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I blinked innocently. “The guy on the video got it done in like an hour.”
I swear, his jaw ticked, and I could almost see him contemplate how much a judge would give him if his defense was “but you should have heard her tone.”
He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and might have counted to ten. When he opened his eyes once more, he explained mechanically, “The guy on the video has a magical thing called editing software that allows days of work to be comprised into one short video so the shleps at home don’t get discouraged.”
Should I have egged him on?
No.
Was it fun though?
Oh God, yes. The funnest.
Also, I might have had a death wish. “You could try a little harder, is all.”
Vik’s eyes narrowed on me, and I smiled sweetly. He stalked back into the bathroom, and the next thing I knew, Mina flew out, then stumbled as if he’d picked her up and thrown her. And when her face bunched and she let out a heated, “Uh, rude,” I was pretty sure that was exactly what he’d done.
The bathroom door was closed, leaving only a sliver open, and then music was playing on the inside. And Mina made a face. “Too far?”
“Too far,” I confirmed with a grim nod.
She shuffled over and threw herself down on the bed beside me. She blinked up at the ceiling and whispered, “He’s doing a good job.”
My response was equally hushed. “He really is.”
He is nothing.
Not good enough.
Poor excuse for a man.
The whispered words echoed through my mind. I shook my head as if to clear it. I hadn’t seen my mother visually in days. I took that as a good sign. She still, however, liked to taunt me from within, but the whispers were declining in volume.
It wasn’t easy, but I was marching on.
I refocused, and because Mina seemed somewhat faraway, I nudged her shoulder with my foot. She looked at me with tired eyes, and I frowned. “You okay?”
Her misery grew. “I want a baby.” She ran a feeble hand down her face and revealed quietly, “I want it so bad. And we’re trying, you know? We’re trying every chance we get.”
I tried not to gag at the image of my brother “trying.”
“But nothing’s happening.” Her lips pulled down in time with her brow as she looked up at me and wondered out loud, “What’s wrong with me?”
Oh, my sweet sister girl.
My expression of shared wretchedness was not feigned. “Oh God, Mina. Don’t do that to yourself, babe. Nothing is wrong with you,” I promised. “Sometimes, it takes a while.”
“I just thought we’d be pregnant by now.” Her forearm flopped over her eyes, and her voice gentled. “I’d hoped, anyway.”
I’d hoped the same. It was cruel, this waiting game.
“Hey, sometimes everything just needs to match up at the right time. Like, shit—” I rolled my eyes. “—the planets need to align in just the right way, or you didn’t sacrifice your goat at the right time.” She snuffled out a small laugh, and I asked carefully, “Did you sacrifice your goat at the right time?”
Her lips twitched. “I don’t know. I think it was a Saturday.”
I tutted. “Well, there’s your problem. That’s a Friday job.”
Mina’s chuckle had me grinning like an idiot. It felt good to make her laugh in the face of despair.
The front door opened, then closed, and I blinked. Running footsteps sounded, and Mina lifted her head, peeking up at the door with a frown. And when Cora panted out, “Holy shit,” she held a hand to her chest and huffed, “Why are you so bougee? Can’t you just live in a single-story house like everyone else?” Her brow creased as she gripped her side and winced, fighting through the pain of her cramp. “Those stairs are torture.”
Weird, but okay then.
Cora trudged over to the bed, knocking me with her knee. “Move over.”
I shifted to the right, and Cora dove into the place I had previously occupied, and without a second’s thought, she started to monologue at Mina. “Your brother has to be the most frustrating man on the planet. I mean, what is it going to take? Like, hello. Earth to Alessio. Nice, loyal, freaky-ass chick wanting to get down with your sullen ass, but no.” She shook her head. “And, I swear to God, the more he pushes me away, the more I want to dick down.” She emphasized the last two words with two solid claps.
Mina’s face screwed up. “Ew.”
Mine shot straight to the bathroom door. “Cora, no.”
But Cora did not listen. She didn’t even pause. “I mean, I get it. He’s this whole broody, damaged antihero kind of dude. And I am down for that. I mean, I didn’t even know it was a thing of mine, but those scars?” Her brows rose slowly. “They make me tingle, girls.”
