AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Please,” she urges, grabbing my hand and tugging on it. “Iwantyou to go with me. We’ve been working here together for like, ever, and never once have you actually done anything with me outside of work.”
“We’ve grabbed dinner,” I reason, trying not to feel too guilty about it.
She sharply exhales. “Fine.”
I sigh. “I’ll think about it, okay? Let me see how Dorian feels about it, and then I’ll let you know.”
She smiles. “Okay, I’ll start dress shopping for you.”
***
“Where?” Dorian looks up from the fabulous dinner of ramen noodles I made for him a couple of minutes ago.
“I wish I knew, but she just said we’d go out.” I hover over him at the kitchen table. “It’s still a few weeks away, though, so maybe she’ll forget.”
My brother gives me a weird look before slurping up more of the soupy concoction. I usually make a better dinner or bring home food from Bert’s but today, my head is a mess. “I don’t understand why you’re asking me about it.”
I sigh. “I just want to make sure that if it happens, you’ll be okay with it.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Dorian laughs. “You’re gone like every evening at that stupid bartending job. It’s not like I’m not used to being by myself.”
My heart drops. “I’m so sorry.” I pull out a chair and take a seat. “If I could find another job where I didn’t have to be gone like that—”
“You have too many jobs,” Dorian grunts, his eyes on his food instead of me. “I just wish you could work only one.”
“I know, I know...” Defeat trickles into my chest. “But there’s no way that I can afford that right now. I have to finish my degree, and then I’m hoping that I can find something more substantial.”
“Right.” His voice comes out flat. “I know that. I just... I wish you were around more. But you should go.”
My brows crease in confusion. “Well, it would mean missing one of my nights off with you.”
“I know.” He gives me a soft smile. “But youneverdo anything else. You go to school, work, and take care of me. I think you should probably do something fun for once, though.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “I have no idea what we’ll be doing, but I think it might be fun to dress up if that’s the case, though I have no idea what to do with my hair.”
“Your hair? Since when do you worry about that?” Dorian teases, elbowing me. However, his giggle quickly turns to a wince, his body curling forward.
“What is it?” I reach for him, my hand lightly on his forearm. “Is the pain back again? Do you want me to get your medicine?”
“I’mfine,” Dorian grunts, straightening back up. “It was just a cramp.”
“Okay.” I nod and frown. “It’s just after the other night...”
“I told you, it was nothing. She just freaked out over me having a few cramps.” Dorian shakes his head. “That’s what happens when I have to be babysat by a crazy eighty-year-old lady.”
I stay quiet on the matter, not wanting to argue with him. I know that there’re plenty of twelve-year-olds who can stay home by themselves, but Dorian... He’s not a normal twelve-year-old. His cramps come and go, but I don’t want there to ever not be someone there to help him.
“I’m going to go shower.” I get up.
“Thanks for the information.” Dorian snorts.
I dismiss his sass and slip down the hallway, pushing open the door of the bathroom. I love this bathroom. So cozy, decorated in a warm red and brown.
My mother always had a knack for decorating, but it’s not something that I inherited.
I slip out of my clothes, turning on the bathtub instead of the shower.
I grab a hair tie and pull my messy locks up onto a pile on my head, letting out a sigh as I eye myself in the mirror. The darkcircles are obvious and cringey, my concealer having long faded as the day ends.
