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“Wow! I knew you were a selfish asshole, but I didn’t think you thought that little of me.” I pull my chair back and leave the room in a huff, walking outside to the backyard.
The fresh night air calms me down to the point I’m no longer seeing red, just a bright shade of pink. It’s not long before Julian comes outside, sitting down beside me on the step.
“We always knew this was going to be difficult, Adriana.”
But why is it only Lex making it difficult? He’s my brother, he saw firsthand the pain I endured losing Elijah. Why can’t he just be fucking happy for me?
“I just hate that he makes me feel like I’m nothing. It’s all about Charlie. He hasn’t once stopped to think that maybe I’m just as good as Charlie.”
“It’s isn’t a competition.” He pulls me onto his lap, and I wrap my arms around his neck, resting my head on his shoulder. “I don’t blame him, you know. I’d be the same in his position.”
“Wait? You would?”
“Think about it, Adriana. I wasn’t a saint, and for a long time I did try to steal Charlie away from him.”
“This isn’t helping me.”
“Just let him do what he needs to do. For now, let’s focus on us, okay?”
And that’s the great thing about Julian, he’s rational, and even at the worst of times, he makes me see sense. The door creaks, and I turn around to see Charlie standing behind us.
“Hey, kids. Thanks for leaving me in the lion’s den.”
I know she is joking, her half-smile reassuring me that she can handle it. Charlie’s strong. She doesn’t let things get to her like I do.
“Julian, Andrew wants to know if you would like to join him in the den, something about a documentary on some disease thingy.”
“Sorry, beautiful.” He kisses my forehead, and I climb off him.
As soon as Julian is gone, Charlie speaks, “Adriana, just ignore Lex. There’s no point arguing with him. It’ll be a waste of time.”
“But surely that must have been uncomfortable for you? What gives him the right to treat Julian and me that way in front of my parents?”
“Yeah, it was. My hands are tied here. I want you to be happy, but I can’t control Lex.”
She’s right. Charlie may be his wife, but Lex has always been stubborn. She has a hold over him, but this is one of those times where he refuses to listen to anyone or thing besides his psychotic head.
“Has he been treating you badly this week?” I ask, guilty she has to put up with him.
“Yes and no. He’s got his mood swings, that’s for sure. But for the most part, quite the opposite, he has been more demanding, um… physically.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t need to spell it out for you,” she huffs, her eyes widening while watching me. “You don’t really want to hear it, do you?”
“Who cares? It’s no hidden secret that he’s apparently a god in the bedroom.”
“I never said that!”
“Oh… maybe Eric, then.”
“Ever since I came home from your house, any quiet moment we have alone he ravages me. And I mean ravage to the point that it’s like back in New York when we had just started up again.”
“Well, maybe that’s his coping mechanism.”
“It’s his way of controlling what he believes is his.”
“No surprises there. Oh well, it’s nice, I guess.” My tone flattens.
