AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Again, why?” He rocked back on his heels, more coy than cocky.
Zach was nervous of my reaction, another layer unveiled, though Isuspected he saved this one specifically for me. Still, he’doverdone it. “That place that you like so much…”
He lifted his eyebrows, trying to figure out the point of what Isaid.
“It’snot like you went to ahot dog stand.” Ireferred to the obscene amount of money he spent for an obscene, and unnecessary, amount of food.
The insinuation seemed to amuse him, if the twitch in his lips was of any indication. “You’drather Ipicked up something from ahot dog stand?”
Olivia, who had returned to the kitchen, halted mid piling up the food, her head spinning between the two of us. “No!”
“Olivia…” Imuttered.
“That’smy name, don’twear it out.”
Zach barked alaugh at her antics. “No hot dogs next time then?”
“Def no.” She paused, most likely for the dramatic effect of it, then added, “If there will be anext time.”
Ijust stood there, not saying anything. What for when no one listened to me?
“All this doesn’tgrant me another movie night?” Our guest gathered the rest of the containers in his arms and carried them with her to the other room. Ididn’tmiss his biceps flexing.
“It gets you an Afor effort.” She looked up at him with acocked eyebrow. “The final judgment will be delivered at the end of the night.”
Tears of joy welled up behind my eyes as Iobserved their interactions, their silly banter, and how he talked to my sister at eye level. He treated her with respect despite her young age. Covering up my emotional response, Ifaced away from the two and busied myself with taking out acorkscrew and glasses.
When Ijoined them and sat on the couch with Olivia, they were in deep conversation. More like, Olivia talked, detailing her future plans to Zach, who occupied the single seat next to us and listened. “… and Ithink I’ll do it for give or take ayear. I’ll save up to pay at least apart of my college education and will have to think of what Iactually want to major in and where without the pressure they put me in now.”
“Sounds like agreat plan, Livs.” Zach poured French fries onto his plate.
His nickname for her didn’tgo unnoticed and Ipaused with the burger in my hands. “Livs?”
“Mm-hmm,” he responded between bites. “I’ve found my long-lost sister here.”
The sincerity with which he said it wiped out the most cynical part of me. Iglanced at Olivia to see her focused on her food, and Imouthed to Zach,Thank you.
He, of course, waved me off. “What Iwas trying to say is, awell-thought-out plan and passion will get you very far. In your case, literally far away.”
She swallowed her dumpling before answering with asad smile. “If only Mom and Dad, the dream obliterators, thought the same. Right, Laura?”
“They’re still not on board with your business?” Zach put down the two fries he was about to shove down and looked at me, confused. “It’sbeen ages, and your business is doing well, what’snot to support?”
“It’snothing.”
“It’sso not nothing!” Olivia raised her voice with anger on my behalf. “It’snot about the business either. Imean, now it is. Before it was Laura’sdreams of being apainter. Didn’tshe tell you?”
“No.” He tilted his head while answering her.
She threw her fork on her plate, ignoring my attempts to avoid the subject. “Did she tell you how they hated it?”
“Ididn’tlove it all that much.” Iplayed around with the salad, that suddenly seemed all too interesting. “It’snot an issue.”
“Ifeel like it is.” Zach was closer, that familiar heat of his radiating to my body.
The air became too suffocating and Ipassed up on pretending the salad held any interest for me. Ihad put my painting dreams behind and never looked back, and didn’tsee any need to rehash the past.
For me anyway. Olivia’srage kept brewing. “They said they’dhelp her financially only if she promised she wouldn’tdo it as aprofession.”
