I tilt my head up until our eyes meet, faces inches apart. In her efforts to get me out of my seat quickly, the opposite has occurred. Images of her tucked under my arm on my couch flitthrough my mind. The moment her lips had pressed gently to mine. I steal a glance at her plush lips now, my blood heating under my skin immediately at the memory of how soft her lips were, wanting that again. Wanting more. From the heat in Celeste’s eyes right now, I can see a kernel of something there too, of wanting. Of needing.
Celeste pulls away and clears her throat, pulling down the visor and checking her makeup in the little mirror. “We should get going,” she says in a hurry, turning to give me a quick tight-lipped smile before creaking her driver’s side door open. I swallow hard and follow suit, unfolding my limbs and walking around the car door to meet her as she locks the car with a soft click.
“Ready?” She looks up at me with such easy happiness it steals the breath from my lungs. I manage a nod, relishing in the pure excitement Celeste has for her friend. We walk side by side to the black front door of the bar, a neon sign of a beer mug glowing in the setting daylight. Celeste opens the door and an onslaught of noisy chatter, clinking of pool balls, and popular country music fill my ears.
We step inside as I hold the door for Celeste to lead the way. We weave around dark wood tables, sticky with beer. The path is dimly lit with warm overhead lights hovering above the bar top tables and booths that fill the perimeter space. I didn’t realize such a small university town bar could hold so many bodies in one place.
I say as much to Celeste, or try to with all the noise, but she turns back to me and taps at her ears just as she gets bumped by some big guy trying to juggle four beers in his hands. I pull her back into me, my arms holding her shoulders protectively as I glare at the guy who barely offers an apology over his shoulder.
“This is the place Delaney picked?” I half yell, trying to not put all my judgments into my voice.
“There’s not a lot of options around here, you know.” Celeste yells back, balancing on her tiptoes to reach my ear. “Come on.” She grabs my hand and leads me further through the throng of bodies, some beginning to dance on the small floor space.
Celeste leads me to the very back corner of the bar where I see Delaney sitting at the edge of a plush red bench in an oversized booth. I can’t see her girlfriend wedged behind her yet, but to be honest, I’d rather wander around this obnoxiously loud bar for hours if it meant holding Celeste’s hand.
Unfortunately my little daydream comes to a screeching halt when I get a full view of the booth. Delaney flies out of her seat past me and almost knocks Celeste over with an enormous hug. I look over to introduce myself to Delaney’s girlfriend but instead see familiar burnt orange bangs, black painted lips, and a cold expression on the face of the last person I thought I’d be seeing today.
“Lor?” I ask, stunned.
“Ellora!” Delaney exclaims, hands in the air, a grin plastered on her face. “Wait…Lor?” She drops her arms down and looks at me in confusion as my sister slides from the booth.
“Ellie! So good to finally meet you, Lane has told me so much about you!” Celeste exclaims, pulling her in for an awkwardly stiff hug that I’m sure Lor hates. Ellora’s hazel eyes narrow at me over Celeste’s shoulder.
“Wait, how do you know…?” Delaney still stands there in utter confusion.
“Well, um, I’m her…she’s my…” I wince and scratch the back of my head. How in thehelldo I explain this?
“Sister. I think the word you’re looking for, oh dear brother, is sister,” Lor deadpans, sarcasm dripping from her words like venom.
Both Delaney and Celeste stand beside the booth frozen in shock. Celeste slowly turns to me, eyes as wide as saucers. I give her a tight-lipped smile hoping she’ll forgive me later.
“Dominic…is your brother?” Delaney repeats slowly, still sounding puzzled by our familial relations.
“Uh, yeah. We share parents. Grew up separately, though. Mostly,” I offer quickly, hoping that it’s a good enough explanation for her.
“Huh, what a small world.” Celeste shrugs in amusement.
“And it’s getting even smaller,” I mutter, pulling at the neck of my shirt. I say it mostly to myself but when I dare a glance at Ellora, it’s clear she’s heard me and I’ve pissed her off that much more.Great.
“Okay, well let’s sit!” Celeste interjects, shooing us into the booth just as a waitress walks up to take our order. “Hey Lane, thank you for texting my mom that I stayed at Dom’s the other night,” Celeste swivels as she’s greeted by a waitress who promptly asks her drink order.
I look to my sister as the waitress asks what she’d like to drink, then let out a relieved breath when she asks for a Coke with lime. Something in my heart warms and sours at the same time. I feel nostalgia at recalling Ellora having Cokes with lime as a kid, sharing it with her for some of the few times we actually lived together in the same foster house. Shame follows with a bitter aftertaste for not trusting that she would be honest or stay true to her sobriety.
I order a beer and focus on my folded hands on the table. I feel the heaviness of Lor’s stare after she gives her order, but I can’t meet her eyes. Delaney and Celeste chat about random events happening on campus once the new academic year starts, but there’s an underlying coldness between Ellora and me that I hope they aren’t picking up on. I’m hoping to keep it in the family.
“Ellie? Did you hear what I said, babe? The theatre here is twice the size of the one on the east coast. You’re going to love it.” Delaney’s voice cuts through the tension between Ellora and me. She turns her head to Delaney, her features softening as she looks at her girlfriend. She immerses herself in Delaney and Celeste’s conversation, and I barely recognize my sister with how often she’s smiling during this interaction.
“So if this week is just a visit when do you think you’ll be moving here?” Celeste asks in between sipping her poorly made piña colada from a curly straw. She twirls a tiny umbrella between her fingers as she watches Delaney and my sister exchange a look.
“Actually, I’ve already started sending all my stuff over. I should be here permanently within the next few weeks,” Ellora says to Celeste with finality.
Ellora is moving here?
“Wait, so you’re moving in with Delaney?” I ask, my voice coming off a little too hysterical for my liking. Lor whips her head around and levels me with a glare that would make lesser men weep. I might have backed down right then had I not also known Ellora to be the fragile child that kept getting shit on by our parents over and over again. I always had a soft spot for her, but at what point do you keep going back to people that hurt you? If she moves to Remington Hills, she’ll be closer to where we grew up. Closer to our parents.
“Yes, Dom. I’m coming to live here. With my girlfriend. Do you have a problem with that?” Her tone is sharp, enough that everyone goes silent and looks at me. I lift my hands just off the table in what I hope is a placating gesture, not wanting to piss off my sister more than what’s currently happening.
“No, I-I just…was clarifying.” I try to give her a small smile. Iamhappy for her, but something nags in my gut that Delaneymight get hurt. That my sister might leave. That my parents will suddenly show up and take from both of them. Take from me.
