AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So…what?” she huffs. “Mommy and Daddy loved you too much? They made you believe you could have it all, and it was a real bitch once you figured out fairytales aren’t real?”
My jaw tics, my head slowly nodding. I could be an asshole right now and make her feel bad by telling her my parents died when I was only a boy. It annoys me that Lori has such a warped impression of my life, but now is not the time.
“Something like that.”
Her eyes fall to the table as she sighs, her shoulders sagging as she rubs her temples. When her hands drop into her lap, she meets my eyes again. “I’m sorry. That was bitchy. I shouldn’t take my shit out on you.”
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise before I have a chance to school my features. Sorry isn’t something I’ve ever heard Lori say. As badly as I want to tease her about that, it might only make her get all closed off again.
“My offer still stands if you want to talk about it.”
She shakes her head, taking a sip of coffee. “I can’t really…I mean, it’s my sister’s story. It’s not my place to tell it.”
“I understand and respect that, but you don’t have to tell me anything about her. We can still talk about what’s going on with you right now. Are you just worried about her, or is there more to it?”
“Actually, she seems to be doing pretty well. I feel confident she’s going to be all right.”
“So, your over consumption and restless night of sleep?”
She blows out a puff of air, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “Guilt, mostly. I know what she’s been through isn’t about me or because of me, but…I’m her big sister. I should’ve seen something wasn’t right. I should’ve been there for her.”
“Come on. You have to know how unreasonable that is.”
She nods. “I know it seems that way. From the outside looking in, it must look like I’m taking my sister’s issues and making them about me.” Her eyes lift to meet mine, and they’re filled with the vulnerability she normally tries to keep hidden. “But I can’t help feeling a level of responsibility. If I’d only been open with her, it might have served as a warning. I never thought she’d suffer the same painful experiences, but then I hadn’t really been thinking of her. Fear has a way of making you selfish. Even now, after she confided in me, I still couldn’t bring myself to tell her my story. The crazy thing is, I want to share it with her. I want her to know I understand. It’s just…I’ve never said any of that stuff out loud before, and I didn’t know where to even begin.”
“You could practice with me, if you want,” I say.
Her eyes widen, her face going pale. “What?”
“It doesn’t have to be me, but I’m here. Maybe if you get everything you want to say out now, it will help you find the right words for Julianna.”
To my surprise, she doesn’t automatically turn me down. Instead, her features draw in as she studies my face, silently considering my proposition. She opens her mouth to speak, and I stop breathing, worried I’ll spook her and she’ll change her mind.
“I…well…when I was younger, there was this guy. A man really,” she begins. I nod very slowly, careful not to seem too eager, all while my heart beats wildly in my chest. “He was someone I cared for, someone I trusted. Or at least I thought I could—”
The ringing of my doorbell interrupts her, and I nearly scream out in frustration. I come to my feet as it rings again, looking down at Lori.
“Did you ask someone to come pick you up?” Lori shakes her head, and it hits me. “Shit, what day is it?”
“Sunday. The twentieth.”
“Shit, shit, shit,” I curse, rushing to clear the kitchen table.
Once all the dishes are in the sink, I begin to make my way to the door with Lori following behind me. “What the hell is going on? Who’s at the door?”
I look over my shoulder and give her an apologetic smile. “Most likely my grandmother.”
“Your grandmother?” she hisses.
I turn to face her as I reach the door, giving her a quick explanation. “My grandmother gets her check on the fifteenth of every month, and I take her out to do her shopping the following Sunday. Which would be today, but I totally forgot because—”
“Of me,” she says.
I nod, hurrying to open the door.
14
Lori
