impromptu celebration and get together thrown by Drew and Aubrey. It was great to see them again until I noticed Colin sitting on my love seat nursing a small bottle of Evian water.
I quickly pulled my cousin to the side in my bedroom as soon as I’d escaped that awkward situation and wondered out loud, “What the hell is going on here? Why is Colin sitting on my sofa like there is nothing that happened between the two of us?”
Aubrey stuck her hands in the back of the electric blue jeggings she wore which matched her black short-sleeved peasant blouse and avoided my gaze. “Listen, he came by and Drew felt a bit sorry for him. He’s not here to do you any harm and he doesn’t want to fight with you. Please act cordial with him and this will go so much smoother.”
“What makes you think I would make a scene? I just got out of the hospital for Christ’s sake—I’m not in the position to argue with anyone but I didn’t think I would have to be on the defensive in my own home either.”
“He said he would leave you alone and if you were ready to talk then…it would be up to you.” She nervously slid a lock of her newly dyed auburn hair behind her ear. “Don’t you think you should speak to him? I mean doesn’t he at least deserve that?”
“Aubrey,” I warned in a cold voice.
She grabbed me by the shoulders and gently shook me. “No, Deirdre, listen to what you’re saying and realize you’re behaving like a complete and utter fool. You act like he killed someone for God’s sake. What could he have done that is so awful you can’t find it in your heart to forgive him? I’m sorry but the way you’re treating him just doesn’t make any sense what so ever.”
“Listen, you don’t know what you’re talking about. What happened between Colin and I is no one’s business and I’m not at liberty to tell you either so you are going to have to trust me on this.”
“He didn’t…physically hurt you, did he because you know I will kill the son of a bitch myself.”
“No, he wouldn’t ever touch me in that way.” I removed her hands from my shoulders and turned away from her so I wouldn’t have to lie to her face. “We drifted apart and we still love one another dearly but something happened before we got together and it cost us our relationship. It wasn’t anyone’s fault—it just happened and he didn’t think he’d feel the way he felt but he did and it was better for us not to be together than to stay with one another and continue to hurt each other. Do you understand?”
“Okay, so if that is the case and if what happened was so terrible, can’t you try to work it out now? I don’t like this whole idea of you getting involved with Drew’s cousin and something about Drake rubs me the wrong way. I mean…he claims to be broken up with this Mikayla but how do you know they won’t get back together?”
I turned toward Aubrey. “Wait, how do you know about Drake’s relationship with Mikayla?”
She rolled her eyes. “Drew told us about it while we were waiting for you two to come back from the hospital. Did you know he’s the prodigal son of Drew’s aunt who happens to be his mother’s sister? He was disowned and somehow he got involved with the Ukrainian mob. Maybe you should ask him how he meets people like that .”
“Perhaps because I truly don’t think it’s any of my business, Aubrey. You’ve known some pretty shady people in your time. How the hell did you meet them?” I snapped back not feeling in the most generous of moods and tired of arguing with my cousin.
“Believe me, I have met some shady people but I don’t try to pretend I’m anything other than what I am: poor trash from the wrong side of the tracks who hit the jackpot when a man like Drew decided to take a chance on me. You didn’t grow up in the school of hard knocks and you’ll never know what it’s like to be used and abused for money.”
Aubrey stopped talking and looked me dead in the
I quickly pulled my cousin to the side in my bedroom as soon as I’d escaped that awkward situation and wondered out loud, “What the hell is going on here? Why is Colin sitting on my sofa like there is nothing that happened between the two of us?”
Aubrey stuck her hands in the back of the electric blue jeggings she wore which matched her black short-sleeved peasant blouse and avoided my gaze. “Listen, he came by and Drew felt a bit sorry for him. He’s not here to do you any harm and he doesn’t want to fight with you. Please act cordial with him and this will go so much smoother.”
“What makes you think I would make a scene? I just got out of the hospital for Christ’s sake—I’m not in the position to argue with anyone but I didn’t think I would have to be on the defensive in my own home either.”
“He said he would leave you alone and if you were ready to talk then…it would be up to you.” She nervously slid a lock of her newly dyed auburn hair behind her ear. “Don’t you think you should speak to him? I mean doesn’t he at least deserve that?”
“Aubrey,” I warned in a cold voice.
She grabbed me by the shoulders and gently shook me. “No, Deirdre, listen to what you’re saying and realize you’re behaving like a complete and utter fool. You act like he killed someone for God’s sake. What could he have done that is so awful you can’t find it in your heart to forgive him? I’m sorry but the way you’re treating him just doesn’t make any sense what so ever.”
“Listen, you don’t know what you’re talking about. What happened between Colin and I is no one’s business and I’m not at liberty to tell you either so you are going to have to trust me on this.”
“He didn’t…physically hurt you, did he because you know I will kill the son of a bitch myself.”
“No, he wouldn’t ever touch me in that way.” I removed her hands from my shoulders and turned away from her so I wouldn’t have to lie to her face. “We drifted apart and we still love one another dearly but something happened before we got together and it cost us our relationship. It wasn’t anyone’s fault—it just happened and he didn’t think he’d feel the way he felt but he did and it was better for us not to be together than to stay with one another and continue to hurt each other. Do you understand?”
“Okay, so if that is the case and if what happened was so terrible, can’t you try to work it out now? I don’t like this whole idea of you getting involved with Drew’s cousin and something about Drake rubs me the wrong way. I mean…he claims to be broken up with this Mikayla but how do you know they won’t get back together?”
I turned toward Aubrey. “Wait, how do you know about Drake’s relationship with Mikayla?”
She rolled her eyes. “Drew told us about it while we were waiting for you two to come back from the hospital. Did you know he’s the prodigal son of Drew’s aunt who happens to be his mother’s sister? He was disowned and somehow he got involved with the Ukrainian mob. Maybe you should ask him how he meets people like that .”
“Perhaps because I truly don’t think it’s any of my business, Aubrey. You’ve known some pretty shady people in your time. How the hell did you meet them?” I snapped back not feeling in the most generous of moods and tired of arguing with my cousin.
“Believe me, I have met some shady people but I don’t try to pretend I’m anything other than what I am: poor trash from the wrong side of the tracks who hit the jackpot when a man like Drew decided to take a chance on me. You didn’t grow up in the school of hard knocks and you’ll never know what it’s like to be used and abused for money.”
Aubrey stopped talking and looked me dead in the
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