“Tell him to send it my way. I’m the one you cleaned out, and I could stand a shopping spree.” Looking around the apartment, it looked like she had everything she needed. “The place is looking great by the way.”
“Thanks,” said Clara as she sat on the couch. “Have you talked to him any more about getting a roommate?”
Our father had never let us share our apartment with an extra roommate, even when we needed the extra money.
“You know how it is with Dad.”
“Don’t I?” she said, pulling the throw over her thin legs. “But he might change his mind with me moving out. You could tell him that it will be safer for you not to live alone.”
“I will, but I have to find him in the right mood.”
“Well, I think you should find someone. You shouldn’t be staying there all alone, and I worry about you.” Clara was always worried about me for some reason. Sometimes, I thought she worried about me more than our parents did.
I knew it had to do with her past trauma, so I tried to lighten the mood. “You weren’t so worried about me when you decided to move out. And just in case you’re getting any crazy thoughts, no, you can’t move back in.”
“Not me, but maybe a friend,” she said. “And I don’t mean one with a penis.”
“That’s not fair. Your roommate has a penis.”
Clara smiled. “Mmm, indeed, he does.”
My face turned red as it contorted. The last thing I wanted to think about was my sister and Dillon in bed together. “Eww, gross. I don’t need the commentary or the mental image.”
“Keep on, and I’m going to give you the play by play.” Clara gave me a teasing, sinister look, but I knew better. She would rather die than have anyone think that about her.
It was time to change the subject. “I don’t know anyone who would want to move in.”
“Doesn’t your friend Abigail live in the dorms?”
“If she hasn’t been tossed out or murdered yet. She’s a bit loud with her music, and while I adore her, I’m not sure I’d want to live with her.”
“Like living with you was a piece of cake,” Clara said, rolling her eyes. I looked down and noticed she’d only taken one bite of her brownie.
“You should finish that,” I said, popping the top off of my to-go coffee. “Try dunking it. You’ll love it. The chocolate and the coffee flavor are a perfect match.”
“Just like Dillon and me.” Clara sighed. She took the lid off of her cup and dunked her brownie before taking a small bite of it. “You’re right. It’s really good.”
I continued to watch her, waiting for her to take another bite. But she put the brownie down instead and held her middle.
“I’ll just take my time with that,” she said, noticing my disappointment. “It’s tough filling your gut full of food when you’re not used to it. I have to eat a bit slower than normal, especially when it comes to junk food, or I’ll get sick.”
“I can make you something off of the menu the doctor gave you, or I could go uptown and find you something.” I wanted to help her in any way I could, as long as she would eat. I was always so scared of losing her, and if she didn’t keep her strength up, I still could.
“You’re spoiling me,” she said. “And policing me. I’m good, officer. I’m not hungry right now. But I will be later.”
“And you’ll eat?” I needed her to give me her word.
“Of course. I have been doing better, believe it or not. I’ve gained weight, and the doctor says I’m getting my strength back. There’s nothing to worry about. So stop doting over me. It’s driving me nuts.”
I knew it had to wear on her with everyone so focused on her health, so I decided to lay off. “Okay, fine. I’m just worried with Dillon gone.”
“Oh, trust me. He’s checking on me. You can take a break.”
“Okay. I guess I should get going anyway.” It was easy to get lost in her problems. I had been terrified of losing her since she went to the hospital the first time. I couldn’t imagine life without my sister. We were so close, and I knew that a world without her would be miserable.
“Are you running off to see Seth?” She gave me a suspicious look.
“Actually, no.” I didn’t want to tell her anything else about us. “I do have a life, believe it or not.”
“Good. Stay busy. He’s no good for you. Look, Avery. It’s not just the cheating that makes me dislike him. I’ve heard about and even seen with my own eyes how Layla used to show up with bruises while dating him. Not a lot of people know about it, but those of us who do? Well, we just don’t like him and never will. So watch yourself, okay? Because I swear, if he lays a hand on you, Dillon is going to murder him, and I’d rather him go to the Olympics than prison.”
“Relax. Seth isn’t that kind of guy, and besides, you know me. If he laid a hand on me, he’d be in for one hell of a fight, and I wouldn’t be the kind of girl to stay quiet.”
“You mean like me? How I stayed quiet?”
I realized that I might have hurt her feelings. “I’m sorry, but yeah. I’d raise ten kinds of hell if he ever put a hand on me, and I’d have him regretting even the thought. But me saying that doesn’t have anything to do with you. It’s just how I am.” She needed to stop thinking everything was a personal reflection.
“Well, I always thought I was that way too. But there are some situations
