Chapter 1
-- Ali's POV --
'Just... don't move. I want to try something.'
He moved in closer. Bella's breathing was uneven as his lips came closer to hers. They both closed their eyes at the same time and...
The sound of someone banging loudly on the door brought me out of my trance and I turned towards the door in surprise. Then I realised what I'd done.
"No!" I cried, as I turned around and they'd already kissed.
The banging continued. "Get that, will you?" asked Gina lazily, as she lounged on the other sofa, her eyes glued to her phone.
"Fine," I grumbled, placing the bowl of popcorn on the table and jogging to the door. As soon as I opened it, somebody jumped on me, wrapping her arms around my neck and sobbing in my shoulder. I stumbled back, surprised.
I cast Gina a look and saw she'd looked up. Her expression mirrored mine: shock.
"Uh, Summer? What are you...?" I trailed off, patting her back awkwardly. She just wailed louder, clinging tighter to me, clearly unable to talk.
My face scrunched up in disgust as she blew her nose in my shirt.
"What happened, Sum?" asked Gina anxiously, casting her phone aside and joining us at the door. "Summer?"
When she finally pulled away, I gasped.
Her bloodshot eyes stared back at me hopelessly. I was surprised to see her usually lushious brunette hair looking lank and dirty. Fresh tears crawled down her cheeks, past her quivering lip, and dripped to the floor.
"I-It's Dennis!" she spluttered, sobbing again. Gina took her with open arms, soothing her while I stood awkwardly.
"I'll, er, make you some tea?" I asked more than stated. I walked over to the door to close it and then froze open seeing what was outside. A pink suitcase.
A pink suitcase!
"Shit," I swore under my breath, thinking how stupid I was to not see this coming. "You're... staying, Summer?"
"Yeah," she mumbled, pulling away from Gina to look at me with her big blue eyes. "Is that okay?"
She hadn't spoken to me for a year and now she wants my help? After calling me a bitch, she thinks I'm just going to let her stay? No... No way. Nope, she is not walking all over me again. I can stand up for myself! Yeah, I'll tell her!
But then I realised how horrible I sounded. Yes, my sister had been a bitch to me ever since childhood... but we're sisters. I couldn't just abandon her...
"Sure," I sighed, grabbing the suitcase and picking it up. Well, attempting to. "Oh my God!" I wheezed, trying again and dragging it inside. "What the hell is in here? It weighs a ton!"
"Everything I need!" she sniffed, wiping her eyes. Her mascara was smeared even more.
"Right..." I grumbled, slamming the door behind me. "What happened?"
It took Summer an awful long time to finally spit it out.
"He... he was cheating on me!" she wailed, refusing to drink the mug of tea I handed to her. "No thanks," she added, looking at me.
"With who?" gasped Gina.
"Shelly!" she said. "That... co-worker! S-she w-works with him..."
"What does Dennis do, by the way? You've never said," I said.
Gina shot me a look. "Is that all you care about?!"
"Sorry," I muttered, blushing.
"S-something to do... with advertising," she said vaguely, still stuttering over the occasional sobs, though not as hysterical as before.
"What happened, then?" Gina breathed.
"W-well... I caught them at it!" she cried, shaking her head in disgust. "I was s-so angry! Punched him in the f-face!"
I snorted. "Nice."
She couldn't help but grin. "Yeah," she wiped her eyes again, "Well, he kicked me out and -"
"Hold it," I said abruptly. "He cheats, and you get kicked out? Seriously?!"
She bit her lip. "Well... it was his apartment and -"
"No way!" I growled, furious. "He's not getting away with that!"
"No!" she said, grabbing my arm as I stood up. "Don't... please! I didn't want to stay anyway. He's scum, I... I love him but... he's scum."
I sighed angrily, but obeyed.
Summer continued, but I kind of fazed out after a while.
When she finished, I looked up. "Woah. Look at the time. We'd better make some sort of bed for you on the couch..."
I trailed off. She glared at me, breathing heavily. "What?" she hissed.
I knew I made a grave mistake. "Uh... it's just we don't have that much space! You understand, right?"
"After what I've been through, you're making me sleep on the couch?!" she screeched. I flinched at her tone but didn't fail to notice her fists clench.
"No!" I backtracked immediately, shaking my head vigorously. "I meant... I will sleep on the couch. You take my room."
She calm down and smiled. "Thanks," she said sweetly, and followed Gina out of the living-room to my beloved bedroom.
I heard her cackle from inside there. Great... so she'd seen my teddy bear then.
**
After putting Summer to bed, Gina came out, looking flustered. I had already nicked a few pillows from her room and created a bed for myself on the couch.
"Here," she said, passing me some sheets.
"Thanks," I said.
"Right... well I'd better be off to bed."
I frowned. "Lucky you... with your comfy bed... while I'm stuck with this."
"She's your sister!" she snapped. "You've got to be kind to her, especially now when she needs you the most!"
"Funny how she wasn't there when I got my heart broken by Ian," I remarked angrily.
She looked at me disapprovingly.
"Okay, okay!" I grunted, folding my arms across my chest. Gina was right, as always. "I'll be nice. It's just... she's never been there when I need her, has she?"
Gina bit her lip. "Okay," she admitted. "Summer hasn't. But that's because of that massive fight you had."
"Which was her fault," I added in a monotone.
"Let it go," she pleaded. "Summer needs you!"
"Right. Fine," I agreed reluctantly.
"Great!" she chirped, beaming at me. "Now, get some sleep, okay? You've got work in the morning."
"Oh no," I groaned, massaging my head. "Work! I forgot! What am I going to do with Summer?"
Gina shrugged. "She's got a job, right?"
"Wrong."
"Ali!" I heard Summer shout loudly. "Get me a glass of water, will you? I'm really thirsty!"
I glared at the door and then proceeded to the kitchen. Our kitchen was actually quite organised, since Gee was quite the clean-freak. I headed for the drawers on the right and pulled out a glass. I could still hear her barking out orders as I placed the glass under the tap and filled it up.
"I'm coming!" I yelled, failing to hide the annoyance. "This is going to be a long night."
And it was.
**
-- Summer's POV --
I felt my phone vibrate and grabbed it from the bedside table. It held a text from Dennis.
I want the rest of your stuff out by the morning. D.
Arsehole!
"Here," muttered Ali, who was standing in the doorway. "Now, I don't want any more interruptions, got it?"
"Oh!" I gasped, hastily hiding the phone. "Give it here," I ordered, holding out my hand. She passed me the plate of cookies.
I expected her to leave but she didn't. I felt the bed sink under her weight as she perched on the bed. Feeling uncomfortable, I glanced around the room, pretending she wasn't there.
A grin was trying to force its way onto my face when I saw her tattered teddy lying on the floor. She followed my gaze and quickly snatched it, hugging it close to her chest. An awkward silence filled the air.
I took in the room again, frowning slightly at how small it was. It consisted of only a single bed, which I was lying on, with a bedside table next to it. On the table was a lamp, which didn't work. Many posters of her favourite bands hung on the walls while discarded clothing lay scattered across the room, along with a few old books.
Her wardrobe stood next to the wall, closed tightly shut and there was a desk in the middle, clattered with papers which I didn't bother reading.
Ali finally broke the silence. "I'm sorry, you know."
"What?" I asked, taken aback.
"I'm... sorry. About Dennis."
My chest constricted at the sound of his name. Dennis... No, Summer, you two are over. You've got to accept it. But my eyes watered.
"I know we've had our differences," she carried on, "but I'm here for you, sis. I love you, okay?"
I smiled, ignoring the nagging voice at the back of my mind. "Thanks, Ali. It... means a lot to me."
She left without another word, closing the door behind her quietly. It was only then that the voice could fully take over.
After everything you've done to her, you've got the nerve to come back and do this?
I shook my head to try and clear my thoughts. What else could I do? I had nowhere else to go! And I couldn't tell Ali the truth... she'd hate me even more!
You're a cold-hearted bitch, Summer.
I couldn't argue. I was a bitch, but they just couldn't know that.