Page 30 of Vicarious

“I don’t care what you say. The next time I see her, I’m going to murder Brin O’Brien. You can hate me for it all you want afterward.”

“It’s not me that would hate you. It’s my sister. I think they have a thing,” I say.

“Then your sister can fucking die with her.”

I don’t argue with him. He’s got that look on his face that tells me I’m not going to be able to change his mind. No one will be. So I make a mental note to continue to keep my sister and Brin in separate fucking countries than Viper because I doubt I could stop him.

“It’s almost time for your date,” I decide to say instead.

“You still didn’t answer my question.”

“I don’t see the point in supposing about things that probably can’t happen anyway. So I don’t have an answer.”

Viper doesn’t believe me. And if I were actually being honest, I might be upset about it. But the truth is, I did think of it once. Once when Phae was pregnant and her belly started to expand in those first few months and I had wished I was the one pregnant with Viper’s baby. Not her.

But that was back then. I truly don’t know now.

Viper, thankfully, doesn’t press the matter any further.

14

Viper

When I come out the shower a second time, Dele is unsurprisingly gone from where I’d left her. For the best I suppose. I can’t say I would have been able to resist her again if I found her still lying naked in my bed.

It doesn’t take me long to get dressed being that Dele has taken the time to prepare my suit, pick out a tie, accessories and even the cologne. I’m headed downstairs just twenty minutes later and technically ten minutes early. Phae is in the hall headed down at just the same time as me.

She smiles when she sees me and says, “I was sure I was going to be waiting downstairs for you. But it seems like you conquered your habit of being late for everything.”

“It was never being late. It was making an entrance where the most people would see it.”

Phae rolls her eyes. “You’re still full of yourself, I see.” Then, “You clean up nice. Much nicer than you used to.”

“You look…” I pause as I take in her dress. Long. Backless. Black. Off-shoulder sleeves. Then, “You look nice.”

Phae huffs. “Still bad at giving compliments after all this time too. Same old Adrian.”

We continue walking down together in silence until we reach the gazebo.

Dele really pulled all the stops when she planned this. Flowers, lights to set the mood. If I didn’t see the damn place every day, I wouldn’t recognize it.

I pull out Phae’s seat so that she can sit and then take my own. Immediately, the servant that had been waiting in the corner pours alcohol and appetizers are brought out.

Phae and I forgo talking to focus on the wine and appetizers. Or at least, that’s the excuse I’m using. Because I really don’t know what to say to Phae after all this time. She wants to see where our relationship stands and where it goes from here, but I’m at a loss of where to begin exploring that. But since she suggested it, I decide it’s not wrong to take her cue.

Finally, while waiting for our next course, she says, “I met the twins.”

“Did you?” I ask, genuinely surprised.

“Yes. Dele took me into the city to help me shop for our date and a few other things and then she took me to see them.”

I momentarily berate myself for telling Dele not to take her eyes off Phae without stipulating that I meant for her to do that without letting Phae leave the house.

“We couldn’t reveal who I was, of course. But I met them.” Then she says, “It was three whole days, which is more time that I’ve ever had the chance to be with them before but compared to the rest of their lives it…” Phae shakes her head. “I shouldn’t say that. It makes me sound ungrateful.”

I don’t have the same qualms about sounding ungrateful as Phae does, so I finish her thought for her.

“The time you spend always seems so short. Like it will never be enough, and you’ll never be able to make up for it.”

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