The plastic cover on the couch rumbled as she plopped down on it, tossing the bags aside while giggling. “Language, young lady.”
I rolled my eyes again.
“How about you just wear it on Saturday with the tag on and then return it just like I’m doing with mine?” Her big eyes popped with a mischievous gleam. “It’s not like we go to one of those parties every day.”
The Bellomo Scholarship Awards Ceremony at IIT was a big deal. The society’s crème de la crème would be there, and this year we get to be a part of that glamorous event because of Nicky’s scholarship. It was dazzling and made my head spin with excitement and pride, but it didn’t mean I’d borrow a dress from a store to attend.
“It’s so wrong. I can’t do that. Besides, it’s your day. Nobody is gonna see me. It doesn’t matter what I wear. Your dress, though…” I pulled it from the bag and marveled at its beauty, almost in tears. The fitted elegance of the sparkling purple and gold that showed her hourglass, athletic figure was mesmerizing. Unlike me, Nicky looked like Mom. Blonde with beautiful blue eyes and a fair skin, and that dress was made for her. “You have to keep it, Nicky. It’s perfect.”
A loud snort erupted from her. “We can’t afford to pay eight hundred bucks for a dress. No way.”
“You can wear it on my birthday, and your birthday, and everybody else’s birthdays. I wish it could fit me or would ever look as good as it was on you so I could do the same. But you can still save it for your kids. It’s worth every penny.”
She giggled. “You’re crazy? What kids?”
“The ones you’re gonna have soon because you’ll meet your future husband on Saturday. That dress brings boys to their knees. Guaranteed.”
She pointed her index finger to her open mouth as if she wanted to vomit and then continued laughing as she rose, but not for long.
I shouldn’t have said that. Boys had always been a tricky topic. I knew better. “Sorry, Nicky.”
“C’mon.” She waved a dismissive hand, looking at me as if I was silly for apologizing. “We don’t need boys or husbands or any of that shit, remember?”
I raised my fist in solidarity as she marched to her room. “Yeah. Baldi girls versus the world.”
When she slammed the door shut, I cursed. Putting down the dress, I jumped to my feet, and then I stalked to the boxes, taking my rage out at the cardboard, opening—tearing—it with much more force than needed. My vision blurred with tears I didn’t want to shed but fell anyway.
I took all the stuff I could carry and stormed inside my room. Then I crumbled on the bed, blubbering ugly. I didn’t want her to see me like this. It wasn’t like he’d hurt me more than he’d hurt her, and I didn’t see her cry. Not in front of me, at least.
She never said it directly to me, but I knew what Father did to her. He might have done awful things to me, but he didn’t rape me.
Over and over and over.
She took it all and never once complained, all so he wouldn’t do it to me.
I needed to be strong like she always had been for me. I needed to show her she no longer had to take care of me or shield me from her pain. It was okay for her not to be tough all the time. It was okay to live and be happy and find love. It was time someone took care of my sister, someone who would love and cherish and treat her the way she was supposed to be treated. But if she couldn’t let someone in yet, I’d be that someone until she was healed.
I wiped my tears and looked around me. Then my gaze wandered with the city lights through the windows. The old feeling that someone was watching me broke my skin into goosebumps. “If you’re out there...” I shook my head, a hot sigh escaping me. “Thank you.”
I knew it was crazy to be grateful for a vicious killer, but I couldn’t help feeling any different. I hoped he could see where we were now, what we’d become. We were still damaged, but it could have been far worse. We’d been blessed, and none of it would have happened if he hadn’t done what he had.
I grabbed my violin and sat by the windows, ready to play. “This one is for you.”
Chapter 6
Lina
“C’mon, Lina. We’re gonna be late!” Nicky yelled, banging on my bedroom door.
I rushed out of the bathroom—my own private bathroom—and hit the closet, hair and makeup done, excited to get out my new turquoise dress that cost only ten percent of that overpriced thing Nicky wanted me to borrow. “Just a minute. I’m almost done.”
A strange shimmer took me by surprise when I reached for the hanger. Rose gold cascades of sparkle nestled right next to my dress. My jaw fell.
“Oh my God, Nicky!” My sister was the craziest and most amazing person in the world.
“Our ride will be here in three minutes, Lina. C’mon!”
I got out the gorgeous dress in freaking awe, and then I switched my gaze toward the door. Shaking my head, I convinced myself there was no time to argue with her, and I had no choice but to wear it. I couldn’t disappoint her, not tonight, especially when she’d gone through all that trouble to get it and surprise me like that.
And—who was I kidding?—I really loved that dress.
Quickly, I put it on and complimented it with my pink tourmaline earrings and my heels. I twirled, immediately feeling like a princess.
Grabbing my purse, I opened the door. Nicky’s fist was in the air, ready to bang on one more time, but it froze in the air when she saw me.
“Oh. My. God. Lina! You look amazing,” she squealed. “I’m so psyched you agreed to wear it.”
“I’d have never done it if it weren’t for you. It’s crazy.” I grinned incredulously, but then I shrugged. “But so worth it.”
“Yes, girl.” She high-fived me.
“You look amazing, too. So hot.”
She winked at my chest—at my boobs. “Back at ya.”
My cheeks warmed. “It’s too revealing, isn’t it?”
“Nope. It makes the girls look perfect. And you should wear whatever you wanna wear. You should never be ashamed of your body or hide because of a bunch of assholes out there. If someone can’t keep their eyes to themselves that’s on them, not you.”
I smiled with a nod. I was sure she was giving herself that speech before me. She ushered me out of the condo. “Let’s go kick some ass.”
At the entrance of Hermann Hall, my sister and I linked arms and went up the stairs. My heart thudded with every step. I’d never been on a college campus before, let alone gone to a party with seniors, college students and adults. “Man, I can’t wait to finish high school.”
Nicky laughed as we entered the lounge, and she presented our invitations with confidence to the nice lady outside the auditorium. We took our ID badges and ambled down the lounge. While Nicky kept her eyes forward, unfazed by the surroundings and the boys in tuxes doing double takes, I clutched her arm as if she were my mom and I were five again, and grinned like an idiot, noting how their eyes were all on my beautiful sister.
We were seated next to each other, but a few minutes before the scholarship awards segment, they asked Nicky to move to the second row with the other students.