Page 120 of New Beginnings
“I’m going to head out.”
“You don’t have to leave.”
I desperately wished he would stay a little longer, and Rumi would leave.
“It’s okay. I’ve got to run by the clubhouse, then pick up Siobhan.”
“Okay. Can you call me later?”
I wasn’t happy about it, but I knew he had shit to do. I couldn’t keep him with me twenty-four seven no matter how much I wanted too.
“Of course. Set that meeting up,” he said, as I walked him to the door.
“I will.”
Before he walked out the door, he leaned in and kissed me one last time. I locked it behind him, then walked back to the living room where my sister was sitting on the couch. She looked nervous, but I didn’t have any pity for her. She pointed the finger at J.D. for something she knew goddamn well he’d never do.
“What do you want?” I asked, sitting on the couch but far away from her.
“I just wanted to see how you were doing.”
“I’m fine, Rumi. Now you can leave.”
“Rebel...”
“What Rumi?” I tossed my hands in the air in frustration. “You want me to pretend that everything is fine between us when it’s not? I won’t do that.”
“I just want to apologize. I made a mistake, Rebel. And I’m sorry.”
“I’m not the one you should apologize too, Rumi. He just walked out the damn door. Your mistake almost got him locked up. They had a fucking warrant out for his arrest. He could have been taken away from his daughter! And you’re sorry!”
“You have to understand where I was coming from, Rebel. The life he’s involved in almost got me and you killed. Almost got you killed twice.”
“I know his life is dangerous, but I know for a damn fact he would not try to kill me! I asked you to trust me when it came to my decision to be with him. And the first thing you do is point afinger at the man I love for shit you know deep down he wouldn’t do.”
“I know I messed up. But I’m trying to fix it, Rebel.”
“Fix it? The way to fix it is for you to realize you still have feelings for a man that’s in the same life as J.D. The way you can fix it is to deal with your relationship with Caesar and stop pushing your unresolved feelings for that man and what happened between you two onto me! The way you can fix it is to apologize to the man whose life you almost destroyed because you don’t know how to move on with your life without being bitter! Until you can do those things, there’s nothing else for us to talk about. Please leave.”
“Rebel...”
“No Rumi.” I shook my head. “When you do all those things, I’ll accept your apology. Until then, please leave me the hell alone.”
She stood before me, her eyes filled with tears, but I pretended not to notice. She needed to hear the truth and not be giving pity like my parents and Caesar were doing. She could have destroyed J.D.’s life, and she needed to learn her actions had consequences.
“Are you at least coming to the wedding?”
I would love to stand beside my sister on her big day if it was with the man she truly loved. If all this shit hadn’t happened, I’d been right by her side, regardless of her feeling. But that couldn’t happen because of her actions.
“You asking me that tells me that you’ve heard nothing I’ve said.” I shook my head, then looked at my sister, disappointed that she just wasn’t getting it. “You’re still determined to marry a man that you don’t even love. And you still refuse to acknowledge it while also trying to destroy my relationship. So no, Rumi. I will not be there.”
She gasped in surprise, her eyes widening at the unexpected answer. Tears cascaded down her cheeks, leaving a trail of sorrow in their wake.
“When you get your shit together and take some responsibility for the shit you did to J.D., how you almost destroyed his life and mine, then call me. Until then don’t bother.”
Before she went to the door and left my apartment, she looked at me one last time, her eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and hurt.
I took in a deep breath then released it. “One down, one to go.”
