Vicious Romance

Chapter 29

"Mumma, she's fine," I explain for the thousandth time, pinching the area between my brows.

I half-listen to her response, paying attention to Jaya, and what she's cooking. The aroma of her food fills the air, and I feel like I'm floating in heaven.

Then I think of Noah.

While mum is ranting about how much of a poor influence I am, and how Jaya running away was MY fault, I open the 53 unread texts from Noah.

I'm sorry, love

I won't do it again- I pinky promise. It happened out of habit and I PROMISE that I will fix that

You do realize that I'm not leaving this doorstep until you answer... I'll sleep over if I have to

I'm sorry I screwed up on our first day

Let me make it up to you

Pleaseeeeee <3

Scrolling through them, I almost feel bad for leaving him out there. Perhaps I'm overreacting... but I can guarantee that he was flirting with my sister. And she was flirting back.

But she was 17, and I loved the little devil with all my heart, no matter how horrendous she was. So ultimately, I forgave her. She is my sister, after all.

But Noah. He's a grown man, and... I don't know. It's not as easy to let go.

I manage to heave out a sigh before mum calls my name through the phone. I readjust the phone to my ear.

"Yes, mum?" I ask blandly, already know what she's going to say.

"Promise your life on me that you will take care of Jaya. The second half of her senior year is coming, and I need her to focus to keep her grades up," she scolds in one breath. But it doesn't stop there. "And keep her out of your FBI stuff, okay? She doesn't need these distractions right now," she tries to explain calmly.

"I will, I promise," I confirm, and finally, after a thirty-minute rant, she hangs up, and I let out a groan of relief.

"Mom gave you the whole talk, huh?" Jaya laughs from the kitchen, sautéing something in a pan.

I push myself off the couch, walking to the kitchen stools.

"You bet she did. It was YOU who ran away, yet I was the one that got the talk," I complain, rolling my eyes, and plopping myself on a stool.

It was always like this. Jaya did something stupid, yet I got the blame. Why did I have to be the least favorite child in the family? I had many desirable qualities, did I not?

"Perks of being the family favorite," she chirps, widening her smile.

I groan in annoyance, cursing at myself for not having the sort of charm that younger siblings had. What was it with them? Was it because they were so small and vulnerable? It was something I never understood, or will ever understand because I gave up on trying to be the perfect daughter a long time ago.

It was not worth my energy.

But again, here I am- trying to figure out how to please my parents.

"What are you making?" I ask in curiosity, changing the topic and looking at the pan that she was currently working with.

Using the spatula, she flips and stirs the ingredients in the pan, grinning.

"Stir-fried vegetables and tofu," she smiles. When I scowl and scrunch my nose, she continues. "You need the nutrients, you're a boom-boom girl, fighting crime and all that. You need energy for that. And where will you get that from? Vegetables," she says, answering her question, trying to knock some sense into me.