Page 63 of Wicked Arrangement

“I spoke to Abigail. I’ve been so worried about you. I found out about the fire through a buddy of mine. Why didn’t you call me?” he asks, sounding genuinely concerned.

Despite everything he’s done, he’s right, I should have called or at least texted to let him know we’re okay. “Sorry, I’ve been… distracted. But Gran and I are both fine.”

“Can I see you, please?” he implores.

I’m about to refuse but he adds, “I need to see you in person, to apologize to your face. Kimmy, I know I fucked up, but after thinking I might have lost you, I realized how important family is. Please? Give me one last chance.”

Considering how I’ve gotten Yaroslav and David to reunite with their estranged sister today, it would be churlish of me to then refuse to give my own sibling the cold shoulder when he’s trying to make amends. If the past month has taught me anything, it’s the importance of family.

“Alright, fine,” I agree.

“Thank you, thank you so much,” he gushes. “Could you be at The Den in half an hour?”

The Den is a dive bar, out in the middle of nowhere that never has any patrons other than drunkards and underage kids. It’s where my brother and his buddies liked to go to get drunk before they turned twenty-one and they’ve been hanging out there ever since.

“Really, Noah, The Den? Is it even open? It’s not even eleven yet.”

“I just figured it was somewhere we could talk in private without lots of people around,” he replies.

I’m not wholly convinced that it’s the only reason, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. “Let’s meet at the diner near it, that will be just as quiet, but we won’t have to deal with a load of old drunks or bikers.”

“Okay,” he agrees, “I’ll see you soon, Sissy,” he replies fondly, using Gran’s nickname for me.

***

As anticipated, the diner is practically empty, just a lone elderly man nursing a cup of coffee in the far corner. Noah’s already there, waiting in a booth for me. He doesn’t get up to greet me as I approach, something that irks me. It’s not like he ever used to, but having spent time with Yaroslav who is always such a gentleman, the lack of respect Noah treats me with seems glaringly obvious.

“Hi,” I say awkwardly as I sit down.

“Sis,” he replies with a nod. The eagerness to please, and desperation in his voice from before is now absent.

“Howdy there, welcome to Dina’s Diner, what can I do you for sweetheart?” asks the friendly waitress, whose nametag reveals she is the one and only Dina.

“Just a coffee please,” I reply.

“Oh, now, you’ll go upsetting Big John out back if you don’t order something to eat, looks like you could use some meat on those bones. How ‘bout a slice of apple pie, freshly baked this morning?” she asks in her southern drawl.

“Sure, sounds great,” I reply. Gran always instilled manners in me and it’s practically a sin to refuse Southern hospitality, turning down food is frowned upon.

“Excellent. And for you?” she asks directing her gaze at my brother as she refills the empty cup of coffee in front of him.

“I’ll take the pancake stack, extra bacon, extra eggs, extra syrup, and a slice of that pie,” Noah responds.

“Well, I do like a man with a healthy appetite! Coming right up sugar,” Dina says with a wide smile before bustling off to get our orders.

“Hungry?” I ask with a raised eyebrow, Noah was always able to eat an obscene amount and yet never seemed to gain weight.

“You know it, breakfast is my treat, of course, Sis,” he replies as Dina returns with my coffee.

“Such a generous brother!” she exclaims with a smile before trotting off again.

I know better than to trust these bouts of generosity when it comes to Noah, a sudden influx of cash is never a good sign. “Lucky hand in cards?” I ask.

“Nope. All that’s behind me, but I’m gonna be coming into some cash real soon,” he replies cryptically. “So, Sis, tell me. What have you been up to?”

“Oh, you know, the usual,” I reply vaguely.

“That’s not what I heard,” he replies, a confident grin on his face.

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