eyes.
“You think everyone is like this?”
“Like what?” I said, letting go of her hand and pulling her closer.
“Us.” She sighed.
“No,” I whispered into her hair. Holding her tight, I closed my eyes.
CHAPTER SIX
“It’s your sister…”
The early sunlight peered quietly through the window. I lifted my face from where I lay nestled in my pillow and buried under my comforter. I hadn’t sleep that well in a while… if ever. The bed still smelled like us, and I wasn’t ready to get up. Kerry stood beside my bed, fully dressed with her hand on my shoulder. She looked at me concerned and sat down next to me.
“What?”
“Your sister is here.”
I looked around my room, confused for a moment as to where I was. Natalie? Here?
“I thought you’d be excited…” Kerry trailed, genuinely concerned. As far as Kerry knew, I had no problem with my younger sister. All she knew was a collection of well-told lies. She didn’t know us, our childhood and the things we had survived.
“I am,” I lied. “Let me just pull on some clothes.”
Partially satisfied, she nodded and left the room.
I had not seen or spoken to Natalie since the weekend of my father’s accident. Since I had walked away and left her behind. I was shocked that she was able to find where I lived, scared about what she had said or would say to Kerry and even more nervous about what she would want.
Natalie stood in our living room wearing an oversized gray knit sweater and dark blue skinny jeans. At first glance, I would not have recognized her. Her long hair was shaved off close to her scalp. She had a cigarette tucked behind her ear and a silver ring pierced into her bottom lip. She was skinnier than when I had last seen her, her normal curvy frame swimming in her sweatshirt. Behind her, stood a man I did not recognize. He looked older than her, likely in his mid-to-late twentie9s. His dusty blonde hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and he was wearing a sweatshirt, jeans and a black backpack. His eyes darted around the room. I turned back to Natalie who was watching me watch him with a small smirk. He looked nervous.
“Heyyyy,” I sang with false enthusiasm, my arms stretched out for a hug. Her eyes softened a bit, and she walked toward me to accept my embrace.
“I met your adorable girlfriend,” she said smiling with a sheepish look in her eyes. “This is my fiancé, Chris.” She motioned towards the man next to her. Surprised, I shook his hand.
“Don’t worry,” she started. “We’re waiting until we are married.” They both laughed. I cringed. “So,” Natalie continued with a playful glint in her eye plopping down on the couch and motioning for me to sit. “Surprised?”
I laughed, sitting down and looking at Kerry who studied the two of us from a black folding chair by the television. “Yeah, what are you doing here?”
“I’m not staying,” she began. “We’re headed to Atlanta. Chris and I needed to get the fuck out of New York.” She pulled the cigarette from behind her ear, reached into her pocket and pulled out a lighter. “Mind?” she said motioning towards Kerry. Kerry shook her head and looked at me. Before I could answer, Natalie lit her cigarette, took a long drag and took a slow look around my apartment, exhaling.
She was different. Last time I saw Natalie she was a timid, scared girl begging for my protection. Now, she was a woman whose face was laced in steel. Her eyes looked wild and unbridled. Her frustration, her resentment, and her anger were seeping from her. I was terrified of where it all might lead.
“So this is where you live, huh?” she said, breaking the silence.
“Yup,” I said. Her eyes rested on me. The iciness of her stare made me turn away. “How did you find it?” I asked glancing at Kerry who stared at Natalie.
“We share a mother, idiot,” she
“You think everyone is like this?”
“Like what?” I said, letting go of her hand and pulling her closer.
“Us.” She sighed.
“No,” I whispered into her hair. Holding her tight, I closed my eyes.
CHAPTER SIX
“It’s your sister…”
The early sunlight peered quietly through the window. I lifted my face from where I lay nestled in my pillow and buried under my comforter. I hadn’t sleep that well in a while… if ever. The bed still smelled like us, and I wasn’t ready to get up. Kerry stood beside my bed, fully dressed with her hand on my shoulder. She looked at me concerned and sat down next to me.
“What?”
“Your sister is here.”
I looked around my room, confused for a moment as to where I was. Natalie? Here?
“I thought you’d be excited…” Kerry trailed, genuinely concerned. As far as Kerry knew, I had no problem with my younger sister. All she knew was a collection of well-told lies. She didn’t know us, our childhood and the things we had survived.
“I am,” I lied. “Let me just pull on some clothes.”
Partially satisfied, she nodded and left the room.
I had not seen or spoken to Natalie since the weekend of my father’s accident. Since I had walked away and left her behind. I was shocked that she was able to find where I lived, scared about what she had said or would say to Kerry and even more nervous about what she would want.
Natalie stood in our living room wearing an oversized gray knit sweater and dark blue skinny jeans. At first glance, I would not have recognized her. Her long hair was shaved off close to her scalp. She had a cigarette tucked behind her ear and a silver ring pierced into her bottom lip. She was skinnier than when I had last seen her, her normal curvy frame swimming in her sweatshirt. Behind her, stood a man I did not recognize. He looked older than her, likely in his mid-to-late twentie9s. His dusty blonde hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and he was wearing a sweatshirt, jeans and a black backpack. His eyes darted around the room. I turned back to Natalie who was watching me watch him with a small smirk. He looked nervous.
“Heyyyy,” I sang with false enthusiasm, my arms stretched out for a hug. Her eyes softened a bit, and she walked toward me to accept my embrace.
“I met your adorable girlfriend,” she said smiling with a sheepish look in her eyes. “This is my fiancé, Chris.” She motioned towards the man next to her. Surprised, I shook his hand.
“Don’t worry,” she started. “We’re waiting until we are married.” They both laughed. I cringed. “So,” Natalie continued with a playful glint in her eye plopping down on the couch and motioning for me to sit. “Surprised?”
I laughed, sitting down and looking at Kerry who studied the two of us from a black folding chair by the television. “Yeah, what are you doing here?”
“I’m not staying,” she began. “We’re headed to Atlanta. Chris and I needed to get the fuck out of New York.” She pulled the cigarette from behind her ear, reached into her pocket and pulled out a lighter. “Mind?” she said motioning towards Kerry. Kerry shook her head and looked at me. Before I could answer, Natalie lit her cigarette, took a long drag and took a slow look around my apartment, exhaling.
She was different. Last time I saw Natalie she was a timid, scared girl begging for my protection. Now, she was a woman whose face was laced in steel. Her eyes looked wild and unbridled. Her frustration, her resentment, and her anger were seeping from her. I was terrified of where it all might lead.
“So this is where you live, huh?” she said, breaking the silence.
“Yup,” I said. Her eyes rested on me. The iciness of her stare made me turn away. “How did you find it?” I asked glancing at Kerry who stared at Natalie.
“We share a mother, idiot,” she
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