The Daughter of the Gangleader •UNDER EDITION•

a dance on thorns,

"What did I miss?"

Hmmm....

Lemme think....

During the time Duke was coming, my brother used me and AJ as a personal ladder to reach the chandeliers and ceiling lights in the whole house, to shatter them into pieces we unfortunately failed to protect our arms from.

The house is out for sale. Unfortunately, since so much happened, buyers are a scarcity. We were at the apartment when he was given the call that told him he has to go lower than his initial two million. By that point he only wanted to get rid off it, he was frustrated, and I told him to put it to good use, go out with a blast since, a, there's no reason that should be his last memory of the house he grew up in, and b, karma worked a little too slow.

"Mind if I steal her away for a while?" Avery walks into the room Duke and I were finishing off.

"See ya," Duke leaves with a wave, closing the door on his way out, his absence forcing me to focus on Avery. I take him in, trying to find a shift in his tone, on his face, his posture, desperately searching for a hint to know what I should prepare for.

Nothing.

I swallow and sit down crosslegged on the floor, his movements when he does the same graceful unlike mine.

"I figured if I'm gonna take your brother's virginity, I should probably buy him dinner first."

....

Click.

I only close my mouth when the rising saliva levels threaten to flood over.

He lets out a laugh.

Wow....

He decided to join in on the fun, great. "Well, not a dinner per se, but a date of some sorts."

"You wanna take my brother out on a date?"

My brain is mush.

Not the good kind.

He slowly nods, then unbraids his hands from each other to lean back on them.

"I've thought about it for a while, found today to be a good day."

"Today?"

Nods again. "After this morning?"

And again. "While we're decorating the house?"