Page 75 of Riverside Reverie

“Seriously?” I interrupted, staring at her in bewilderment. “You’re going to tell me it’s okay she did that because Scott and I drifted apart?”

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Mom said, frazzled. “I think there’s something more going on behind the scenes for your sister to act this way. She’s never done anything like this to you before.”

“She’s done thousands of microaggressions towards me over the years, Mom, and I’m done. I can’t handle it anymore, and I shouldn’t have to. If we weren’t sisters, if Brinley was some acquaintance or friend from school doing the things she’s done to me over the years, your advice would be very different right now. Our familial ties don’t mean that I have to forgive her for purposely being toxic and cruel.”

Mom listened, her lips trembling a little. “I know you’ve tried to talk to us in the past about Brinley’s…. mental health, and I’m sorry for shutting you down when you did. Over the last few years that you’ve been at college, I’ve noticed the things you tried to warn us about. Your sister does have some issues, and as a family we need to help her work through it. I know she’s hurt you, but please, don’t give up on her yet.”

I paused, not expecting that. “I’m not going to give up on her, Mom. But I do need to distance myself. I can’t be a target for her aggression anymore. I’m going to be moving out.”

Mom looked surprised by my announcement; as surprised as she could look with Botox. “Where are you moving to?”

“Sudbury. Jasmine’s looking for a new roommate. I’ll be moving in with her,” I answered, my eyes meeting hers. “There are some opportunities for me there.”

“But you have opportunities here too, Lux. I thought you were going to apply to work with your dad at the hospital.”

“I thought about it, but rents are high in Toronto. It’s more affordable up north, and there are plenty of hospitals and clinics for me to find work at,” I answered, leaving out the main one: I didn’t exactly want to work in the same hospital as my father. I’d always wonder if I’d landed the job on my own or if he’d had a hand in things. He had a lot of sway at the hospital, with his position and his seniority. His hospital was the only one in Toronto I hadn’t even bothered applying at.

Plus, the rents in Toronto really were high. They were high everywhere down south, but worse in Toronto. If I stayed, it’d be a long time before I could afford my own apartment. I’d have to live at home until then, and I couldn’t fathom doing that.

“Does this boy, Theo, live in the area?” Mom asked.

“He does, but that’s not why I’m moving,” I replied.

“Mmhmm,” Mom tsked with disbelief, giving me a secretive smile. “You know, things moved fast for your father and I, too.”

“This isn’t about him,” I frowned, a little frustrated she was conflating the two things. “This is about me, needing to put distance between me and Brinley, and getting on with my life.” My reminder wiped the smile off my mother’s face, and she sighed.

“I know,” her shoulders slumped. “I’ll try to talk to Brinley about it.”

* * *

A few hours later, I was in my bedroom sitting on my bed, my laptop open in front of me as I searched the job postings in Sudbury. I applied for three: one at the hospital, and two at different clinics. I also applied at a few restaurants to make sure I had something lined up for when I moved.

I could always work temporarily at a restaurant until something came up in my field, but I was optimistic. I had to be. I reminded myself that I had a great resumé and many recommendations from my professors and the place I’d done my co-op at.

Halfway through submitting another application, my bedroom door banged open. I looked up, not at all surprised to see Brinley lingering in the doorway. She was the only one that didn’t bother knocking before she burst in. My fingers tightened into a fist at my side, and I tried to control my breathing—keep it even and steady even as I seethed at the sight of her.

Brinley smiled smugly. “Home from your little ‘roughing it’ trip so soon?” Her tone was sickly sweet, with an undercurrent of poison. “I was hoping you’d get eaten by a bear.”

“Sorry to let you down, I guess,” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Is there a purpose for your disturbance?”

“Is there a purpose for you telling on me?” Brinley retorted, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe, her eyes narrowed into slits.

“Oh, was it supposed to be a secret? I couldn’t tell, what with the non-stop posting you’ve been doing on social media.”

“Admit it, you’re jealous and bitter Scott wanted me over you.”

“I don’t care about Scott, Brinley. Not even a little bit,” I sighed deeply, closing my laptop. “What I care about is how cruel you are to me. We’re sisters, we’re supposed to have each other’s backs and yet you slept with my boyfriend, sent me pictures, and bragged about it everywhere you could.”

“Ex-boyfriend,” Brinley corrected smugly. “He’s my boyfriend now.”

“But he was my boyfriend when you went after him,” I reminded her. “And again, this isn’t even about Scott, I don’t care about him. I cared about you. What sister does that? It was disgusting and beyond cruel.”

Brinley’s expression changed subtly at my last sentence, but she threw up her walls as quickly as I noticed the change. “Oh, get over yourself, Lux. You were done with him years before he took an interest in me. You just dragged him along because you didn’t have anything better waiting for you.”

I shook my head, appalled at her reasoning—if it could be called that. “Even if our relationship had run its course, you shouldn’t have done what you did. I think deep down, you know that.”

“You should be thanking me!” Brinley exclaimed. She laughed darkly before continuing. “If I hadn’t forced you to let go, you’d still have your claws in him, and he’d still be miserable with you. I make him happy.”

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