Page 83 of Lovers' Dance

“Do you like my Uncle Matt? I mean, really like him?” Natty asked abruptly. The cell was in her hand, but she was focusing all her attention on me.

“I do.” My answer was genuine. Heck, I was jonesing for their uncle. Why hide it?

The girls looked at each other, then Nikki said, “Uncle Matt must like you a lot. He doesn’t usually bring women around here.”

Natty scoffed. “He never brings women here.”

I was getting a tad uncomfortable with the direction of this conversation.

“The media is always snooping around his life. They never leave us alone. Always printing stuff about the companies and our lives,” Natty continued.

“Must be hard for you,” I mused, squeezing excess water out of my hair.

“We’re used to it,” Nikki said. She was watching me dry my curls.

Natty’s cell beeped and she tossed it aside, violently. My eyes widened but I didn’t comment. Nikki, however, did. She’d seen my reaction.

“It’s her boyfriend,” she explained, shooting her sister a supportive look.

“Not for long,” Natty muttered.

I stayed silent and kept drying my hair. This wasn’t my business. I knew teenagers, and they always had drama. I had enough of my own drama. Plus, they had called me old.

The room descended into silence. I finished drying my hair and neatly placed the towel on the bed.

“He’s such a tosser,” Natty finally burst out. I said nothing and went over to the vanity. I didn’t know these girls, they didn’t know me. I was not getting involved. I peered at my face in the mirror. Without makeup, I looked young. Jailbait young. Damn it. The contents of my purse were soaked. Face powder, lip gloss and vex money. The money was in case of emergency. Always have cash to get your ass home if needs be. I began to brush my hair, deciding to leave it loose. In the mirror, I watched Nikki make her way over to her sister and rest a hand on her shoulder. Natty scowled at her, then her face fell.

Not getting involved. Not my business. I would go downstairs and plaster myself to Matt’s side until this night was over.

The look on Natty’s face though, it made me feel bad. I gritted my teeth together and kept brushing my hair. I had no advice to give. Before Matt, I hadn’t been in a serious relationship. I’d been on a few dates before, but they never panned out. It always felt like I was being untrue to Dante. And now I had Matt.

Nikki rubbed Natty’s shoulder and sat down next to her. “Forget about him.”

I put the brush down, then scrunched my hair between my palms. I looked all right. The cell beeped.

“I should get back downstairs,” I said, facing the girls. “Thanks for the clothes.” I had no freaking shoes on and was hoping they would spot it.

They barely acknowledged me, both staring morosely at the cell. I exhaled in a pointed manner. Someone needed to accompany me. I had no idea where to go. And there was the shoes problem.

Natty looked over, a conflicted expression on her face. “Boys suck.”

I nodded in agreement and glanced at the door. “Sometimes they do. We should head back down.”

Neither one moved. They stared at me. Maybe the heels wouldn’t be as squishy now. They were in the bathroom with my soaked, but folded, clothes. The girls were still staring at me.

I took a deep breath and asked against my better judgement. “What did he do? If you don’t mind my asking.”

Nikki answered, after getting the unspoken okay from her sister. “He’s been messaging one of Natty’s so-called friends on his social network page. He doesn’t know we have his password.”

Natty’s expression darkened. I glanced at the door.

“Last night she had a party. We didn’t attend, of course,” Nikki continued.

“Of course,” I murmured. Teenaged girls.

“There were pictures on her page, pictures of them together.”

“All cosy and smiling,” Natty ground out. “He’s a tosser. I know he’s cheating.”

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