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My sister has never been known to be humble. I try not to look disgusted, while she sings her own praises.
„So, did you get a chance to think?” she asks.
„About what?” I implore, even though I know perfectly well what she’s referring to.
She rolls her eyes. „About what we discussed on the phone.”
„We didn’t discuss anything,” I insist. „You presented an endeavor to me, and I said no.”
She tuts while shaking her head.
„Aston, I’ve always admired your…you know, ideals, if that’s what you want to call it. And while I will never understand what you do or why you do it, I really don’t have any issue with it—”
„Why would you? It’s none of your concern,” I interject, before she gets to spin this conversation in a way that makes my blood boil.
„Of course it’s not,” she says, raising her hands defensively. „But I don’t understand why you’re so against working together? This collaboration could be great for you, too, you know!”
„In what way?” I should know the answer to that question, but I cling on to the hope that she may surprise me still.
„Well, it would look very good for your department to be able to say that you created an algorithm that’s been sold to millions of companies worldwide,” she says. „You could decorate yourself with the success of our firm.”
„I’m a theorist, my students are theorists. We do basic mathematical research, foundational research,” I try to explain. „You’re barking up the wrong tree if you’re looking for cheap labor to produce a useful tool to use on the free market. That’s not what we’re interested in.”
„See, and that’s what I don’t get!” she says, straightening her back, as she slides toward the edge of her seat. „How can you not be interested in that? You must—oh my God, what the hell is that?”
She jumps up from the couch and walks around it, to inspect the armrest at the side. A frown appears on her face as she traces the line of tiny holes that spreads across the leather.
„What the hell happened to your couch?” she exclaims, sounding disgusted. „Do you have moths or something?”
She looks at me with utmost disgust on her face and a hint of pity.
„Cats,” I say. „I’m…fostering a cat family at the moment.”
„Ew.” She rises to her feet and folds her arms to her chest before she starts spinning in circles, while she scans the floor of my living room.
„I said cats, not rats,” I tell her, as I start laughing.
„Oh, I did hear you,” she said, still sounding queasy. „I don’t like them. Where are they?”
„In hiding,” I say. „They probably sensed who was coming and made sure to stay the fuck away.”
She throws me a disgruntled look. „Very funny, little brother. I didn’t come here to get insulted.”
„You know that’s inevitable,” I say while I calmly get up from my seat, picking up her empty coffee mug, before I stroll back to the kitchen without even looking at her.
„Okay, I see how it is. You’re in a bad mood,” she laments behind my back. „I thought we could have a nice little chat about me coming back to the States, and you know, maybe even celebrate. But no, my bratty little brother chooses to be an absolute asshole to me.”
I’m standing with my back to her, so she can’t see the way my eyes almost roll out of my head. There it is again, her infamous gaslighting tactics. Our mother would be very proud of her right now.
And I just wish I had never opened that door.
Chapter 21
Claire
These days, I spend a lot more time on campus than I used to during my first semester here.
I’m ready to admit that it’s partially because of him. Even though I’m his TA, I don’t have many reasons to see or talk to Professor Jones outside of class, but there’s always that little speck of hope that I could run into him by „accident”. I hang out in the coffee place where we talked about my upcoming TA tasks, and I do most of my work and studying in the library that is close to his office. I’m acting like an idiot, and it hasn’t even paid off, because I never run into him. It’s like he only emerges from his fancy townhouse for the three classes he’s teaching this semester. Yes, I checked his teaching schedule, and I know when and where he’s teaching, but I try to keep my stalking to a minimum, still.
