When we were younger, my aunt and uncle were never around for Si Si, which was why she was always at my house. They would always be on the road, whether on tour or traveling for work.
We come from a music family, with most of my aunts, uncles, and cousins being in the music industry due to my grandparents holding the torch as Jazz legends. My dad and aunt Lyric were the only two of their four siblings that hadn’t gone into the music industry but Sienna’s dad, Uncle Major is a super famous DJ. While her mom is a popstar.
Uncle Major and Aunt Eloisa supported Sienna in every way except emotionally. They’d send money for clothes and made sure she had the finest shoes and bags. But when it came to showing up for a recital or play, they were nowhere to be found.
“What a dick.” Blake scoffs, rubbing Sienna’s shoulder as she chuckles. I hadn’t even noticed he’d moved to the couch.
“Do you maybe think you’re projecting your feelings about auntie and uncle onto him?” I ask, bracing myself for anger as she groans.
“I don’t know, honestly. But it feels shitty knowing that another little girl is out there being treated how I was.” She hangs her head with a sigh.
“Then be the person you needed when you were a kid, for her.” Blake shrugs as if that's the easiest thing in the world. I’m about to interject when Sienna brightens up, jumping off the couch with a large smile.
“You’re so right! Thanks, Jake!” She squeals before skipping… yes, I said it,skippingto her bedroom.
Blake tilts his neck at the name and turns his head to me.
“Who the hell is Jake?”
seventeen
Blake
Cleo is dying oflaughter on the couch beside me, still repeating the nameJakeover and over. I’ve been called a lot of things in my lifetime by girls but Jake, is not one of them.
I’ll take‘asshole’over some other dude’s name any day.
“Something funny?” I cock my neck to the side as she wipes an absent tear, awfully tickled with the fact that her pink-haired friend called me a different guy.
“Everythingabout that was funny!” she exclaims, sighs, and then laughs even harder.
“Oh, shut up…” I chuckle as she snorts.
She’s about to voice her retort when the door slams open once again, and the chime of the alarm goes off.
“Why the fuck are you here?!” an all too familiar loud voice yells over Cleo’s obnoxious laughter.
The both of us freeze momentarily at the sight of the two angry blondes in the doorway. Jace stands with his hands on his hips like a hardware store dad, while Georgia rolls her eyes, stepping around him.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I cough, sobering up as I sit up on the couch, resting my elbows on my knees.
Cleo scoots in closer to me as Jace strides into the living room with an annoying smile on his face.
“Because you said you had a project! I checked your location, andthisdoesn’t look like a project,” he says in a matter of fact tone as if he’s caught me in a dirty little secret.
I frown as he squeezes in between Cleo and I on the couch, looking me over like I'm some sort of pest before smiling sweetly at the woman beside him.
“You’re interrupting, you idiot,” Georgia croaks from the loveseat across the room, looking down at her tablet.
“And you’re fucking annoying,” he responds instantly.
“Hey!Be nice to each other. Why are you two arguing now?” Cleo asks, cutting the two of them with a look as sharp as a blade.
I watch Georgia for a reaction; Jace is always overreacting but I’ve never been around her too long to understand her. Georgia’s eyes widened for a second before darting to Jace. She shakes her head subtly, but I catch it.
“Oh…you know, just Peach being annoying once again.” Jace coughs.
Weird.
