Page 58 of Lau Ahi
I had too many emotions to land on one so I called the one person I knew could commiserate with how I was feeling.
I didn’t bother to check time zones since it was early enough in the day for her to be awake no matter what part of the world she was in. The last time we spoke she had been leaving Italy but I was unsure of where her next stop was. I was hoping she’d make her way back to London so she could check on my flat for me.
The call connected and I spoke before she had a chance to say anything.
“I’m being invaded.”
“Asha, I’ve never known you to be so hysterical but this seems to be a new facet of your personality lately.”
“This isn’t hyperbole, Sasha, I’m actually being invaded.” I rolled over to look out over the water hoping it would calm my mind. Another clang from near the library immediately ended the calm.
“What does that mean?”
“Right now I’m listening to men I do not know bring items I do not own into my home. And no, it’s not stuff I purchased.”
“Is he moving in?”
Sasha had just calmed down about me getting engaged after our conversation with Nev and Tee last week. But him actually living here was something else entirely. She was booked and couldn’t get away from her obligations for various brand so despite her desire to run to my rescue she couldn’t.
At least not yet. Knowing my sister no matter how good things were going she’d want to see it for herself. And I loved her for that.
“Apparently so!”
“Without your permission?!”
This was the outrage I was going for and I was happy that I’d finally gotten a rise out of her so that someone could be annoyed with me at his highhandedness.
“Does it sound like I granted it to him?” I tucked my legs beneath me and pulled one of the throw blankets over myself. It had warmed up in DC, the snow nowhere on the ground but it was still cool.
“Well, tell him he bloody well can’t.”
“And how is it you propose that I tell a fucking mountain of a man what he can and cannot do? Tutor me in your ways of making the impossible happen, Sasha, I’m waiting here with rapt attention.”
Was now the time for sarcasm? Probably not. Especially since I wanted her to be the voice that made me feel less like a spoiled brat for not being okay with this. But the way she was questioning me was irking the few nerves that Ori hadn’t already frayed.
“Are you agreeing to the demands of a MAN?”
My eyes flew open as the tone she took when she said that was far more filled with levity than it should’ve been.
“I don’t know why you sound so gotdamn jolly about it.”
“I’m not jolly I’m bloody aghast. I’ve seen you go toe-to toe with just about everyone over everything when life necessitated it. The only person you don’t argue with is mother and I know it’s not because you’re weak but because her thoughts and opinions don’t bloody well matter to you so you don’t waste your time .” She still sounded far too amused for my liking, since it was at my expense.
“So why do you insist on defending me in front of her if you know I don’t care?” Sasha had always taken up the role as big sister despite being in the hard place of also being the middle child. I assumed it was the reason she was always in protector mode but I might have been mistaken.
“Because I care. I don’t want anyone to think they can walk over you And it would be better if you both could find common ground.”
“Why?”
“To make life easier!”
I frowned at her suggestion because it didn’t make any sense to me. “But life is peaceful. I forget she exists when I’m not near her and I ignore her when I have to be around her. What could be simpler than that?”
“You don’t wish that things could be different?”
I had to chuckle because for all her cynicism my sister was still a dreamer. I’d long since been too jaded but I had to admit it was endearing that Sasha was still hopeful despite how much of a ball breaker she normally was. “God no.”
“Why not?”
