Page 83 of 10,000 Hours With A Rich Menace

“I really wanted to meet you guys. He talks about you all the time, and I wanted to put a face to the people.”

Zoya laughed. “No, he doesn’t… Stevie, you don’t have to lie to us. My brother doesn’t mention us at all, and the feeling is very much mutual.”

“Stop being like that, Zoya.” Kora pinched her sister and then turned her attention back to us. “Did Landon say that he was going to come?”

“He never replied to the text message, so probably not.”

I was hoping that everyone could show up so I could meet them all at the same time. “He’s going to show up… we haven’t had a family dinner…” Corleon walked into the living area. He kissed Kora and Zoya on the forehead before giving me one, too.

“Ever,” Kora finished his sentence.

“I knew when I got the message from his phone that it wasn’t his doing. Menace don’t ever invite us over here.”

“You don’t ever come,” Corleon corrected her.

Zoya shrugged and went into the fridge that was actually in the kitchen. “Do you blame me? Look at his fridge… I don’t know if I want to take a drink or a picture because who has a fridge this perfect.”

“He called not too long ago and should be here soon,” I told them, as Zoya decided on if she wanted to take a drink. “Please take a drink.”

She laughed. “Let me know if you need legal representation. It cannot be easy living here with him.”

“Oh stop… Maverick isn’t that bad.”

I noticed both sisters called him by different names. While Kora referred to him as Maverick, it was Zoya that called him Menace. “Why do you call him Menace?”

“’Cause he is one.”

Lupita made us some drinks as we sat outside while she finished getting the table together. “Are you sure that you want to marry him?” Kora looked more concerned than judging me.

It was like she wanted this to work so bad for Maverick and me. I could feel her softness and how genuine she felt when she asked the question.

“You can run now before locking that down,” Zoya added while accepting a drink from Lupita.

I laughed. “He’s not all bad, you know… I’m learning there is a different side to him,” I defended. “So, not too much on him.”

Kora smiled at me. “Defending him already. I like you already. Maverick has always had to be strong… he’s always been different, too, which doesn’t come off well with people.”

I fixed my glasses. “I am different, too, so I guess we have that in common. I don’t always say the right things, and I’m not the most polished person… so I can understand his quirks.”

“He’s misunderstood. Maverick loves hard, he just has a problem showing it.” She crossed her legs. “When we lost our parents, he never cried… There was three of us and he had to step up and make sure we were all good, even though he was still a kid himself.”

Zoya remained quiet while her sister spoke. “He took me to visit them.”

“And you’re still here?”

I couldn’t help but to laugh at the way I tried to run away. “It helped me understand him a little bit more. Have you visited?”

“No,” Zoya quickly added.

“I never go inside… can’t bring myself to do that. I place flowers outside and spend a little time with them.”

“You should look inside the next time you go. If you ever doubt how your brother feels, that will show you exactly how he feels,” I told them both.

“Is Menace dying?” I had met Landon a few times because he and Skyler were friends. It wasn’t until I was seeing him right here and now knowing what his brother looked like that I was stunned by how much they resembled each other.

Landon was Maverick’s younger twin, as if he could be his father. “Hey Stevie… I’m happy to see you alive and shit.”

“Well, thanks I am happy to be alive, too,” I laughed, as he took a seat next to Zoya, all three of them stared at me. “What? Is there paint in my hair?”

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