Page 57 of The Masks We Wear

Lucy tilts her head at me, “You’ve been zoning out a lot lately,” she mutters.

I nod at her breakfast, changing the subject, “Eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”

Lucy stabs at the eggs I made her with her fork but makes no move to put the food in her mouth. I watch her silently and after a few minutes, she drops her fork and folds her elbows on the table. She gives me an annoyed look and sighs, “I just don’t get it.”

“Don’t get what?” I ask, little to no energy in my voice.

She shakes her head at me. “Why you left her if you obviously love her.”

I drop my chin to my chest and exhale. “We aren’t having this conversation,” I turn my back on her and start washing the dishes.

She snaps, “Harvey, you’re my big brother and I love you, but you have to stop treating me like a baby. I’m thirteen, not seven and I’m a big girl. You’ve tried sheltering me for years but I’m smart and I see things, okay?”

I turn around, completely at a loss. Lucy’s never taken up this kind of attitude or tone with me. “Lucy-”

She cuts me off by slamming her fists down on the granite countertop, “Don’t ‘Lucy’ me. You know I’m right. Why did you leave Brody if you love her?”

I grow impatient and I lose control, my temper getting the best of me. “You have no idea what you’re talking about so mind your own business and eat your breakfast.” Hearing Brody’s name on someone else’s lips sets me off, especially when my feelings for her are called into question.

She pushes her chair out from the table and steps off the barstool, “Fuck your breakfast,” she spits.

My eyes widen in shock. I’ve never heard her curse before, or take up this kind of demeanor with me. “Luce, watch your mouth,” I scold her, shock clear in my voice. For a second she reminded me of Brody and the thought almost makes me smile, but my shock overrules it.

She crosses her arms, rolling her eyes. “Why do you always treat me like a baby?”

“Because you’re my baby sister.”

“I was when I was ababy. I’m a teenager now,” she argues.

“Don’t remind me,” I groan.

She scoffs, “Harvey, you were always my hero. You’ve doneeverything for me since I was little that Mom was supposed to do but never did. You always put me before yourself and I love you for doing it all, for being my mother and my father while being my big brother. But when are you going to putyourselffirst? I never saw you as happy as you were when we were with Brody and I saw the way you looked at her and the way she looked at you. You love each other so I don’t get why you came home.”

“I came home for you!” I snap.

Her eyes widen. “You left Brody because of me?”

I sigh, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my palms. “No,” I don’t want to put this weight on her so instead of being truthful with her, I decide to lie.

“Tell me the truth,” she demands, her silvery voice raising.

I lean against the counter with my hip as I watch her. I scratch my beard to occupy my hands. Lucy’s right, I’ve sheltered her throughout her entire life. I still treat her like a baby that can’t make her own decisions and it isn’t fair to her. Lying to her right now would just make things worse. I need to start treating her like an adult because pretty soon, she’ll be one and if I shelter her through her teen years, what kind of an adult would I be shaping? I want her to be a strong woman who is independent and won’t take anything from anyone and if I want that for her, I have to treat her like it. I drop my hand from my beard and straighten my posture. “Remember Dallas?”

She nods, “Yes, of course. He’s your best friend.”

“I wouldn’t say ‘best friend,’ More like my only friend,” I correct her and then get to the point. “He called me after you and I spoke on the phone last week. He offered me a chance to stay in Los Angeles with Brody. I’d go back to the security company and branch out as his business partner,” I explain.

She interrupts, “How long would you have to live there?”

I shrug, “There was no limit. He gave me a chance to live thereas long as I want and be with her.”

She deflates, her lips curving into a frown. “And I’d never see you?”

I shake my head, “I turned it down.”

“Because of me,” she states, no question in her voice.

I nod. “I don’t want to live far away from you. You need me, you need someone to guide you and we both know Mom isn’t gonna do it.”

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