Page 34 of The Wedding Pact

‘And from Darian.’

‘So you two really don’t get on?’

I let out a frustrated sigh and flop onto the sofa, rubbing my hand over my eyes and feeling how gritty with tiredness they are. ‘Not that well, no.’

She sits down next to me and looks at me with her eyes narrowed. ‘What is it about him that you don’t like?’

‘Lots of things.’

‘Like the fact he joined your life without your permission?’

I blink at her, feeling side-swiped by the question. ‘What makes you say that?’

‘The fact you keep correcting me on the brother/stepbrother thing. You obviously don’t consider him your real family.’

‘That’s because he isn’t. We’re not biologically related.’

‘But you grew up together.’

‘Only from when I was twelve.’

‘So, he’s been part of your family for longer than he hasn’t been.’

I shrug. ‘I guess. But like I say, we’re not blood related.’

‘And DNA matters that much to you?’

‘Well, yeah. I guess it does. It’s not all about biology though, it’s more that he always has to have all the attention and it drives me crazy. He’s such a virtue signaller. So bloody performative.’

I swipe my hand through the air, aware I’m being a real downer right now but unable to stop talking now I’ve started.

‘He won’t leave me alone about how much, or how little, I speak to my dad. He’s always done it, tried to make me look like the bad guy compared to his squeaky-clean bloody hero persona.’

‘Right.’

‘And his mum laps it up. She thinks the sun shines out of him. Like he can do no wrong.’

‘Is it a persona?’

I frown, taken aback by her question. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean, is he actually a bad guy pretending to be a good guy? He seems like a pretty cool person to me. Everyone here seems to like him too, apart from you that is. And you know, calling someone performative is another way of saying you find them threatening, right?’

I fold my arms and cock my head. ‘Hey, you’re supposed to be on my side here.’

‘Am I? I don’t remember signing a contract promising that. I’m just here as a neutral observer.’

‘Hmm.’

‘Dude, if you were looking for some simpering yes-woman you should have paid an actor to come with you or something. It’s not my style to just agree with everything everyone says. I feel very strongly about making up my own mind about things. And honestly, it seems to me you like to be challenged, even if you pretend you don’t. It gives you something to fight against.’

‘You’ve got me all figured out, huh?’

‘Looks like it, yeah.’

I let out a snort of amusement and shake my head.

‘The main reason I clash with Darian,’ I say, lightening my tone now, ‘is because we run our lives in very different ways. He’s really family centric. I’m work-centric.’