Page 211 of My Sweet Dollie, You Have to Love Me
Condescending cunt.
Dollie doesn’t notice that, her oblivious stare on his pink bubbled bribe.
“Look, can you come down? We can talkprivately.”
The way he says that word pisses me off.
“Come on, I brought you one of these.” He raises the cup and struggles with it as if all his heavy suspicions float in the pink liquid.
“Yeah, we can talk.”
Dollie is quick down the stairs, fighting off Bubbles as she accepts the drink.
“Here.” He shoves the drink out to her but pulls it away when she reaches for it. “Kiss first.”
To my relief, she gives him her cheek, not her mouth. His dry lips press against her, his eyes on me, watching for a reaction.
I want to refuse to give him that satisfaction, but my face disagrees.
“What do you say?” he asks, pulling away and finally offering her the drink.
“Thank you.” Dollie smiles, but I don’t miss how her narrow shoulders slump in the distance.
I stalk behind her as she disappears into the reading room with Shane. I hang back, waiting on the chaise lounge, amongst all her stuff, while they walk through the dining room to the kitchen. I fold her blanket while Shane guilt-trips and accuses her from the other room. I fold it again, and then again, making it perfect for her.
“Shane, it isn’t what you think.” She takes a drink, then sets it down.
It’s hard to hear the conversation as she fills Bubbles’ bowl with kibble. That calls the dog to the kitchen and away from me.
“You were upstairs, Dollie.” There he goes again with my nickname. “What am I meant to think?”
“You’re meant to trust me because I’ve never done anything for you to think otherwise.”
“No, but I did, and maybe you wanted to get even. You know, doing it with him would not only be sick because he’s your brother, but it would really fucking hurt me.”
“Nothing happened, I swear. Not like what you think.”
“So, what was it? I couldn’t get you up there when we first got here, and we desperately needed to decorate, but he can? How?”
Dollie’s voice gets quieter as she steps outside with Bubbles. Shane follows, and that leads me to the kitchen.
I’m still able to pick up their conversation as I stand at the window, keeping an eye on him.
“I heard screaming. It frightened me. Ambrose used to get wild night terrors, and I didn’t know if he’d end up hurt.”
“So, you braved the blood spills to keep him safe?” His voice lowers. “God, Dollie, don’t you see it would be a blessing if he did?”
He clearly thinks I can’t hear him. The confidence would disappear if he knew I was standing here, watching his lips move.
“I don’t think so. I wouldn’t want anyone ever to be hurt.”
She’s too good for him.
“Not even him?”
“No. I know what it’s like.”
“Is that a dig at me?”
