Page 89 of Fall For Me
“I did too. I shouldn’t have compared you to Allison. I didn’t mean it.”
“What the hell is that?” Hannah gasps.
Releasing my sister, I look around. A matted, fluffy grey tail whips back and forth on the kitchen counter.
“Looks like a pussy to me,” Granny mutters as I move to pick up the kitten.
Hannah saunters over to me, and reaches out, running her fingers through the kitten’s thick, matted grey fur. “Oh, my god. You’re so damn ugly. That’s a face only a mother could love.”
“It’s a good thing you’re his mom then, isn’t that right, Chávez?” I scratch under his chin, the vibration of his purr fluttering against myfingertips as he lifts his head higher. “You’re a handsome little guy. Don’t let Mami fill your head with that bullshit.”
“You have to be joking,” she counters.
“I’m not. I couldn’t leave him out in the parking lot to die.”
“He wouldn’t have died. I can’t believe you brought that mange-ridden thing to your house,” Aiden says, bringing my attention back to him. He scratches the back of his neck and turns back to my sister. “So . . . uh. What brings you here? You just visiting or . . .”
“No. I came all this way to make things awkward for you.”
“Viv,” I snap.
“I’m kidding. Geez.” She rolls her eyes and plops down on the couch. “I have a few meetings tomorrow, one of which is with Bergdorf.”
As much as my mother wanted all her girls to pick up figure skating, the only ones who did were Sofia and Ashley. Viviana, on the other hand, picked up a needle and thread. I remember when she was little, Mom would drag Viv’s ass out of bed at 5am, kicking and screaming. She wanted no part in it; neither did Isabella or Victoria, though they didn’t throw a bitch fit like Viv did.
“Whoa. That’s impressive,” Aiden says, brows raised. “Are you moving here?”
“Maybe.” She shrugs one shoulder. “If someone picks up my new line, I will. I’ve spent the past seven years working my ass off to make a name for myself all the way from Nevada. It hasn’t been easy, but man, when I make it big, the hard work will be worth it. I just need to get this distribution deal with a luxury retailer before I can move to New York.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it,” I argue, shaking my head. “You don’t need that to move here. I’ll help you.”
“What part of making a name for myself do you not comprehend?” Her eyes cut to mine. “I don’t want anyone’s money or connections. In fact, I don’t want people to know who my parents or my brothers are. I need to achieve something with my own merits. I’ve spent my entire life receiving handouts because of who my family is. No, I need to dothis one hundred percent on my own. That includes no one paying my way.”
“I’m your brother. It’s my job to take care of you.”
“No the fuck it’s not. I’m an adult. I can take care of myself.”
Why does she have to be so damn hardheaded?
“Hannah!” Jade calls, bounding down the stairs. “There’s a spinning circle on the TV. The movie keeps starting and stopping. Can you fix it?”
“Instead of trying to throw your money at me, maybe you should invest in a better internet provider,” Viv says.
“We’re about to go home anyway,” Aiden tells Jade as he squats down. “Can you tell Hannah and Sean bye?”
“Bye,” she says, hugging Hannah, then she runs to me, holding up her arms.
I place Chávez on the ground and scoop her up. “Bye, mija.”
“Seany, are you gonna get the ringworms?”
“No princess.” I tap her nose and set her back on her feet. “Your dad’s just paranoid. Chávez doesn’t have ringworms.”
“You don’t know that,” Aiden argues.
“Um…” My sister cuts in, pointing to Jade and pinning Aiden with a hard look.
“Are you married? Oh my god, you’re totally married, aren’t you?” Covering her face, she mumbles, “Of course you would be.”
