Ti Amo [Discontinued]

Seven

(TW: Panic attack)

"I'm going to cut your balls off," Charlie threatened. He had collapsed in a chair, gazing at her with the cool, angry eyes of someone who had not slept all night.

"Maia already said that," Evelyn replied, tapping her foot. "There's a queue."

"Why didn't you text someone? Have you got any idea as to what you could have done to my job?" Charlie fumed, directing what was clearly not the full force of his anger at Evelyn.

"Sorry," Evelyn told him, but they both knew she didn't mean it. "I had some bad news."

"Like what?" Maia asked, curled up next to her brother. She had her hands hidden in the sleeves of a jumper that was not hers, and Evelyn felt happy, almost content, when she looked at the other girl, but also desolate. She could not look Maia in the eyes.

"Doesn't matter." Evelyn's reply was curt, and Maia looked sad at her tone, but Evelyn forced herself to ignore it. Charlie looked at Evelyn, head tilted to the side, eyes narrowing in a way that she didn't like.

"Evelyn, can we talk in private?"

"Like where?"

"My room. Maia, is there anywhere you could fuck off to for a while?"

"Thanks, C. I'll call Erik, see if he's free." Maia sighed, annoyance piercing her voice, and stalked off, back straight, practically oozing a cocktail of negative emotions.

"She'll get over it," Charlie promised, watching her slam the door as she left. "Come with me."

Evelyn followed him as he stood up, walking through the house until they reached a room that she'd never been in, and she assumed it was Charlie's.

This room had posters and cutouts plastered all over the walls. They were mostly musicals, with posters for shows like Singin' in the Rain, Kinky Boots, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Annie, and a load of Disney movies. There was also a huge poster that caught her eye, which was stuck to the ceiling.

"That's Axl Rose," Evelyn whispered, a tone of awe in her voice. "He's so hot."

"I know, right?" Charlie agreed. "It's a shame he got old. Wait, no, that's mean."

"Why'd you bring me here?"

Charlie looked her up and down, almost as of sizing her up. Evelyn shrank under his glare; a sour taste filled her mouth.

"What's going on between you and my sister?"

Evelyn was taken aback. "I- what? There's nothing going on between us."

"Are you sure? Because it seems to me like there's something going on. You keep staring at her like she's your whole world, or something just as cringey."

"We're not dating," Evelyn insisted. "She's got her eye on some girl on the hockey team."

"Really?" Charlie looked surprised. "I thought she was with that guy that keeps coming over. Ollie, I think it was? I heard them fucking one time. And she's not with you?"

"Nope."

"Does she know that you like her?"

"She knows nothing, Jon Snow. Haven't said a word about it."

"You like my sister?"

"How observant."

"Don't be rude."

"Sorry." And she was, really, because she'd hurt him by being snappy, she'd hurt Maia by not telling her things, she'd hurt Miriam by leaving so soon, and this was all because she was in a bad mood because of Maia's crush.