Page 51 of Mass Sins

“We’ll see, Bennie. Maybe next month.”

“Okay. Well…I’ll definitely let you know how things go tomorrow with my sister. I truly hope she won’t start unnecessary arguments.”

Maybe my sister would for once realize that not everything was about her. And maybe once, she would show me the affection I always wanted from her. I wanted her to be happy for me because I’ve always been happy for her.

***

I observed Joska as he took in my childhood bedroom. His lips were pursed, and his eyes were filled with amusement.

“Say something,” I urged with a nervous laugh.

“It’s cute.” He turned around to look at me and grinned. “Very different from how you furnished your apartment.”

“Well, I kinda grew out of this color,” I said, looking around my very pink room.

“I can see little Bennie playing with her dolls though. I bet you were the sweetest kid.”

I laughed softly and wrapped my arms around his shoulders when he pulled me to him. “I was very quiet. Not shy, but quiet. I observed a lot, but I could also be very loud and exhausting.”

“Yeah? In what situations?” He put his hands on my lower back, his eyes staying on mine the whole time.

“I was obsessed with playgrounds, especially the ones that had themes, like, a pirate ship or castle. Dad used to take me on weekend trips to the biggest playgrounds around all of Colorado, and I basically turned into a hyper energized kid whenever I got to play on those playgrounds. I never wanted to leave, and Dad had to literally drag me to the car.”

Joska chuckled. “Adorable. You’re kind of the same now when you’re at my place. Full of energy when we have sex, and extremely unbearable when I try to get rid of you.”

I rolled my eyes at him and slapped his chest. “Rude!”

He grinned and tightened his arms around me before trailing kisses all over my face. “You know I’m just messing with you,” he murmured. “I never want to be apart from you.”

My smile was bright as he love-bombed me, and all the emotions I was feeling were overwhelming but nice. At times, I still couldn’t believe that Joska loved me, and wanted to be with me. But he proved to me every day that he was devoted to this relationship.

His mouth covered mine, and I melted into him, letting him kiss me passionately as we stood in my childhood bedroom. I’ve made many bad memories in this room. I spent years being sick in this room, and every time I got to return from the hospital, it felt less and less like the bedroom I grew up in.

Once I moved out, I thought that was all this room would ever be. A room holding bad memories. But now, I would look back to this moment, remembering this passionate kiss with the man I loved.

We looked into each other’s eyes longingly after breaking the kiss, not wanting this moment to end. But it had to, because Dad was downstairs, and I just heard my sister’s car drive up outside.

“We should go back downstairs. I think my sister’s here,” I told him, my voice quiet.

“Okay,” he whispered back, his expression soft.

We walked downstairs with our fingers interlocked. I felt so much joy lately, and I knew that not even my sister’s bad mood could change that. Not that I wanted her to be in a bad mood, but I knew her well enough, and how she’s been lately.

“Your sister’s here,” Dad said as we reached the bottom of the stairs. “She called just five minutes ago, yelling at me because some woman cut her off on the street. She’s not in a good mood,” he added with a tight expression.

I pressed my lips together and looked up at Joska. I wished I could tell him that tonight would be fine, but if this was how it started, I couldn’t promise him anything. I looked back at Dad and sighed. “Maybe she’s calmed down now.”

“I doubt it.” He looked at Joska. “I give you my permission to talk back to my oldest daughter and put her in her place if she tries to be rude to you.”

Joska chuckled and waved a hand. “It’ll be fine, I’m sure.”

“I hope so,” I whispered under my breath.

The door opened without a warning. No ringing, no knocking. My sister appeared in the doorway, announcing herself in the most obnoxious way possible.

She let out the heaviest sigh as she took off her sunglasses, which I wasn’t sure why she was wearing when the sun wasn’t even out, then she looked at Dad and said, “I literally hate everyone. Some people shouldn’t be allowed to drive a car.”

Dad cleared his throat and raised his brows, giving her the chance to acknowledge Joska and me standing right there. But she wouldn’t look at us. She raised her brows too, her eyes like sharp knives digging into Dad’s. “What? Am I wrong? You complain about people all the time too.”

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