Page 136 of Chemistry: The Chemist

“The pleasure is mine.”

He was a man of few words, especially when it came to strangers, so I wasn’t surprised when he sat down and allowed us to continue.

“Rhea, Eden. Eden, Rhea, my mother.”

Stepmother was her title, but she was much more than it entailed. Catherine had birthed me, but Rhea had molded me. She was a lifetime of stability in a mother figure, something I’d experienced in my mother until it was all snatched away.

When her mental health started to decline, so did my happiness. So did the happiness of everyone around her. That’s what I was afraid of most while fighting my own mental health battle.

I’d never experienced a crisis, but I knew I was capable. I understood that my mind wasn’t as flawless as it seemed and there were parts of me I couldn’t control if I wanted to. My impulsiveness was a sign of my illness. My thirst for blood was another one. It wasn’t my soul that was satisfied after; it was something deeper, something inexplicable that was fulfilled.

There were many dimensions to me, so many, I was still trying to discover the paths to them all. That’s why I needed Eden to stop trying to piece together my puzzle. Some pieces didn’t fit and they never would.

“Hello, Eden. I’m so happy to finally put a face to the name.”

You’ve had a face to the name, I thought. I was no fool. My father had shown her Eden’s picture, probably back as far as her grade school photos. She lied with a straight face, nearly forcing me to laugh.

Richie’s damn wife.

“Rather, Royce, Range… Eden.”

I made it around the table, leaning in to hug Rome.

“Baby, this is Eden. Eden, this is my youngest sister, Rome. She’s the baby of the family. She’s my eyes, my ears, and my heart. She’s also a ballerina. She has a big show coming in a few months. We’ll be there.”

“I can hardly wait. Nice to meet you, Rome.”

“Likewise.”

I’d waited as long as I possibly could to poke the resting beast. Rugger sat next to chairs designated for Eden and me. I contemplated leaving well enough alone, but Eden nudged me as we prepared to sit, urging me to make the introduction.

“Rugger,” I called out.

She didn’t move an inch. Her eyes remained on the glass in her hand twirling it while possibly thinking of a hundred ways she could unalive Eden with it and sleep well tonight knowing she had.

“This is Eden. Eden, Rugger.”

“Nice to me–”

“Another round, please, Veronica?” politely, she asked.

The disrespect was intolerable. Instead of getting comfortable in my seat, I stalked hers, not stopping until I was in front of her with it pulled out from underneath the table.

“I don’t like making scenes, Rugger. We have guests, baby. But, if you want to take it there, make sure you’re ready to take it all the way there. I’ve never disrespected you, not even once. I expect the same from you.

“By disrespecting Eden, you are disrespecting everything I stand for. You will fix your fucking face and you will smile and you will greet her just like the others. If you have a problem with that, we can take this shit outside. Have I made myself clear?” I whispered in her ear.

As I gave her space to digest everything I’d said, I smoothed the wrinkles of my jacket with a smile. “Clear?”

Chuckling, she nodded. “Very.”

Rugger was every bit of me. Every bit of Richie. Rhea was nowhere to be found. We’d marked the poor girl.

“Well, then,” I concluded our conversation without having to say another word.

I leaned in and kissed her forehead. Slowly, I turned her back around and pushed her forward until her chair was almost under the table. However, it was facing Eden, who was too startled to speak.

“Good evening, Eden.”

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