Page 103 of Vince
Fuck… The thought of someone else taking my place rips me apart.
Why couldn’t I’ve met Sydney a year from now? It would be so much easier if my life were my own, and I didn’t have two others who depend on me.
Sighing heavily, I force myself through the motions of getting dressed.
I hear my phone vibrate with an incoming message, but I’m in no mood for company. Exiting my room, I leave my phone on the bed and go in search of food.
“Good run, Unks?” Julia asks as I enter the kitchen.
I startle because in my current funk, I clearly don’t see her coloring at the kitchen table, which makes her giggle.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I shrug. “It was okay. But I’m starving. Did you leave me any food in the fridge?”
Looking at the bandage above her eye, it takes everything in me not to cringe. But of course, I stop myself because that’s the last thing she needs.
“Oh, you silly, Unks. I can’t eatallthe food in the fridge. My tummy isn’t that big.”
“Oh, really, I bet if it was all broccoli, you would.”
She puts her hand on her chin and looks to the ceiling as she seriously thinks about my suggestion. “Maybe…”
Shaking my head at her antics, I say, “Squirt, I’m not sure your tummy is big enough for anentirefridge full of broccoli, unless you have two hollow legs and can store it in your arms.”
Jules gives me just what I need. Her light tinkling laugh is infectious, and she has me joining her.
“Oh, Jules. Thank you,” I say when I finally pull in a solid breath.
Her lone visible eyebrow shoots to her hairline, causing her to flinch. “Does it hurt too bad?” I ask, pointing at her injury.
Shaking her head, she says, “Only when I do that.”
“Well, stop already then,” I tease.
God, I hate seeing her hurt.
In an attempt to change the subject, I ask, “What are you coloring, Jules?”
“I’m making Momma a picture of the kitty I want to get. Did you know that my teacher’s kitty had babies and they need new homes? Can we get one?”
I’m not stepping on that landmine with a ten-foot pole. I’m only the Unks for a reason. “Oh, squirt.” I chuckle, knowing Van’s gonna hate me. “That’s up to your mom. You’ll have to win that battle with her.”
Julia’s eyes sparkle with delight as she pushes back her chair from the table and runs out of the room like her feet are on fire.
Vanessa’s gonna kill me, I’m sure of it.
“Walk!” I holler after her, though I’m sure it lands on deaf ears. The patter of her feet echoes throughout the house, and I can only shake my head as I quickly throw a sandwich together and retreat to my room.
My phone buzzes on my bed, and Sydney’s name flashes across the screen.
As much as I want to talk to her, I’m just not ready. But I can’t help myself when I pick up the phone to open my text messages.
There are actually several messages, and guilt eats at me as I scroll through the messages from this morning. The first one came through around nine.
Sydney: Good Morning (Smiley face emoji)
The next one came through an hour later.
Sydney: Are we still on for studying this afternoon?
