You Will Be Mine (Forever and Ever #7)(4)
“Is this the Oscars?” Conrad asked sarcastically.
I hit his shoulder playfully. “Shut up.”
Conrad looked at the paper again. “I’ll be there.”
“You will?” I asked.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Conrad asked.
Theo looked at the date and time. “Me too.”
I didn’t even ask them to come and they were planning on it. It meant a lot to me even if I didn’t say it. I wished Arsen had the same reaction. He spooked easily. I had to be patient with him but sometimes that was difficult.
“Did you tell your parents?” Conrad asked.
“Not yet,” I said. “I’ll call them.”
“Don’t expect Slade to show,” Theo said.
“I think he will,” I said. “He’s a jackass but I think he cares about me—a little.”
“Sometimes I’m not sure,” Conrad teased.
I turned back to my textbook and tried not to fall asleep because it was so boring.
“So, what’s the deal with this guy that was stalking you?” Conrad said.
“Stalking you?” The threat was in Theo’s voice.
“He wasn’t stalking me,” I said immediately.
“You needed me to pick you up because he was blocking your car,” Conrad said.
“It wasn’t like that,” I said. “He was just trying to talk to me.”
“Blocking your car?” Theo asked. “I think this guy needs an ass-kicking.”
I rolled my eyes. “Knock it off. He’s fine.”
“He left you alone then?” Conrad asked.
“We made up,” I said. “We’re fine now.”
“Is this guy your boyfriend?” Theo asked.
I’d never told anyone about Arsen before and I was tired of keeping him a secret. If he wanted to have a real relationship, we needed to act like we were in a real relationship. “Yes.”
Conrad’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”
“Why is that surprising? I’m a young and attractive woman. You two may think I’m ugly but other men don’t,” I said.
“Debatable,” Theo said.
“Who is this guy?” Conrad asked. “He goes here?”
Should I be honest about him? I wasn’t sure. “No, he doesn’t. He’s a few years older than me.”
“How many?” Theo asked.
I was getting really annoyed. “You guys are acting like really annoying and protective brothers.”
“Because we are,” Conrad snapped.
“I’m not related to either one of you,” I insisted.
“But we’re family,” Theo said. “If some guy is trying to get to you, he has to go through us.”
I rolled my eyes. “Seriously, knock it off. I can look after myself and I know he’s good enough for me. I know my value.”
“Is he coming to this art show?” Conrad asked.
Arsen said he wouldn’t but those were empty words. “Of course he is.”
“I’ll size him up then,” Conrad said.
I packed up my books. “If you guys are going to be stupid, I’ll study somewhere else.”
“Works for us,” Theo said. “Now it won’t stink.”
I stood up then glared at him. “You want to get beat up by another girl?”
Theo’s face went pale.
Conrad laughed.
I walked off with my head held high.
***
I called my mom after dinner. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, honey. How’s it going?”
“Good. How’s work?”
She sighed into the phone. “Too much to do in so little time.”
“I know how that is…”
“And then when I come home, your father expects a feast to be on the table. This week I told him to get off his ass and do it himself otherwise he’d starve.”
I laughed. “I have a feeling dinner has been pretty bland.”
“And burned,” she said. “Sometimes I wonder how he survived before I came along.”
“It’s called fast food.”
“If that’s true, your father’s health took a drastic turn for the better when he met me.”
“If I were you, I’d divorce him.”
“Maybe I will divorce him.” She said it loudly like she wanted my dad to hear. Then she chuckled. “So, what’s new with you?”
I felt my insides tingle before I spoke. “I actually wanted to tell you something.”
“You got your nails done?”
“Well, yeah. But that’s not what I wanted to say.”
My mom patiently waited for me to speak.
“One of my sculptures was nominated for an award. The ceremony is in a few months.”
There was a pause before my mom exploded. “Oh my god! Congratulations, baby. I’m so proud of you.”
“Yeah, I—”
“Ryan!”
I sighed when I realized I’d be ignored for the next few minutes.
“Our baby got an award for one of her sculptures!” Mom yelled.