A War of Guns and Roses

Chapter 35

"Hey!" The speaker exclaimed.

"Hay is for horses." I snorted.

A chiming laugh echoed. "Oh, how I missed you!"

"Can't say the same about you." I teased.

"Oh, shut up!" she laughed it away.

"So how's it going, Eves?"

"All good, all good," she said happily. "Although I'm not going to forgive you for keeping the news of my brother's life away from me."

"Huh?" I asked, confusion seeping into my voice.

"His relationship with that online friend of yours, doofus," Eva laughed.

"Oh! Yeah...I'm really sorry, Eves. But to be honest, you can't hold me responsible. It was all Ivan. He made me promise and tortured me to keep it from you."

"Lies!" a voice shouted from the other side.

"Well, maybe the torturing part didn't really happen..." I conceded.

I could picture Eva shaking her head at me as she made that clicking sound with her tongue, that she always did when she disapproved of something.

"I thought better of you, El! I put my faith in you to be able to withstand the pain from my brother!" she exclaimed dramatically.

I heard Ivan scoff on the other line and mutter, "What kind of idiotic sisters do I have?"

"Oh, you love us," I chimed in.

I heard a screech and then a thud. "Ouch! Ouch! Gerrof me!" Ivan screamed.

I laughed as I pictured what had possibly happened. Eva would have kept the phone aside and given her brother that really evil smirk of hers, her eyes sparkling deliriously before jumping on him and strangling him half to death with a extremely loving -as she calls it-hug. And discerning by the sounds, I bet Ivan fell off the bed with that.

"So, what's up with you? How's your grandma?" Eva asked. I could hear Ivan muttering incoherently on the other line.

"She's really nice," I told her. "And she makes really good pasta. So it's all good."

Eva laughed. "Trust you to judge a person by what they serve you for food."

"Of course," I said, chucking along with her. "How's Aunt Louise doing?"

"Oh, mom's doing just fine! She's really happy now that we are back."

"You know, your mom should come live with us too. It's not like we are lacking in space or anything."

"I know. And that's what Ivan and I have been trying to convince her about. But you know her. She just won't listen," Eva sighed.

"Hm. Oh! How's your boyfriend doing?" I asked.

I could picture Eva's blush as she stammered. "He's not my boyfriend."

"What? What the heck is he waiting for?"

"Girls, girls. I'm still right here," Ivan groaned.

"Then get out," Eva said.

"You're becoming a bit too smart-mouthed for my liking," Ivan said and I imagined him narrowing his eyes at Eva.