Read Online My Sister's Shoes (Little Black Box, Book 1) by Cherrie Mack - Free Book Online
Authors: Cherrie Mack
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despair. Is something bothering you besides feeling under the weather?”
“No. I’m sick. And when I’m sick, I’m cranky.”
“Okay. Do you want me to stay for a little while?”
“That depends on how long you can stay. And why do you disappear without saying good-bye? It’s rude. Like today for instance, you just left me.”
“I left because I knew Zach would be there. I can sometimes be a deterrent for other guys.” He curled his arm, flexed his bicep, and wiggled his brows.
“Why do you always do that? Are you always this full of yourself?” He shrugged his shoulders.
“And where do you go when you leave? Is there some fairy city you live in? Like where you have a fairy girlfriend or something?” She swallowed her embarrassment.
“I-I’m not sure where I go exactly. But I do all the things I did when I was alive.”
The air suddenly left her lungs. “You’re dead?” The question hung in the air for a moment as she stared at him.
“Not technically.”
“Not technically? So you’re here with me until…?”
“Until you snag your happiness.”
Giving him a sideways glance, Allie struggled to understand, “And then you … die?”
“Don’t know. If I’m successful and help you achieve your happiness, then maybe not.”
“You mean until I snag Zach.”
He ran his hands through his hair and scratched at his scalp as if frustrated by her questions. “Yes. Z.A.C.H. That’s how you spell happiness, isn’t it?”
“I see. I guess I’ll have to get right on it. Or should I say, get right on him.”
“Allie, that’s not what I meant.”
She turned her back and stretched out on her bed. “Great. I’m back to making everyone else happy instead of myself.”
Angelo sat on the edge of her bed and tugged her shoulder until she rolled her over to face him. “What do you mean by that?”
“If I don’t like Zach for instance. Now I feel like I have to like him so you can do whatever it is to … live.”
“You don’t like Zach?”
“I didn’t say that. I just feel pressured to like him.”
“Allie, at your ripe old age of twenty-two, how many men have you dated?”
“Plenty.”
He gave her a half-smile and waited for the truth. She caved. “All right. Not plenty, but it’s not like I had a lot of time to date. My mother and Gregory weren’t together for long before her diagnosis. They planned on marrying, but when she was told the news, everything came to a halt. Gregory was crushed and vowed to make the rest of her life as beautiful as he could. He took a leave of absence from his business and thought of nothing else. Looking back, we both took a leave of absence from our lives.”
“And the wedding plans?”
Allie shook her head no. “She was too sick from all the treatment.”
Angelo brushed her hair from her face. “I’m sorry, sugar. That really sucks.”
“When she died, Gregory became a shell. I didn’t think he’d ever bounce back, until Trudy showed up that is.”
“Trudy was Gregory’s desperate attempt to avoid the pain of his loss. She was a distraction, a means to an end.”
“It just pisses me off that people like Trudy and Adrienne get away with stuff like this. When Gregory died, everything went in their favor, and I’m the one who feels his loss more than they do.”
“So, you think you deserved Gregory’s company?”
“Hell, yeah. Just because you’re related by blood doesn’t always mean you’re family.”
“Well said. This is why you were given the black box. I think in the end you will understand.”
Her eyes felt heavy as she fought the medicine’s effect. “Angelo? Will you lay with me?”
*
He got into her bed, spooning her as he stroked her hair. Humming what was an unfamiliar melody to him seemed to give Allie comfort. She grabbed his hand and pulled it up between her breasts and nuzzled it to her cheek. If he had a choice, he would stay here, just like this, forever.
She stirred, “That is my mother’s
“No. I’m sick. And when I’m sick, I’m cranky.”
“Okay. Do you want me to stay for a little while?”
“That depends on how long you can stay. And why do you disappear without saying good-bye? It’s rude. Like today for instance, you just left me.”
“I left because I knew Zach would be there. I can sometimes be a deterrent for other guys.” He curled his arm, flexed his bicep, and wiggled his brows.
“Why do you always do that? Are you always this full of yourself?” He shrugged his shoulders.
“And where do you go when you leave? Is there some fairy city you live in? Like where you have a fairy girlfriend or something?” She swallowed her embarrassment.
“I-I’m not sure where I go exactly. But I do all the things I did when I was alive.”
The air suddenly left her lungs. “You’re dead?” The question hung in the air for a moment as she stared at him.
“Not technically.”
“Not technically? So you’re here with me until…?”
“Until you snag your happiness.”
Giving him a sideways glance, Allie struggled to understand, “And then you … die?”
“Don’t know. If I’m successful and help you achieve your happiness, then maybe not.”
“You mean until I snag Zach.”
He ran his hands through his hair and scratched at his scalp as if frustrated by her questions. “Yes. Z.A.C.H. That’s how you spell happiness, isn’t it?”
“I see. I guess I’ll have to get right on it. Or should I say, get right on him.”
“Allie, that’s not what I meant.”
She turned her back and stretched out on her bed. “Great. I’m back to making everyone else happy instead of myself.”
Angelo sat on the edge of her bed and tugged her shoulder until she rolled her over to face him. “What do you mean by that?”
“If I don’t like Zach for instance. Now I feel like I have to like him so you can do whatever it is to … live.”
“You don’t like Zach?”
“I didn’t say that. I just feel pressured to like him.”
“Allie, at your ripe old age of twenty-two, how many men have you dated?”
“Plenty.”
He gave her a half-smile and waited for the truth. She caved. “All right. Not plenty, but it’s not like I had a lot of time to date. My mother and Gregory weren’t together for long before her diagnosis. They planned on marrying, but when she was told the news, everything came to a halt. Gregory was crushed and vowed to make the rest of her life as beautiful as he could. He took a leave of absence from his business and thought of nothing else. Looking back, we both took a leave of absence from our lives.”
“And the wedding plans?”
Allie shook her head no. “She was too sick from all the treatment.”
Angelo brushed her hair from her face. “I’m sorry, sugar. That really sucks.”
“When she died, Gregory became a shell. I didn’t think he’d ever bounce back, until Trudy showed up that is.”
“Trudy was Gregory’s desperate attempt to avoid the pain of his loss. She was a distraction, a means to an end.”
“It just pisses me off that people like Trudy and Adrienne get away with stuff like this. When Gregory died, everything went in their favor, and I’m the one who feels his loss more than they do.”
“So, you think you deserved Gregory’s company?”
“Hell, yeah. Just because you’re related by blood doesn’t always mean you’re family.”
“Well said. This is why you were given the black box. I think in the end you will understand.”
Her eyes felt heavy as she fought the medicine’s effect. “Angelo? Will you lay with me?”
*
He got into her bed, spooning her as he stroked her hair. Humming what was an unfamiliar melody to him seemed to give Allie comfort. She grabbed his hand and pulled it up between her breasts and nuzzled it to her cheek. If he had a choice, he would stay here, just like this, forever.
She stirred, “That is my mother’s
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