At a big event like this, it would give me peace of mind to have Lexi with me. If the paparazzi knew I was going to be there, they’d be staked out, ready for their chance to get a shot of me arriving.
My door buzzer rang right when I was about to take the curlers out of my hair. Without thinking, I held down the speaker and bellowed for Lexi to come on up. I unlocked the doors and went back to my vanity, where I unrolled my curls and gently brushed them out. My front door opened and I called down the hall that I was in the bedroom.
A few seconds later, a woman who was not Lexi poked her head around the corner.
I blinked at my little sister. “Casey?”
She gave me a crooked smile. “Hey. Got a second?”
“What do you need now?”
Casey looked at me like I’d slapped her.
“Don’t look at me like that, Casey.” Annoyed, I pushed away from my vanity and went to the dress I’d picked out of my closet and hung on the back of the door. It had a slit up the leg that almost went all the way to the hip. The fabric had a curious, metallic luster, which gave the deep blue tone some texture. I’d picked it because I had a feeling Storm would like it. I turned to my sister with a hand on my hip. “I gave you the money for your rent like you asked. Was it not enough? How much more do you need? I hope you’re not letting that landlord of yours take advantage of you.”
“Can’t I just come visit? Why do I always have to want something?”
“That’s something I ask myself every time you show up, claiming you don’t need something, before inevitably asking for a handout.”
Casey lifted her chin. “That dress is ugly.”
I laughed. “Sure it is, Case. Sure it is.”
My sister watched as I dropped my robe and stepped into the blue gown. She scowled and pouted, undoubtedly trying to riddle out the right timing for asking for what it was she needed. Money. A ride. An alibi.
Who the fuck knew with Casey at this point?
When she didn’t open her mouth after several minutes, I ushered her out into the kitchen, poured us each a glass of sparkling water, and leaned on the kitchen island across from her, watching her closely.
Casey set her water down. “What?”
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about what happened the other day at the diner.”
She looked down. “I’d rather not.”
“Well I wasn’t really asking for your preferences. What’s going on with you? Why are you dancing for money? That guy was disgusting. Not to mention he was Dad’s age. Do you know what Dad would have done if he was there for that conversation? Do you know how much it would hurt him?”
“Please don’t say anything to Dad, Laila.” My sister’s eyes, so much like my mother’s, glistened with tears. “I’m just trying to make ends meet and I don’t need him worrying about me like that. Or seeing me that way. It’s just a way to make my rent.”
“It’s dangerous.”
Casey blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. “And being a top model isn’t? You’ve shown me the DMs some creeps send you, Laila.”
Touché.
I massaged my temples. “That’s different. I have people like Lexi to keep me safe. I don’t like thinking about you walking to your car late at night after working in a seedy place that caters to clientele like that guy from the diner. It scares me, Casey.”
“You’re not my mother.”
Her words stung like she’d slapped me across the face.
I straightened. “I never said I was, and I’m not pretending to be. But don’t act like you don’t know what you’re doing. This behavior would scare the hell out of Mom, Casey. She wouldn’t let you get away with it. I might not be Mom, but I’m the next best thing, and I’m not going to let you get caught up with bad people. It’s a road straight into darkness, Casey. I understand that you’re struggling to make ends meet and you need help—”
“And every time I ask you for help you give me a hard time? Yeah. It’s an awesome spot to be in.”
My temper threatened to get the better of me. I reined it in. “I never care if you need money, Casey. I care that…” I trailed off. I care that it’s all you ever need from me. I care that you use me like a bank account, not a big sister. I care that I don’t feel like I know you anymore. “I will give you whatever you need, whenever you need it, okay? Jut please, stop working at that night club. Deal?”
Casey brightened. The tears in her eyes vanished after a couple of blinks. “Do you mean it?”
“Yes. Quit. Better yet, don’t go back at all. Let me give you enough to get you on your feet and buy you some time to figure out what you want to do next. If you want to go back to school, I’ll pay for your program. Whatever it is. You know that offer will always be on the table.”
My sister sipped her sparkling water and watched me over the rim.
I didn’t want to be too pushy, but if she didn’t answer me soon, I knew I’d be on my knees pleading with her not to be an idiot. She was too young and too pretty to take the kind of risks she hardly batted an eye at. She needed a break, and the only ones she was ever going to get were the ones I was willing to cut her.
The world wasn’t fair, and Casey had never been very good at seeing herself as someone other than a victim who’d been dealt a shitty hand. Her own self-doubt crippled her chances of success every time she landed a good job with opportunities. She’d self-sabotage like it was an Olympic sport. Eventually, something would have to give.
Either she’d grow up and realize she had more power than she thought, or she’d be swallowed up by her bad habits and shitty friends.
I prayed all the time it was the former.
“Casey?”
“I’ll quit.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Really? Just like that?”
She hid a small smile that pressed a dimple into her right cheek, just like Mom. “Really. I hate working there, Laila. The men are so gross. The women aren’t any better. Everyone always smells like onions and sweaty gym bags, like a boy’s high school locker.”
I shuddered. “Gross.”
To my surprise, Casey started to giggle, and the giggles turned into tears, which she wiped away with a stubborn pucker to her chin.
“Casey,” I said softly.
“I’m okay. I just… I’m really glad I don’t have to go back there.”
That was as close to a thank you as I was going to get, and I was more than happy to accept it. I moved around the counter and gave my baby sister a hug. Shockingly, she returned it, wrapping one arm around me and nestling her face in my shoulder. For a moment, it felt like I was holding the little sister I remembered from my childhood. Small, trusting, and full of life and need for her big sister to show her the way.
I could feel the relief seeping out of her and it felt good to be the person to take all that weight off her shoulders.
I stepped back and smiled through tears. “You deserve a fun night out. I have an extra ticket for Ellice Knight’s fashion show tonight. Do you want to join? Front-row seats, free food, complimentary beverages?”
Casey sniffled. “I don’t have anything to wear.”