Page 53 of Final Installment
“They’re trying to humiliate our whole family.”My mother stormed into the room and straight to the rack of clothing.She jerked aside the hangers, taking in each dress with a disgusted expression.“You are not wearing these.I won’t have you be the laughingstock of your sister’s wedding.”
Before she could do something reckless like tear the dresses, I interrupted her tirade.“Where is Skender?”
She whirled toward me, her face a mask of fury.“They’re keeping him at Luka’s house.Apparently, we can’t be trusted to show up to the wedding if they release him tonight.”
“What?”I couldn’t believe they’d fabricated yet another reason to keep my brother a captive.“What about Grandfather?What did he say?”
“Nothing!He’s pathetic.I wish he would die already!”She stomped her foot like an angry child.“He’s useless.He didn’t even open his mouth to say one word in protest.”
“But you saw Skender?”
“Yes.”Her face softened briefly, very briefly, and then hardened.“Where is your sister?”
“Um...in her room?She wasn’t feeling well after her fitting, so she went to nap.I shut the door once she was in bed, and I came in here to unpack and look at the dresses.”
My mother eyed me suspiciously.Without a word, she left my room and stalked across the hall.She knocked loudly on Dafina’s door.Each rap of her knuckles twisted an invisible knot in my stomach tighter and tighter.When she opened the door, I held my breath for the inevitable outburst.“Dafina?Are you in the bathroom?Dafina?Dafina!”
Doors opened and slammed closed.
“Where is she?”Mom screeched.“Where did she go?Elona!”
My shoulders tensed as she stormed across the hall into my room.I tried to look busy at the clothing rack, but it was no use.She grasped my shoulders and wheeled me around with so much force I stumbled back into the dresses.
I managed to stay on my feet but only barely.The metal rack bit into my shoulder, but it was nothing to the pain of my mother’s acrylic nails digging into my skin.
“Where is she?”My mother grabbed two handfuls of my hair and shook me like a ragdoll, banging my head against the clothing rack.It was hollow metal thankfully, so it didn’t crack my skull.“I swear to god if your sister has run away—.”
“Mom!”Dafina shouted in shock from the doorway.“What are you doing?”She rushed across the room and locked her hands around our mother’s wrists.“Mom!Let her go!”
Our mother whirled on Dafina.“Where have you been?Where did you go?”She grabbed Dafina and shook her the same way she had me.“What did I tell you?I warned you!”
She reared back as if to hit Dafina, and I reacted on instinct.I snatched her hand midair and forced her arm down to her side.“Don’t!You heard what Zec said!”
My mother froze, and I could see the panic in her eyes.Dafina realized she had the upper hand, and she lifted her chin.“Leave us alone—or else I’m making a phone call.”
“How dare you!”Our mother hissed.“After all I’ve done for you.”
“Leave!Us!Alone!”Dafina snarled each word.“Now!”
She gritted her teeth, but she left.As soon as she was out in the hallway, Dafina shut and locked the door.When she turned back toward me, I realized her eyes were bloodshot, and her nose was running.She’d been crying.A lot.
“Are you okay?”I asked, unsteadily walking toward her.Being manhandled had left me a bit off-kilter.
“Am I okay?Areyouokay?”She gently touched my head.“Hold still.I think you’re bleeding.”She carefully parted my hair with her fingertips.“Shit.You are.”
“Is it bad?”
“It’s small, but it’s bleeding a lot.Sit down.”She pushed me toward the bed.“I’m getting a towel.”
I didn’t argue.My head throbbed, but it wasn’t anything worse than a tension headache.I gingerly reached up to feel my scalp.Blood coated my fingers.“Shit.”
“Stop touching it!”Dafina scolded as she came at me with a towel.“Hold still.”
“Ouch!”
“Don’t be a baby.”She pressed the towel against the wound.“I know you’ve had worse playing softball.You came to my engagement dinner party with a black eye.”
Stunned, I asked, “You noticed?”
