The Swan Has Horns

28

"No." She managed to tug the sleeve loose, checking to see if any damage has been done that she might need to attend to, "not right now, and I'm not sure if I want to in the future." She only stared, tears still falling and collecting on the collar. It seemed like this sweater was going to be covered in her fluids. Tears, snot, and even a bit of spit was on it from all the thrashing, and crying she had been doing in it.

"Is it because I haven't said sorry? If I say sorry will you be friends with me again? Will you give me the time of day? Allow me to explain what exactly had happened for Sam and I to end up together? Will you, please." Should she really though? She felt eyes on her, felt the pressure of saying 'yes' as the eyes increased. It felt like her birthday all over again, where everyone bombarded her with demands of becoming friends with Emily again. Precious Emily, that could do no wrong. Precious Emily whose emotions needed to be catered to otherwise any and everyone else would be seen as a bad person. Poor ole precious Emily.

"She will not." deep red claw-like nails had stretched over her shoulder. Dragging her close to the body it belonged to, and tightly gripping it with enough strength to leave her winching, "can't you take a hint that you're not wanted, little girl?" A little funny considering Emily was turning twenty two soon, but that wasn't related to what was going on.

"Excuse me?" Typical reply to someone you've never met before, that suddenly barges their way into your conversation, "who even are you two." Her eyes flinted, curiosity filling them, but suspicion considering they were wearing bikinis in the cold. No normal human can stand the cold.

"Her sister in law of course!" Red nails beamed, that manicured hand reaching out for a handshake, "and who must you be? Someone important I hope." They were supposed to be coming down here to see the oh so special Leah that Antonio always talked about, the curiosity eating away at them considering he hadn't even talked so highly about Bella the way he does with her. It was also to gain some sense of leverage over the conversation that he apparently wanted to have with them, and they were more than happy to help, but only when they could have a look for themselves.

"Emily Young, her cousin." She still shook her hand though, chills rising over her skin as the nails lightly scratched the back of her hand, "you're going to marry Seth?" The boy was a little too young to have a finance nevertheless a wife.

"No I'm not going to marry Steve, I'm already married silly." She scoffed, and Leah didn't even have time to be bothered by the fact that she had gotten the name of her brother wrong, and even dissed him in a way that she knew would've hurt if he was around to begin with, "though I'm Jennifer."

"Isla." The woman next to Jennifer was a little more refined, choosing to instead hold on tightly to a sleeping child that she only could assume was Kyrie at this point, "I would say nice to meet you, but you seem to leave my sister in discomfort." She didn't shake her hand, sticking to the background, with both hands supporting the body of the child.

"If you're not marrying Seth, then who are you marrying?" Suspicion, these were the two women she had seen down by the beach before, those swimsuits they wore being a key reminder that they weren't anyone normal.

"Antonio," She felt a little stupid figuring it out now, but of course the two women claiming to be her sister would be connected to Antonio in a way, "your Isla and Jennifer." That nervousness from before becoming a little more intense than ever before. She hadn't planned on meeting them anytime soon, hadn't planned on letting them see her in such a state.

"He told you about us?" That smug smile, and hair flip should've told anyone that it was expected he would, they were his pride and joy so why wouldn't he talk about them so much, "good things I hope." She squeezed, applying just enough pressure onto Leah's shoulder to drag her behind Isla. A simple show of strength that shouldn't have gone unnoticed as it did.

"Well nice to meet you two." A bit annoyed, Emily did great with them. She had never personally met Antonio, but her cousins spoke very good things about him, "do you mind if I finish speaking to Leah-"

"Oh, no Darling, we need her right now. You know sister bonding time, haven't had the chance to do that yet, you can go though." Both women seemed to be staring holes into the other, Jennifer's blue eyes clashing with Emily's brown ones, "try again next time." That curve of her lips had held something deeper than pleasure. Mischievousness and evilness lurking behind those baby blues.

"Well then, I just need to grab my bag." But she wasn't going to give up, Leah needed to see that this entire thing wasn't her fault, falling for Sam wasn't the plan and she resisted him for as long as she could before she couldn't anymore. She didn't mean harm to her, but life goes on, and it was time to move on.

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Isla, and Jennifer had went out and met Leah.