Series: The Laws of Opposite Attract Series by Vi Keeland
Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 105253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
“That’s ’cuz your best friend is Owen.”
“Truth.” I sighed.
After Mia and I hung up, I noticed my sister looking morose on the couch. I hadn’t seen her come out of her bedroom. She was hunched over, staring intently at her phone. And she looked upset.
I walked over. “What’s wrong, Han?”
She wiped her nose with her sleeve. “Nothing.”
She’s crying? “Don’t give me that. You’ve been crying. Is it about Mom?”
I hoped not, because that woman wasn’t worth anyone’s tears.
“I wish it were about Mom.”
“Talk to me.”
She handed me her phone and showed me the screen. It was the social media page of some girl from her school. The little bitch had solicited other kids to list the ugliest people in their grade. Some asshole had listed Hannah’s name in the comments.
Irate, I handed her back the phone and worked hard to remain calm. “You don’t believe this, do you?” I asked. “These are people who just get off on being mean. Nothing else.”
“I wish I didn’t believe it.” She sniffled.
My sister was beautiful, inside and out, and I couldn’t understand how anyone could be so cruel. It brought back memories of being teased by girls in expensive clothes and shoes when I had to wear the same ratty garb over and over back in the day.
“I know it’s hard for you to understand this, Hannah. But I’m gonna be straight with you. People who do this have low self-esteem. They do it to make themselves feel better. And often times, they’re actually jealous of the people they’re bullying.”
Her lip trembled. “What do they have to be jealous of when it comes to me?”
“You’re smart, funny, talented in the arts? What’s not to be jealous of?” I rubbed her back. “I know it’s hard to see now, but kids your age are the worst when it comes to this kind of thing. The same stuff used to happen to me.”
“It did?”
I nodded. “But social media wasn’t as bad back then. Now people use it as a weapon. You know what else I didn’t have back then?”
“What?”
I wrapped my arms around her. “A big sister who could set me straight about what’s really going on with those miserable kids. And I want you to understand that when people do this, they’re being mean, and you shouldn’t place any value on what terrible people have to say.”
She frowned. “You’re not gonna be around forever, though, Devyn.”
I squeezed her tighter. “That’s not true anymore, Hannah. I’m gonna make sure you guys are taken care of, and I’m gonna do my best to be around, okay? I can’t guarantee I’ll be living with you, but I will always be looking out for you. And if I get my way, we won’t be leaving each other at all. Okay?”
She nodded hesitantly, seeming unsure about whether she could trust my assurances. This conversation confirmed that the most important place I could be right now was with my siblings. Fuck you, Robert.
“What do you say we get out of here and spend the rest of the day wreaking some havoc around the City? Let’s forget about those stupid girls and go have some fun.”
Her face perked up. “That sounds awesome!”
Hannah and I proceeded to have the best girls’ day out. I took her to lunch at a hibachi restaurant—her favorite—and then to Sephora for a makeover. I didn’t want to feed into the idea that physical beauty is all-important, but it did seem to make her feel more confident. I also bought her some much-needed new clothes.
As we walked home, she turned to me and smiled. “Thank you, Devyn. I feel so much better.”
“You’re welcome. We need to have more days like this. Believe me, I needed it, too.” I elbowed her playfully. “We Marks girls need to stick together.”
We passed the café around the corner from the building, and I noticed Lala and Billie having coffee together. Both had their babies next to them in their respective baby carriers.
Once they spotted me, I knew I had to go in and say hello. “Let’s stop in here for a bit, Han.” I opened the door to the café, and my sister followed.
Billie smiled. “Hey, Hannah. Long time no see.”
“Hi, Billie.” My sister grinned.
“What’s with the fancy makeup? Looks pretty rad,” Billie said.
“Devyn took me to Sephora.” Hannah raised her chin. “They did my face.”
“That’s the happiest place on Earth, if you ask me.” Billie winked.
“You look beautiful,” Lala chimed in.
Hannah blushed. “Thank you.”
I looked down at the two babies, who were both sound asleep. “How are they sleeping with all the noise in here?”
Lala adjusted the blanket over her daughter. “Well, in Hope’s case, it’s because she’s been keeping us up all night. So, she just sleeps at random times throughout the day.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “That must suck.”
“It’s par for the course.” She moved her curly blond hair behind her ear. “Thankfully, Holden and I take turns getting up.”