AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yep. He thinks that the rebels were only threatening, so we’d surrender. They’re questioning some of them still.”
“Torturing.” I correct him and he sighs.
“Adrik, you know as well as I do that this is how our family works.” His tight curls bounce as he taps a bulky handful of breakfast potatoes onto his plate.
“Well, maybe I’m just fucking tired of it. We should be able to talk to these guys, figure out why the fuck they’re being so insistent—“
“It’s because of you, Adrik.”
“What?” I’ve never heard anyone say it out loud. Though, my father has his way of sharing his displeasure for my new role. He has never once said I’m the reason for this fighting.
“You’re…” he labors a heavy sigh like he’s trying to figure out how to put it nicely, but there isn’t a nice way to say I’m the reason everything is falling apart. I shoot a hand in the air for him to shut the fuck up and stop while he’s at it. He knows this sign well, so he nods, filling his plate a little more and sitting back down in his bed. The girls come over as I fiddle with the chocolate chip pancakes, spreading butter on each one. Espie’s eyes are on me, I can feel it, and I think she was listening to the conversation between me and Barth.
I’m not in the mood for talking though, don’t have time to dig into my feelings, so I avoid her, turn around and head over to my bed.
Most of the breakfast, Espie and Olive ask Barth questions about his specific line of work and act super interested in it, even though it’s the most basic security job in our family. I roll my eyes a few times when Olive makes flirty comments to Barth about his good-looking face or strong stature.
Almost immediately after we’ve finished our food, Barth gets the call that we’re free to go about business as usual.
“So, we’re safe?” Olive asks Barth as we walk towards the exit.
“Yep, extra safe now.” He nods with a grin that makes me gag, but gives me an idea. Odd combination, I know, but whatever. I glance down at Espie, who’s by my side.
“Are you free for the next couple of days?” I ask, and she looks taken aback by my question.
“Am I free for what?” Olive tilts her head back to us and I lean in a bit closer as we head up the stairs.
“I think it would be fun to go somewhere.”
“What do you mean?” She pulls her brows together just as Olive grabs her arm and pulls her close.
“We’ve got plans.” She answers for her, and my brows go tall.
“Do you?” I ask Espie, who looks to Olive like she’s confused.
“Oh.” She finally says, eyes shifting back to mine. “We do.”
“What are you doing?”
“We’re going shopping.” Olive proudly declares, and Espie looks even more confused than me.
“For the next few days? Where do you even think you’ll go for that? The town down there only has so many shopping experiences. If you haven’t noticed, it’s pretty small.” I fold my arms over my chest and Espie warns me with her eyes. Shewarns me? Am I her puppet now? Just because we did shit doesn’t mean I’ll bow to her every order and whim.
“Well, you’re not a girl, so I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” Olive snaps, practically flicking her hair in my face as she turns back round and pulls Espie the rest of the way up the stairs.
“Well, I’m going with you, so we’ll have plenty of opportunities tounderstandeach other.” I sarcastically grin, and she glances back at me angrily.
“You’re absolutely not coming.”
“Oh, I absolutely am.”
Olive is about to say something else that I’m already prepared to rebuttal, and then Espie steps in front of her. “Okay! Enough. You can come along. Just, stop fighting. Both of you.”
“Esperanza, you’re not in charge here. Your permission means nothing.”
“Nothing?” She breathes, nodding like she wants me to say it again to be certain. It’s a hurt look, the kind that used to give me a rush, but for some reason, it’s fucking shitty. And honestly, fuck her for making me feel shitty.
“Yeah.” I grumble. “And I don’t want to go anymore.” I break my gaze from her and pull out a cigarette, sticking it between my teeth and marching away from them.
