baby

-

Her moment of silence was almost deafening, her short reply even more so right before she stood up and left the room. ❛ Because I don’t lie! ❜ he yelled after her. What the fuck just happened? With a sigh, Max scooted off the bed and pulled on his boxers, saving no time to follow her. He had already cheated on her, he didn’t mean to make this any worse now several years later even though he didn’t understand how it even matter if he slept with Ty. ❛ When have I lied to you? ❜ he questioned when he entered the living room to see her standing half-clothed with her jeans in her hand. ❛ Sometimes I think I should have lied, you know? Maybe then we’d still be together. But I couldn’t, because I can’t not be honest, with you, or generally, I don’t know… I just didn’t think Ty mattered in our equation, he was history. He was out of the picture when I fell for you, ❜ he tried to explain in a stern voice, since any softness didn’t seem to go well with her right now. If he’d lied, told her he nothing happened after he’d left after that fight, the guilt would have still eaten him alive. Would it have been worth it, if it meant being with her?

Fine, he occasionally lied about things but he didn’t think he’d ever managed to do that with her, not about the big things. She had a point though. His communication skills were not the best. Everyone told him that; Skylar, Kai - although theirs were also not great - Cora, Harlow, Declan, his mother. It didn’t mean he didn’t fucking try. ❛ I can’t just ignore or forget we never happened but I can’t live my life like we’re still together, Harls. I didn’t know I’d get a damn crush on you when I first slept with Ty and I obviously couldn’t just undo putting my dick in him. Just because I did it again doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about us. He’s a whole other story. ❜ His words may be raw and they probably didn’t make much sense, Max didn’t know, but he was more confused now than he’d been when she’s walked in and asked him to have sex with her. He had moved on but he hadn’t forgotten what it felt like to be with her. Hell, he still remembered the feeling with Cora. ❛ I don’t check in because I didn’t think you wanted me in your life at all, can you blame me for that? ❜ His friends ridiculed her? His first thought was Kai. What had she done now? He’d figure it out.

Sighing, he leaned his head back and rolled his eyes for a moment when she thanked him. ❛ Fine, be like that, but I think you’re projecting something else on me so when you’re ready for that conversation… ❜ he threw his hands out to his sides, palms facing her and his dark eyes trying to reach out to her, if she needed anything. ❛ You know where I live. ❜ Pausing, he pressed his lips together and frowned, his mind doing a 180 out of concern. This was Hemlock Docks. ❛ Are you… Walking? ❜

-

Harlow felt the fire within mix together with the heaviness of her despair. She was hurt, mostly. She was hurt and hurting. Her fingers curled into her fists only being able to relate this kind of anger to when she found out about her mother’s lie. His words hit her ears with strength, coming on after another. It was what she wanted, right? For him to speak more than a couple words to her. “It’s not about merely that you slept with him Max. It’s about how I my reputation became the whore that made you lose your job. I know you gave up your job but I gave up everything to be with you - school, friends, my town, my mom.. “ Her mom. The guilt settled in her stomach. She was going to throw up, now she was sure of it. Tears fought hard, welling in her eyes. Once again Harlow was here, with Max instead of fixing things with her mother.

“Most of the girls on my team stopped talking to me, looked at me like I was.. some slut. If I knew... if I knew I wasn’t the only one.. “ She didn’t know how to explain it to him. How knowing would have made her feel okay. How knowing was better than finding out later. How secrets were lies. The way he talked about how they could still be together left a bad taste in her mouth. It dawned on her in that moment how untrue that was. He’d disappoint her somehow, wouldn’t he? She let her eyes trace him. He hadn’t changed. He hadn’t fixed the part of himself that lead to him cheating on her. Perhaps he’d never make that specific mistake again, but that flaw.. that fatal flaw still had a home within him.

“Ask me. Ask me! Ask me a question about me, Max. Ask me how I’ve been. Ask me what I do with my life. Ask me what I did after you left. Ask me if I’m happy. Ask me if I learned all of the ways to cook and egg. Ask me why I was crying in the elevator. Don’t pretend you care when you haven’t asked a single question about me. Don’t tell me that I’m projecting when you haven’t made a single effort besides asking me if I was okay tonight - which was more for you conscience than it was for my well being. You have zero clue about what’s going on in my life, Maximilian Vargas.” She felt a tear roll down her cheek.

“You know why I don’t trust you, because I gave you everything, every part of me. I wanted to be good for you, enough for you. I loved you so wholly. You knew every piece of me. You knew about my mom, about all of my fears, about how I feared nothing more than ending up like my parents and the minute things got a little bumpy you did the one thing - the one thing you knew would shatter me completely. So, how could you have loved me? How could you have loved me and hurt me so purposefully? How could I believe that anything you ever told me was real? People make mistakes, fine. But you knew.. you knew what that was going to do to me - and you did it anyway, Max. And you not fighting at all, you walking away immediately, you not even bothering to ask me if I found a job I like doing, if I went back to school, you being perfectly content to leave me in your past like Ty - it really solidifies it all for me. You didn’t care. You don’t care. You liked that I loved you, but you didn’t love me the same. Hey maybe, you thought you did. But your actions and words not matching up is basically lying. But at least Ty still gets to talk to you.. kiss you.. so it seems like I really got the short end of the stick here. ”

Harlow sighed deeply. “I can get home fine, thank you. I’ve lived without you for 4 years. The rest of my life will be content without you as well.” She turned to the door, slamming it on her way out, not waiting for a response, not waiting for him to explain. She didn’t want an explanation.

There was a multitude of things that Cass hadn’t realized in that moment. The first being that the woman she was speaking to wasn’t a stranger in any sense, she remembered Harlow from their time in Seattle together, an art event that had a big deal to her team for her to show up in. Being able to talk to the aspiring curator at the time, she couldn’t help but feel like Harlow was one of the only people who made her feel sane for the evening. She was vivacious, full of life, and grandeur, but now with how forlorn she looked to be standing where she was, on the tip of her tongue, Cass held back the question she wanted to ask. What happened to your spark, Harlow? 

She was quick to get to her feet before she drew the woman in for a hug, the boundary probably amplifying a bit more due to her alcohol consumption but she hoped she wouldn’t mind. “I- wow this town is so small.” She said with a chuckle. She tried to wrack her mind to remember if the woman had mentioned having any ties to the town, to which she apologetically said, “Remind me if this is your hometown or did I remember it wrong? Either way, what a turn of events being here the same time you are.” 

Judging by her body language, Cass couldn’t help but feel like she was ready to get as far away from the space as possible. Was there anything she could have done to absolve her nerves? “Care for a drink? It’s on me, especially since I sort of forced you to listen to my woes,” She chuckled softly, before that pang hit her chest again. “I- don’t want to prod but I’m a little worried about why you’re familiar with what I’m feeling right now.” 

-

Harlow wished this reunion could have been other different circumstances. She recalled really enjoying her conversation with Cassie - finding her magnetic and kind. The melancholy that seemed to settle on both of their lips and in their eyes made the moment slightly bitter sweet. She welcomed the hug, wrapping her own arms around the raven haired woman. Again, immediately, she found herself admiring how warm Cassie was - wondering why she couldn’t be that way. “Yes, I grew up here. What brings you here?” She asked curiously. Crescent Harbour seemed like an odd destination for a pop star.

Harlow’s eyes glanced towards the kitchen. A drink? It seemed like a bad idea for a lot of reasons. She was going to have to stand here and wait for the food either way, though. “Um, sure. I think I can do one drink. I’m waiting on a to go order for my parents.” Harlow explained slipping into the bar stool beside Cassie. She leaned forward slightly, grabbing the bartender’s attention. Ordering a merlot, Harlow rarely drank anything other than red wice.

She glanced down at her hands at the question. Normally, Harlow was rather reserved about her personal life, mostly because she hated putting her stuff onto other people. “Oh, heartbreak.” The words felt simple, but all encompassing. “Old heartbreak, but.. well I just moved back here about 3 months ago, and my ex who cheated on me lives here. I hadn’t seen him since - for 4 years. So, it’s like opening an old wound.” A wound that never healed, one she merely covered with a little band-aid. “How about you?”

✦ *

valentina could feel her annoyance building as isabella gave the same old tired excuse the rest of her family did when it came to max. “and when you’re inevitability stuck in a marraige with him or someone like him and they do the same thing?” she cocked her head in question, “would you be saying the same thing?” she added, pissed at the idea. “she’s my best friend and that wasn’t a mistake. he made a choice.” 

she didn’t want to go further into the conversation. she wanted to end it at that. she didn’t care for any explanation as to why she should give him another chance. he was family.. oh she knew. every chance her father got he was talking about max. it was ridiculous.

that was one of the only things they had in common anymore it felt like. the pressures of being a casillas. you were expected to be more than what you thought was good enough. you were expected to marry the perfect person, have perfect children, in a perfect home, and lead the perfect life. it was always by design. you had to get approval after approval after approval from their parents. and if that person didn’t get their father’s blessing? they would be gone. no matter what exactly you wanted. “well good luck finding someone in this shit hole town.” val huffed, “if papa doesn’t hand pick them out then you might as well not bring them around.” 

-

Isabella didn’t understand why everything had to be so pointed and personal with Val. She felt like whenever they fought about something, her younger sister twisted it in some way to insult Isabella, even if the fight was about ice cream. And when you’re inevitability stuck in a marriage with him or someone like him and they do the same thing? Her eyes rolled to hide how deep it cut. And you would love that, huh, Val? She refrained from asking, unsure if she really wanted to know the answer. “Like you’re so perfect? Like you haven’t make dumb choices?” It felt hypocritical to judge Max for a mistake when Isabella had made a thousand herself.

She placed her wine back down on the table in front of her. Her eyes scanned over the winery, not looking at her sister. If only Cici had been quicker with the food, perhaps Isabella wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to ask what she did. “I know she’s your best friend, but she left too. Why isn’t she on your never speak to again list?” It wasn’t fair to through Harlow under the bus, but Val seemed to be doing the same with Max.

“Let’s not pretend it’s the same for us, Val. All they’ve ever been is proud of you.” She snapped trying not to let the level of her voice rise. “Even now, Ma is simply concerned about you, worried.” She knew her sister could really do no wrong. Val got away with everything. It was always Isabella’s fault - the drinking, the parties. At the end of the day she knew her parents would look the other way if Val brought home someone who didn’t quite fit their standard. Isabella had the added pressure of being the heir. “But, thanks for the advice.”

Isabella wasn’t wrong. Kai tried to avoid emotions, tried to act like she was some toughie that didn’t let things bother her. Especially now, with as much weighing on her as she had, it was easier to just pretend she didn’t care about anything. Snorting exaggeratedly, Kaiya leaned forward with a sly smile. “You got me. I think about your tits all the time and it’s tragically painful waiting to see you again,” Kaiya replied with a purr to her voice. “I’m deeply in love with you and your family’s wine. Or maybe just the wine. It might be the wine.” Kaiya took another sip from her glass, lips popping before she let out another loud laugh. It was definitely good wine and she wasn’t opposed to a few more glasses before the night was through. 

“How pissed would your parents be if you brought me home instead of someone like Maxie?” Kaiya asked with a cackle of a laugh. She was hardly a parent’s dream. In fact, she was maybe a parent’s nightmare. 

-

Everyone grew more bitter over the years, even the people who seem impossibly optimistic. Becoming an adult meant dealing with the realities of life. Isabella couldn’t blame Kai for how she coped with it, with life. Deep down she knew though, having known the other woman for as long as she could remember. She saw the little fissures where she caught glimpses of the softer side. Her smile grew as the woman on the other side of the table performed for her. “So what your saying is you love my families wine more than my tits?” She teased, pouring another shot into the little glass in front of her. Being 30 meant not being able to bounce back from a hangover like she use to, but she had nothing to do tomorrow.

“I think my papa’s brain would explode.” She giggled softly. Isabella knew what it was to disappoint them. As her mind traced over the distant memories her skin crawled. She tried to be understanding of how her parents were flawed human beings who made mistakes like everyone else on the earth, but sometimes the pressure of it all felt crushing. Sooner or later the small nudges toward marrying someone perfect would either succeed or she’d go through the process of disappointing them all over again. Perhaps this time.. with no return. “I don’t really think bringing someone like you home is an option.” She sighed.

.

Feeling the push against his side Max groaned a little. He should never have let her challenge him in Mario Kart, the drinking game edition but there they were, sun stinging their eyes even though their lids were still covering their orbs. ❛ Cállate, ❜ he muttered, raising his arm enough to in an even lazier way punch her back but his hand just landed over her face. ❛ Your voice feels like a billion razor blades. ❜ Of course, he was exaggerating but drinking tequila with Isabella at thirty-two was a dangerous game. Max was sure he just needed some water and food before he felt better again though, it was usually like that. Maybe a cold shower to wash away the regrets would do him good too. ❛ Go make me some bacon to make up for that terrible fuckin’ idea you had last night. ❜ 

-

 The palm resting on her face elicited a groan. She pressed her fingers into the side of his finger, plucking his hand off of her, holding it up like a dirty sock or pair if underwear. She dropped it from its raised height letting it fall on his own chest.  “Veta a la mierda!” Isabella muttered, rolling onto her side just to bury her face into the pillow a bit more. Were they getting old? Were they too old to fuck around like kids? Her mother seemed to think so, telling her every chance she got that Isabella continued to be a bad example for Val. “I can’t. I’m weak. I’m perishing. I’m feeble.” She whined in a dramatic voice. “Let’s order food. God, I wish we were in Seattle, so we could get those breakfast sandwiches from that deli on the corner near your old apartment.” She spoke, eyes still shut.

“Honestly the most disappointing part of you and Harlow breaking up was I never got to say goodbye to that deli.”

who: billie davis ( @ryxbaby ) when: the morning after billie’s birthday where: billie’s place

The room was spinning. And not in a fun way. Milo woke up entirely certain that someone had split his head in half during the night and he’d somehow survived it. The second he’d opened his eyes, the light coming in the bathroom window had instantly blinded him instantly, and he was certain this was the end of his life.

…Wait, the bathroom window?

He blinked, trying to focus, and sure enough, when his vision returned, the room that was spinning was, in fact, a bathroom. And not even his bathroom. Once the rest of his senses came back, he noticed he’d been sleeping in a bathtub. In his underwear. This was, (to the surprise of no one who knew him) not the first time he’d been in this situation.

Trying to laugh it off - but then finding that laughing was currently painful - he crawl-stumbled his way out of the tub and out into the hallway, where he found Billie sleeping. He slumped down beside her and poked her cheek with his finger. “Billie. Billie. How’s your hangover now that you’re an old woman?”

-

Billie’s eyes remained shut as the sensation of a finger digging into her cheek pulled her brain from slumber. Her head thumped. She felt like her brain didn’t have room in her skull. A piercing pain dug in between her eyebrows. Billie knew the voice without taking a peak. She groaned out. Why did he have to wake her? Why did he have to call her old? “Shhh.” She muttered barely moving at all.

The night was a blur. She vaguely remembered doing shots in front of Curtis. There was a flash or two of Ravi, but that didn’t make sense.  No Bash, that was for sure. The fucker decided it was more important to mope in Canada than remember her birthday. Even Milo remembered it was her birthday. Perhaps Milo had been the only one. Her eyes squinted as she attempted to open them,  eyes locking to the familiar face. “This is why we can’t be left by ourselves.” Her voice groggy as it passed through her lips.

Milo and Billie often took everything to the extreme, especially when not being supervised. Though she had no recollection of exactly what they did, she knew it couldn’t of been good. “I’m on the floor.” She spoke, mostly just because she realized in that moment. “I guess this is my home now.” Her eyes fluttered shut again.

“Who can we get to bring us food?”

✦ *

she watched her sister as she relaxed into her chair and sipped her wine. there was no denying their similarities. the casillas family had it’s commonalities. their personalities all were similar. bold, passionate, and a tad arrogant. those ran strong in the youngest. at one point she was the only daughter at home and the youngest. while her mother was living vicariously through her in pageants and different things she still remained her father’s favorite. she was the baby girl and valentina always got what she wanted and when isabella went off to school val got even more attention from her father. so it made her feel superior at times around her sister. 

then the mention of max. valentina found herself rolling her eyes with a huff. she couldn’t help it. she felt like she couldn’t escape him at all. between her sister and harlow and also her father’s great love for him.. val felt like he was mentioned more than she wanted to hear. “good for her getting lessons from your little friend.” she huffed out. 

she sat there for a moment just trying to not get up and storm off. there was no reason for her to be really upset at the moment. her sister was at least trying, right? but for some reason that made it worse for val. trying after all this time.. she looked over when her sister asked about the hickey, “i don’t remember their name.” she shrugged before smirking to herself. it wasn’t an accomplishment to many but she just knows she had a good time. “you out there bothering anyone besides me?” she questioned, curious if her sister had anyone she was going to bring home.

-

She fought the temper rising within, tracing up her spin. They were all so easily provoked. Isabella knew if she ever wanted a relationship with her sister again, she’d have to deal with the attitude. Still, it felt hard to bite back the innate response of handing it right back to Val. Instead, she simply brought the glass of wine back up to her lips, sipping the feeling away. “What is your problem with Max?” She asked, trying not to let her own annoyance drip into her tone. “I get what he did to Har was messed up, but people make mistakes, chiquita.” Even before Max and Harlow, Isabella always sensed Val possessed a dislike for Max.  In her mind, the man was like family.

The first time Isabella returned after being sent away from home, she remembered wondering how Val grew up so quickly. The little girl she once knew was now a woman. She knew parts of it were her fault, never being a good example. She knew she aided in how quickly Val grew up, dragging her to parties and doing her make up, telling her it would be no big deal to have a sip of beer. But, she missed so much in so little time. She missed seeing her baby sister go to prom and graduate. It wasn’t that she thought having casual sex was a negative thing, but she wondered why Val did it.

“No one Papa would approve of.” She spoke honestly, honestly in a way she hadn’t in a very long time with her sister. Ever since she was a kid, it was very clear that Max Vargas was suppose to be the man she’d marry. If not Max, then someone equivalent, someone who fit the role that needed to be filled.

✦ *

valentina listened to her friend explain herself more. there was so much understanding in why she felt the way she did towards her mother. it wasn’t something that they talked about often if at all. but, val knew that it was hard for harlow to speak on. because it’s still fresh and how do you ever get over something that large. “that’s what you should tell her.” val said simply, squeezing her hand back. “that’s the best explanation for it. your love in unconditional no matter the pain.”

“ty?” val’s brow raised and she cocked her head at harlow. “hmph.” she said making a noise of disappointment. “he really keeps going down hill, huh?” she said without thinking.. no knock to ty.. more-so at max because it just seemed like a downgrade and a young one at that.. not to be dramatic or rude but totally to be dramatic and rude. “i’m surprised at ty but not really. max seems to have a way about him.. even my own sister falls for it.” she said rolling her eyes at that situation as well. 

that’s when the words fell from her friends lips. val caught her breathe for a second because she couldn’t help but think the same because he is just vile. not because there wasn’t anything for him to not love. harlow was a wonderful person, the best person in valentina’s opinion. she sat up in the bed and looked down at her friend. “if he didn’t then he’s the one that’s stupid. you don’t feel bad because he’s too stuck in his own world to be in love with you. and i’m sure he was in love with you. i’m sure he thinks about you all the time still. if i were him i wouldn’t have been able to let you go.”

-

“I have to talk to her. I know.” Talking to her mother was always the hardest. She always clammed up. She always forgot everything she wanted to say. Her parents, though she loved them, were both very toxic people. Sometime getting through to them wasn’t so easy.

Harlow resisted the urge to defend Max. Why was that always her first instinct even now? She wanted to explain how it felt to once believe Max loved her. She wanted to explain how safe it felt, how understood she felt, how special she felt. Perhaps that was what cut the deepest, what left her feeling so stupid, so naive. He made her feel so special, like she was the only person he’d ever love. Something about finding out about Ty seemed to taint that. She wasn’t silly enough to think he’d never been with people. She didn’t mind that he had or that he continued to do so. But, it was how he met Ty how he met Harlow.. how she was sure alot of their beginning stages mimicked his with Ty. “I guess.. I guess I’d just never do that - sleep with someone I knew he knew closely, sleep with a friends ex.” She shrugged trying to understand.

When she was a little girl, being Val’s friend, being loved by Val made her feel part of an exclusive club. Even back then she was so aware of how little Val gave of herself to other people. She had walls, though she was outgoing and kind. She was tough, but not with Harlow, never with Harlow. Still, when Val spoke about her in such high regard, she believed she meant it. She believed her friend viewed her in this way. “I can survive losing Max, you know? You’re the one I couldn’t survive without.” She sat up too, pressing a kiss to her friends cheek.

location: Anchor Management w/ @ryxbaby​ Cass felt like she was stuck between two emotions: rage and sorrow. She knew how easy it could have been for her to ream her team a new one and demand a new sound engineer for whatever track they wanted her to crank out, but there was that part of her that didn’t want that at all. It’d been a while since she felt genuinely surprised, and who knew it could have come in the form of a 6′1 Sicilian man? One that she held far too much history with in both good and bad terms. Gently, she tapped the bar counter to alert the bartender that she was ready for a refill. She didn’t want to be the woman who was foolishly waiting for his call, but then again wasn’t that her fault for agreeing to exchange numbers with the man once again? “Why do it to yourself?” She murmured under her breath, before she hiccupped eyes widening slightly as she realized she had been heard by the woman beside her. She sheepishly looked down at her hands and couldn’t help but shrug. Two drinks in and she could feel herself opening up like a book, secrets amongst strangers was a thrilling thing wasn’t it? So she took the plunge and asked the woman, “Do you ever feel like the past is hard to get away from? And even though you know you have to do anything in your power to trudge forward, there are just some things that don’t apply to that narrative?” She sighed softly, feeling that familiar pang in her chest. She’d spent so many years wanting, needing, hell even praying for some type of closure. But was that possible for two flames that only set each other further ablaze? 

-

Harlow’s parents sent her to pick up dinner. She wondered if they forgot. She’d mentioned that Max worked at the restaurant. Perhaps her mother ordered from here on purpose - as a little jab. Everything had been a mess lately, even more so than the usual chaos. Ever since Mother’s Day, ever since her fight with her mom, tensions rose. She’d stopped coming around the house so frequently. She wasn’t asked to take her mother to as many appointments as usual. Now, standing at the bar waiting for the takeout order she had to worry about running into Max. So lost in her own thoughts she hadn’t realized who was beside her until the voice swept across her ears.

“Um.. yeah.” It somewhat felt like the other woman had read her mind. Like, the question applied to this exact moment, standing in the place in which her ex worked. Her eyes traced the familiar face. “Cassie, right?” Her lips pressed into a smile, though her eyes still held the truth to how she was feeling. “I’m.. I’m Harlow.” She laid her hand on her chest as she spoke. “I met you briefly a while back in Seattle.” She explained.

“But, I.. I know exactly what you mean. Like, no matter how hard you try you can’t simply ignore an entire part of your life. Sometimes it’s frustrating because it seems so easy for others.. to just pretend.” She sighed softly.

✦ *

she was thinking of any excuse not to sit with isabella. but it would be a lie to say that she didn’t want to spend time with her. she really missed her. more that she was now so close to home. having her back in the city felt like a gut wrenching heart ache that she couldn’t get rid of. it sucked so bad. because she was hurting so bad but she missed all the trouble they got into as children and teens.. her sister was such a crucial role as to the woman she became.. she was only prom queen and cheer captain in hopes her mother would call and tell her sister how well she was doing.. or maybe she’d catch glimpse of one of her mother’s many brag worthy facebook posts about how wonderful she was doing.. perks of being the youngest. then it became clear on holidays there was no hope in rebuilding that because it pained valentina to even look at her. 

part of her wanted to scream why. why would she just up and leave her? then she was alone to her own vices. now moreso than then. valentina’s vices had become a forefront in her life and she couldn’t really stop it and didn’t really want to. why stop feeling good.. she was sure her mother mentioned it to isabella. probably begging her to make it stop. while her father and brothers ignored the issue. blamed it all on her being young and wanting to have fun.

valentina didn’t reply to the comment about having a stick up her ass.. because it was true. there was for sure a stick and it felt like it was stuck in her heart. “okay.” she said as she sat down and looked out on their families legacy. isabella’s future legacy. she was the oldest. this was all going to her once she’s married.. she got to leave and still come back and reap the benefits. “hopefully she doesn’t accidentally put salt instead of sugar in them again..” she mused quietly thinking of the time when they were younger and her beloved cici made that mistake. 

-

Isabella, like most of the Casillas, was passionate, but often expressed herself in the wrong ways. She often projected or exploded about something that had nothing to do with why she was actually upset. Too much pride ran through her to ever admit to Val she fucked up by simply going with her parent’s plan, with not telling her younger sister why she was leaving. Even more so, she couldn’t admit to herself that the whole thing left her resentful. Times she wanted to scream at her mother blaming her for the ruined her relationship of the sisters. Instead, she fought with her mother about the little things - the branding on the bottles, how much she drank, her choice of tattoos.

She refrained from clinging to the hope that came with Val sitting with her. Like herself, Val was fickle - mood depending on the time of day. “She’s gotten much better.” She hummed softly, bringing her glass of wine to her lips. The spring air smelt crisp as breeze swept by. “I told Ma I’d get Max to give her lessons.” The woman wasn’t the best chef, but she was more like family. Isabella couldn’t stand the idea of the woman being let go simply because they’d all grown up. “I’m suppose to be the food snob not you.” She teased.

She kicked her feet up on the chair in front of her, tossing her long hair over the back of the one she leaned on. Her eyes turned to trace her sister again. “Want to tell me who gave you that hickey?” She pried again.