The Art of Falling Apart (It Girls Series #3)

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Eli

"Hey," I nod at my sister who just stepped inside the kitchen. She eyes me with a frown, "What?"

Look at this imp. All I said was hey and she's acting all fucking irritated. On a normal day, I would irritate the hell out of her even more, but I have a real serious question to ask.

"What, are you gonna talk or stare at me the whole day looking like that?" She raises a brow, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Looking like what?"

"Like..." she pauses, eyeing me from head to toe, "Yikes." She sneers.

Oh my God. If this dummy ends up in an orphanage, consider me responsible for that.

"Very funny, Gabrielle..." I sarcastically say. This yikes has a lot of beautiful admirers. What the fuck is wrong with her eyes? She can't appreciate the gorgeousness of her own brother, her own flesh!

She laughs, a satisfied one. "So, is there something that you want to say?"

I nod. "Actually, yeah."

"What is it?"

I smile. "Fuck off."

She made a face as she created a letter 'L', putting it in front of her forehead.

"So what are you going to ask? It seems like you have a question." She finally says after getting a bottle of mineral water in the fridge. She pulls a chair to sit in front of me.

Tapping my fingers on the table, I shrug. "Just about Mirae."

"Eli, I swear to God!" I immediately look up to her when I heard her voice, screaming caution and warning.

"What? I wasn't even asking anything!"

She shake her head, glaring at me. "I'm not helping you to get under her pants. She's too good for that and you do not deserve her so shoo! She's off limits. Go find another woman you can play with. Women who are willing." She says, widening her eyes at me as she slams her fist on the table.

My mouth drop as I look at her ridiculously. "That's not the reason why! And Goddammit, I'm offended. You always think the worst of me. You won't even let me finish saying what I have to ask about her!" I say, narrowing my eyes at her.

She sighs, looking quite guilty. "Fine. What is it?"

I shake my head. "Nevermind," I say, raising up from my seat.

"Eli, what the hell?" She whines, sounding so pissed off. I grin as I make my way to the exit of the kitchen. I can feel her eyes following me.

"Say it! Don't let me think about your possible question in the middle of the night!" She yells. I didn't face her, I keep on walking until I reach the threshold.

"Oh, I will. Have fun with your insomnia ," I casually say, raising a hand in the air before totally exiting. I hear her groan.

Sorry, I always have the last laugh.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Ah, Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior!" I scream, clutching my own pounding chest.  I felt my own spirit jumping through my own skin when my mushroom of a brother suddenly showed up right in front of my face.

A low chuckle rises from his throat. "Damn. You good?" He asks with a teasing grin plastered on his lips.

I haven't seen him in a week because he's been busy working with our Dad.

That's the disadvantage of being the first born. You get to graduate first, you get to suffer first, you get to marry first, and you get to fucking die first.

I exhale a harsh breath and rolling my eyeballs I say, "Is Colton and Phil already here?"

The boys and I are going to go out for a drink. Phil and Colton, they're my cousins and they are at the same age as my brother— Kiel but I get to tag along with them since I'm cool like that.

Kiel nods. "They're already pulled up outside. Let's go," he stops midsentence as his brows draw together. "Wait. Aren't you grounded?" He asks, giving emphasis to the word like it's the most ridiculous thing that he's ever heard. And I agree with him, I must confess.

I shake my head. "No. She must have forgotten."

He nods, totally getting me. "Then we should go before she remembers."

Kiel and I both started walking to make our way out of the house and out of nowhere I say, "You know, it's not good to drink with an empty stomach."

I swear to God, I wanted to smack myself the second I said that.

That's just one of my excuses.

I know me too well. I know where this is gonna go. And I know that this is not good.

Me making this kind of shitty excuse and the reason behind it will get me end up being in a catch 22 with a side dish of the seven great plagues in fucking Egypt.

"I already ate. And I'm sure Colton and Phil, too."

"Well, I haven't." I'm a liar.

"Then just order some in the bar. You know they serve some meals there."

"I don't want there. I got sick of their food." I reasoned out.

Kiel stops to look at me in the face. He looks quite pissed. "Then what do you fucking want? A kiddie meal from Jollibee?"

"That would be nice, too. But do you, by any chance, know this place called Cathy's? I heard they serve the best food there."

No. I haven't. I didn't even know that goddamn place existed until I saw Mirae's uniform. And what the fuck is wrong with me, honestly?

I am fully aware that me and the woman despise each other and yet I can't stop associating myself with her.

I hate her pride. I hate that she's so kind and nice to other people while she's not trying to hide the fact that she despises me. And yet here I am, forcibly aligning our paths to cross.

I am the problem. I knew it.

But I'm so curious about her.

When I'm done with my internal dilemma. I look at my brother and I notice that I catch him off guard.

"Cathy's? The diner?" He asks me suddenly after recovering from his own internal dilemma.

I shrug. "I guess."

He pushes his hands inside the pockets of his jeans and giving me a side glance he nods. "Yeah, I know that."

I smirk. Maybe that was the universe speaking.