31

“Come on, sit?” he asks again, clutching his stomach and making kissing sounds.

“Fuck, okay,” I huff, plopping down next to him. I look up and the fucker is right, you can see a couple stars in the night sky.

“I can’t wait to go back to America,” he pouts. “I need some piece of mind and your brother is not helping. I’ve been working nonstop translating shit for them both, it’s been a lot.” He sounds exasperated, but I know he secretly likes doing the work.

“You like it, don’t pretend otherwise,” I say, putting him in his place.

He waggles his brows. “I do, because it doesn’t involve stabbing people.” He turns on his side, resting his head against my shoulder. “But I like Chinatown better than this shit,” he says, motioning toward the city all lit up. “I mean it looks beautiful, but I know who I am there. Here I feel like a loud American. I’m nothing,” he mumbles. “At least that’s what your brother keeps reminding me of. He hates my guts ever since I followed you to New York. Let’s lie down over there,” he sidetracks and stands, his ADHD taking over.

“Where?” I ask, smiling as I watch him walk back and forth.

“Here because it’s darker,” he states, planting his ass on the concrete lying back. “Come on, live a little,” he says, motioning for me to follow him.

“I’m wearing a new suit,” I pout.

He keeps motioning for me to come over. “Come, come,” he says in Mandarin. “I’ll buy you another. Come on, you can see the stars better like this. It’s my birthday, so I make the rules.”

“Okay, shit,” I sulk, crashing down next to him and stare up at the night sky.

“Your brother hates me, and my best friend hates you. Together we make the perfect pair.” He laughs.

“We can start a club. Shall we meet every Wednesday?” I mutter staring at the jade ring on my right hand.

“I think we’re both fucked.” He laughs. “Me being the weird ABC1 kid, and you being…” He pauses, side-eyeing me.

“Whatever you were going to say, fuck you. I’m also half Chinese, although my real father is nowhere to be found.”

“We’ll track him down,” he promises and starts to giggle while I shoot him a glare. I don’t care about my real father; Moon is the only real father figure I need in my life. Not the man who gave me my DNA, or the man that put his name on paper for me. El snuggles into my side. “This is actually pretty nice don’t you think? Us hanging out like this? Both waiting to hear some kind of death sentence, it gives perspective, don’t you think?”

“Lying on the cold concrete while both our families talk business, deciding about our lives, and we aren’t invited? Yes, what more should I ask for?” The sarcasm is ringing through my voice. I push my hand in my pocket and find a stray cigarette. Fuck you, Tian, I press it against my lips and El lights it for me by holding his lighter in front of my face.

“You want to get out of here? I mean it’s our last night of freedom.”

“Didn’t they say we needed to stay on the compound?” I ask, pushing up by my hands, flicking the cigarette across the terrace.

He raises a brow, rolling his dark eyes at me. “The girl who snuck out with me almost every damn day to get milk tea when we were growing up is scared right now?”

I push him away from me as I stand. “You’re the one that keeps forgetting Moon was waiting for us every time we left the store. The look in his eyes still gives me nightmares.”

He shakes his head and follows me up, wiping the dust from his clothes.

“How much you want to bet they catch us before the night is through?” I ask.

He crosses his arms, giving me a look. “You mean Moon and Tian?”

“They come as a pair, like us, so how much?” I ask, pushing my fists against my side.

El frowns at me. “Why are you staring at me like that?” I ask, mirroring his stance. “I bet they come and save the day, like I’ve done,” I tell him, pointing at myself, “many times because you decided to down a whole whiskey bottle in some club.”

He points a finger in my face. “It happened one time,” he starts, and I give him a look. “Six times.” I stop and sigh. “Okay, fuck, seven, if you count the night in Seoul, but you were always with me, except that time, so technically I was saving you. Moon couldn’t care less.”

“You’re the one who works with him, not me. You’ve been running around Chinatown for Moon ever since we came to New York. Don’t deny it.”

“Your brother pays good money,” he says, winking at me.

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that. You like him, even though you try to deny it.”

Tugging his hands in his pockets, he follows me down the stairs. “The man sucks your soul dry. The boring old man pretends he doesn’t even drink or smoke. How many rules does he live by, four thousand?”