Page 98 of Done with You

“They’re here.”

“Who? Rayma and Oona’s parents?”

“Yeah. I just hope that Oona’s still here for Rayma’s sake. Everyone has made a pact that she won’t be left alone with them, particularly her mother, under any circumstances.”

“Yeah, I heard that. Count me in there. I’ll help anyway I can.”

Jordan nodded and smiled half-heartedly in appreciation as he unlocked the door and opened it.

Voices drifted out from the direction of Rayma’s closed bedroom door, two he recognized, one he didn’t.

A man with gray hair and light brown eyes sat in Jordan’s La-Z-Boy reading quietly from a book. He glanced up at them both. “I’m assuming one of you is Jordan?” he asked with a smile.

Jordan stepped forward. “I am, sir. It’s nice to finally meet you, Mr. Young.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Mr. Young said, closing his book and climbing out of the chair and taking Jordan’s hand.

“This is my brother, Aiden,” Jordan said, introducing Aiden, “he flew out here from Montreal.” Aiden shook hands with Mr. Young and offered him a smile, but knowing what he knew about Rayma and Oona’s parents now, made it hard for him to display any genuine joy about meeting these people.

“Yanna wanted to see Rayma’s dress on her, so they’re in the bedroom right now.”

“Oona in there, too?” Jordan asked quickly.

Mr. Young nodded. “Yes.”

Jordan relaxed a bit. So did Aiden.

“How is your hotel so far? And how was your flight?” Jordan asked.

“Nothing eventful getting here, which is what you want in a flight. And the hotel is fine. We’re simple people. We don’t need extravagance. Just a clean room with quiet neighbors is more than enough for me."

"Can I make you a coffee?" Jordan asked, circling behind the island and opening the cupboard to grab the tin of beans.

“Oh, none for me. I have one cup a day and that is more than enough.”

“I’ll have one if you’re making it already,” Aiden said. “Gonna pop into the shower first.”

Jordan nodded at him, then Aiden gathered his stuff and made haste into the bathroom. He made sure not to take too long, since it was only a matter of time until Mrs. Young came out and reinforcements would be required.

Drying his hair, he opened the bathroom door only for Rayma to open her bedroom door at the same time, her face flushed, eyes close to spilling over with tears. She stalked into the kitchen, opened a cupboard door, grabbed a bottle of tequila, unscrewed it and took a long sip straight from the bottle.

Slowly, Aiden wandered into the living room only to find it empty. Where were Jordan and Mr. Young?

Oona came out of the bedroom after Rayma and dropped her voice low. “Ignore her.”

Rayma took another swig of the bottle then clenched her jaw and flared her nostrils at the same time a tear slipped down her cheek.

“That’s not going to fix things,” Aiden said, “It’s not even noon.” The look on Oona’s face as she spun around and glared at him had him instantly regretting his words. Fuck, he should know better by now.

Too late.

She left her sister and rounded on Aiden, her finger out and poking hard into his chest as she brought her voice down low and gritted out, “Go. Now.”

“I—” Aiden sighed. “I’m sorry, Rayma. I spoke before I thought.”

“No shit,” Oona said. Her eyes softened, but they weren’t because of Aiden, she turned back to her sister. “Your dress is gorgeous, Rayma. You do not have to make any changes. Ignore her.”

A beautiful woman with dark hair, and brown eyes flecked with gold came out of the bedroom. Even if Aiden didn’t know that this woman was Rayma and Oona’s mother, Yanna, it would be easy enough to discern since her daughters were her doppelgangers. She regarded Aiden with blatant, irritated curiosity. “And you are?”

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