Kick The Dust Up (Emison)

Chapter 5

I frown, "prodigal what?"

"Daughter. Bible. The long lost son returning home?"

I stare at her, not sure of what to say which earns me a short laugh. "I heard that about your Mom. Gave up God and family."

My blood instantly heats up and I lean forward angrily. Nobody talks bad about Mom.

"I heard you were all crazy. And guess what hot shot? It couldn't possibly be more true."

"Why? Because Sophia's enjoying her life?"

"Because she plays make-believe in a coffin and all of you are totally okay with it!"

"Better than screaming like a two-year-old and puking your damned guts out."

I was wrong. She's not hot or sexy or gorgeous. She's evil. Pure evil. And I hate her.

"It's sick. This whole thing is sick. You people are absolutely insane!" 

She stands up now, "you need to leave. You want to see Aric? Wait for him to spend all of his fucking money so he can visit you this summer. This party is for Sophia and the people who care for her. You don't belong here."

The door opens and Aric and Sophia walk in. Aric had been smiling but it drops once his gaze flickers between me and Satan. Aric's mouth forms into a hard line, "is there a problem, Em?"

Her name is almost as stupid and pathetic as she is. Em flashes a quick grin and I'm overwhelmed with the urge to slap her right across her pretty-boy face. "Nope."

Aric relaxes his jaw and smiles softly, "are you okay?"

Embarrassed? Yes.

Mortified? Definitely.

Okay? Not at all.

"Yeah."

"I need to speak with my granddaughter, Emily." Sophia pats Em's arm. Or Emily. Is her full name Emily?

Emily envelops Sophia in a bear hug and glances at me over her shoulder, mouthing to me, "leave."

I stick my tongue out at her in annoyance and once she leaves I can safely say that I have never been happier to see someone leave.

Despite their hotness.

Sophia takes a seat into the chair Emily previously sat on across from me, pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from her jeans and lights one up.

"I have cancer and the doctors aren't very hopeful."

My eyes swipe a glance at Aric who is watching me while leaning his back against the wall. Suddenly I feel like a fish trapped in a tiny little fish bowl.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Sophia says with a wave of her hand. "I have fought a good fight and lived a great life despite not spending it with a person I have yearned to spend it with since the day she was born-" "Mom." Aric glares at Sophia and I frown in confusion, looking over at her.

Sophia looks up at him and sighs, "God calls us all home at some point, right?" She blows out the smoke and I swallow the cough tickling my throat.

"These things...funeral homes, that is. They're expensive." She pauses and it's an uncomfortable pause, too. She props her elbow on the desk, and I'm strangely fascinated in the way she holds her forearm up with the cigarette dangling from her fingers.

"Okay," I say with an emphasis, hoping to propel her to continue the conversation.

She gives me a smile and my heart stops in my chest. She nails Aric's smile at me and I notice her blue eyes...my eyes. Sophia is gorgeous and she doesn't seem old enough to be a grandmother and have a granddaughter my age.