Page 7 of Vicious Addictions

“I am not,” I grumble, hiding my face behind my knees to discreetly wipe my chin just in case.

“Missed a spot,” his brother, Romulus—or Rolo as everyone likes to call him—jokes as he playfully points to the corner of my mouth.

I slap his hand away and groan.

“Don’t you two have anything better to do than to bug me? Can’t you see I’m busy… meditating,” I lie with a straight face.

“No, you aren’t. Don’t be mad because we caught you making googly eyes at the American,” Remus taunts playfully.

“I’m not,” I lie again, feeling my cheeks heat up at the insinuation.

“Yeah, you are,” Rolo piles on, tugging on my braid.

Again, I have to slap my unruly cousin’s hand away.

“You two are insufferable, you know that?”

“No, Rolo is insufferable. I’m a delight,” Remus jokes while Rolo pretends to clutch his chest in mock offense.

“I’d be offended if the insult didn’t come from such a handsome face,” Rolo retorts with a smirk, coaxing me to roll my eyes at their playful banter.

Remus and Rolo are identical twins—so identical that even their own mother struggles to tell them apart.

However, I’ve never had any trouble distinguishing between the two.

Although the twins have maintained their identical looks over the years, boasting almost white-blond hair and striking clear blue eyes, there are always clues that set them apart. Dead giveaways, in fact. All you have to do is pay attention.

Remus is more reserved and contained, while Rolo is loud and exuberant. Remus thinks before opening his mouth, while Rolo blurts out whatever dimwitted thing crosses his mind. Remus is almost calculating in his pragmatism, while Rolo is flying-by-the-seat-of-his-pants impulsive. The two could not be more different from one another if they tried, no matter how alike their facial features are.

But one thing they do have in common is their undying love and loyalty to each other and to me.

They’re my best friends, even if they are a total pain in myarsesometimes.

“Is this what you’ve been doing all day? Staring at the American?” Rolo asks before taking a peek at Jude in the garden.

“Keep your voice down. I don’t want Daddy to hear you,” I scold while pushing Rolo away from the window in case Jude looks this way and catches us in the act.

“Don’t worry about that. Uncle Victor is too busy listening to our mum yammer on about her new philanthropic venture.” Rolo yawns.

“She’s asking Daddy for money again? That’s the third time this month,” I grumble, hating that my Aunt Pippa’s hand can’t seem to spend more than a couple of days away from slithering into my father’s pocket. “Your mum should get herself a real job instead of asking Daddy for money all the time.”

Remus and Rolo look at each other for a split second before bursting into laughter.

“That will be the day. Mum doesn’t believe in hard work, only in charity. And we all know she’s the biggest charity case there is.” Remus scoffs.

I would never talk about my father the way my cousins talk about their mother.

But then again, I have no reason to.

Yes, my father dabbles in less savory ventures, but at least he isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty to support his family.

Aunt Pippa is still trapped in the dark ages. She believes that a man should be the sole breadwinner in the household, while a woman’s role is simply to look beautiful by his side. She isn’t concerned about how a man earns his living either, as long as he is successful in what he does to maintain a certain type of lifestyle.

However, when it comes to a woman’s behavior, she holds a more stringent view. A woman should never work unless it’s for charity purposes, and even then, it’s only to elevate the prestige of her husband. A woman should never speak her mind freely unless she’s in the presence of family. In other words, a woman should be a pretty,silentdoll with no true thoughts of her own.

She’s made it very clear to me that I, too, will be a pretty ornament in some man’s arms when the time comes.

Thankfully, Daddy is of a different mindset.

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