Page 84 of Forced Proximity
The last thing I wanted to do today was deal with my sister.
It’d been a rough day, made rougher by it bringing up memories I preferred to keep buried.
Funerals were the worst because I always remembered what I’d lost.
But today was about Finnian, so I’d sucked it up and been there for him.
However, I was mentally drained and exhausted. I didn’t want to have to deal with my sister on top of everything else that I’d already dealt with today. Things wouldn’t end well, and she’d make me feel bad for choosing me.
“I’ll be right back,” he said as he illegally parked at the back of the lot and slipped out of the car.
Once he was outside, he said, “Lock it.”
I locked it and he winked, shoving his hands into the pocket of his jeans as he walked with a purpose to the side entrance to my building.
While he was in there, I called my mom to tell her she needed to do something about Daniella.
“Hello?”
“Mom,” I said. “It’s me.”
“Hey, honey.” She sounded wary.
She should.
Because the only time I called her was to complain about Daniella.
Daniella had been the center of my parents’ world for a long time.
It’d always been me and Romeo then my parents and Daniella.
There was never a time when I was chosen first over Daniella, and this time wouldn’t be any different.
I loved my parents, but their obvious favoritism toward my sister was annoying.
“You need to call Daniella and get her to go home,” I said. “I’m tired of her showing up at my apartment expecting to be let in. She’s not moving in with me because she’s having a fight with her boyfriend.”
I didn’t bother telling her about what I’d found out about Jennifer.
Though Mom wouldn’t be surprised, Mom didn’t talk to Jennifer all that often because she was exactly like Daniella.
Which was comical because my mom literally adored Daniella who might as well have been a copy and paste of her own sister she hated.
“She can’t come home,” Mom explained. “Just let her stay the night until she finds another place.”
“I can’t,” I disagreed. “After she had me kicked out of my apartment, I told her I was done with her bullshit. And I am. You either get her away from me, or I’ll call the cops and have them do it. But I’m not letting her stay on my couch. I can’t handle her bullshit.”
He was in and out in under twenty minutes, coming out carrying grocery bags full of my things instead of a packed duffel like I’d expected.
He came to my side of the car and waited for me to roll down the windows before handing me the bags. “She was literally standing in the hallway. I felt like your Hello Kitty duffel was a little too noticeable, so I went with plan B. Also, she’s literally knocked on everyone’s door asking about you. I told her that I’d lived here for years. Also, if you’re curious, the lease is now in my name so she can’t go sweet talk the office personnel to get your information again.”
“Again?” I asked.
“When I stayed at your place, you were still asleep when there was pounding on the door. I got up and answered the door, and she’s freaking out wanting to get a hold of you. I told her you didn’t live there, because I assumed you wouldn’t want to talk to her.”
“You’re right.” I sighed. “She just uses me until she finds her next target. The only reason I lived at the last apartment complex with her was because she slept with the owner’s son. She strung him along as long as she could until she met Eugene.”
“Eugene and her is a really weird combination,” I admitted. “He seems very uptight and, no offense at all, out of her league.”
