Page 39 of Bishop

EMMY

“So…you and Zane…are going away for the weekend?” Summer’s face was balled up tight as she stared at me as if trying to comprehend a hard math problem.

“Should I not?” I asked, looking between my two sisters who had come over with a bottle of red wine.

Diamond shook her head. “That’s not what she means. It’s just this is the boy who used to have you in tears every single day.”

I sighed and pulled the wine glass up to my mouth and took a long sip.

Summer and Diamond looked at each other before, Summer spoke again. “He was a jerk. I just don’t want you speeding into anything crazy. Especially since I know you lied to mama.”

I choked on the wine. “What? Lied to Mama about what?”

These two were closer than I realized and because I’d been gone for so long, I felt like I was an outsider in my own family.

Diamond picked up her own wine. “She said you’ve been going to therapy.”

“And we know that’s a lie, Emmy,” Summer raised a brow.

“Wait a second, is this supposed to be a fucking intervention or something?”

Diamond rolled her eyes. “Hardly, but this was your little lie baby girl.”

“Oh, cut the bullshit,” I reached for the bottle and poured more wine into my glass. “Maybe worry about your own situation.”

Diamond sighed long and deep. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“You should be worried about your husband and why he’s always in Zane’s strip club.”

“Girl please. You know that man is fucking half the strippers in New Orleans. What you thought, because you are some high-siddity lawyer, he was going to stop catching all the pussy that falls into his lap…nightly…” Diamond snarled at me.

I started to remember then why I’d stayed away from home so often and had hardly looked back. My family had caused me to feel so claustrophobic.

The judgment.

“We are just concerned,” Summer sighed. “We love you, Emmy. And it's been so nice to have you home.”

It was my turn to roll my eyes and I scoffed. “This isn’t feeling that way.”

Diamond stood up then. “A man is not going to fix your problems, Emerald.”

“I never said he was, Diamond. Maybe it's time for you to get home to your husband and make sure y’all still have some money in the bank.”

Before I knew it, Diamond was launching herself across the room. Her hand landed on my face and it felt as if a streak of fire had slashed my face.

Did she just smack you?

There was no time to think about it any further because there was no way in hell, she was getting away with it.

“Diamond! What the fuck is your problem!” Summer hollered at our sister’s retreating back.

“Oh no this bitch didn’t just hit me!”

Nothing else mattered as I stood up and tackled her to the ground like I was Drew Brees. If my sister thought she was going to get away with hitting me she had another fucking thing coming.

She was going to learn today.

“Get off me!” She screamed as we both hit the floor.

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