Page 101 of Vicious Saint
Theory seems appreciative, but for a sixteen year old girl, what happens after the bullying is rarely enough to thwart the pain.
A pain Iwillinglycontributed to.
Nope, not going there again.
Actions speak louder than words and I fully intend to prove how much.
When I spot the first tear rolling down Theory’s cheek, my arms open for a hug.
“Come here, girl.”
Theory doesn’t hesitate for a second before taking me up on my offer, resting her chin on my shoulder.
“Their shit actions are not a reflection of you, okay? It’s a reflection of them.”
“Yeah.” She sighs. “But things like this stick with you, ya know? It always hurts.”
“Well, I promise I’ll never hurt you…”
“I know.”
“And I’ll be here anytime you need a reminder of how awesome you are.”
“I know that too.” There’s a long beat of silence before she says, “I’m so happy to have you as a sister.”
More pain. Miserable fucking pain floods my insides. Because she shouldn’t. Not really.
I just…I’m really starting to like Theory. Maybe even…I don’t know…seeing some potential for me to feel the same.
“I’m happy to be here for you.”
If Theory is bummed by the response, she doesn’t make it obvious as she cuts our embrace with a shake of her shoulders.
“’Kay, enough of the sappy shit.” She places her cup on the table. “I think we need another drink.”
Amen to that.
Theory snaps her fingers and Benson nods, getting to work.
“So, tell me—” A ping on her phone cuts her off, and she swipes it eagerly off the table to check the text.
Her face falls as she stares at the screen.
“So, I take it you miss him?”
“I always miss Saint when we’re apart.”
“Well…do you know where he is? Maybe you can call him.”
She stiffens, then places the phone next to her cup. “I told you, silly. With our family in Europe.”
Here we go again with evading, but luckily for me, I come equipped with liquid courage.
“Oh, yeah…what part of Europe was it again?”
“Cyprus.” A calm, deep voice belonging to Vic surprises me, and I whip around, his gaze avoiding us. “From what I hear Saint’s really enjoying himself.”
“Uh, okay,” I mumble, unsure of how to react to the first acknowledgment of his son.
