Page 124 of The Spare

Lol! -Mase

I. Do. Not. Whine. -Henny

Yes you do. Fucking liar. -Mase

I am trying to run a fucking empire here! See how much patience you have when you head almost four hundred thousand employees and bear the responsibility I do. -Hendrix

Awww, don't do that. Don't change your name because you're mad. We're sorry. -Teresa

Pft. Speak for yourself. And by the way, in case I never told you before, I am NOT sorry for you. -Mase

Gee, Mase. Thanks. -Hendrix

Tee, can you please come get Isobel for a night? I'm so fucking tired I can't think straight. -Henny

Oh so you're 'Henny" for Tee,hm? -Mase

Sure, I'll come get her at 2p for a girls night. Mase, stop being a jerk. Jerk.-Tee

Sure, but can you please get Melody too? It'd be good for her to get out of the house. -Mase

Doesn't she have school? -Henny

Yeaaa….about that…-Mase

What do you mean "about that?" -Henny

We'll be by tomorrow to discuss it. -Mase

Okay. See you. -Henny

Peace. -Mase

Bye bye. -Tee

Chapter thirty-eight

What Do You Mean?

"What the hell do you mean, Melody?" Isobel snaps, shifting her weight in the seat at the dining room table. She smoothes her hand down the sleeve of her tan, cashmere sweater, playing with the tank watch Hendrix gifted her for their first anniversary before throwing an irritated look to Mason, then bringing her gaze back to mine."You can't just quit school-"

"Yes I can!"I snap, slapping my handon the table.

"Respecfully, Isobel, that's not your decision to make!" Mason backs me up, tossing back the rest of his whiskey.

I can't blame him, really. I love her, but Isobel's been more insufferable lately, and it's draining.

Even after an evening and night of pampering she still has that stick up her ass.

"Look, sis," I say, leaning forward and taking her hand in mine. "I love you, okay? You know I do. And I know you've been more like a mother to me than a sister for my whole life, but I need you to be my sister now.Please?"

Isobel presses her lips together and squirms uncomfortably, throwing a look to Hendrix, but he ignores her, his eyes keeping mine while he takes a deep breath with his arms folded over his chest as he takes a second to respond. Moreso soaking in the information than reacting to it.

"Isobel," Hendrix says quietly, turning his face to hers. A blossom of hope erupts in my chest at him siding with me, and I almost can't believe it. "It's time to take a backseat, little demon. They've got it."

Her mouth gapes open."What?"

"You heard me. We have our own kids to raise, Izzy. And besides, they need to bump their heads a little, make their own choices. I think it's time we just chill out for a bit. Because how we've been handling it is obviously not working." He arches a brow, turning to look at me. "I believe you can find your own way, Mel, and I'm sorry if we got in the way of that. We were wrong. You know that we'll always be here to support you though. Both of you. No matter what."