Chapter 71
DEMI
"Thank you for coming." Aunt says with a ghost of a smile. I am not ready to be around my aunt and cousin yet. My body language screams this fact. However, we might as well get it over with.
Kira sits across the center table in the small living room. Like mine, her legs are crossed and her back straight. She is looking at me but not contemptibly as usual. There’s a churning mix of shame and envy swimming in her eyes. Her mother nudges her to stop to staring fixedly at me.
"Demi, we apologize for our poor behavior at your in-law’s place. We agree that sometimes, we can come off as unloving and distant..."
"Distant? I think the word you’re looking for is hateful." Aunt gulps at my raw correction. Kira’s eyes dips to her hands where she is quietly pressing her artificial nails into her palms. She’s not happy to be in this position but it appears her hands are tied and she has to kiss my ass or they can forget about currying favors with my in-laws forever. That’s really their motivation for this fake apology meeting.
"Hateful." Aunt accepts my word choice. She wrings her hands with a bowed head. "I want you to understand that I don’t hate you. I don’t wish you harm. You are my sister’s child after all. I could never wish for your death."
"But you can wish for my downfall, my divorce, my disgrace?"
"Demi..."
"I’m not quite finished, aunt Elizabeth!" I fire at her.
Kira’s downcast eyes flutter towards me. There’s ticking bomb behind them. I am waiting for her to break character and say one wrong thing to me so my exit from their house will be justified. However, aunt reaches for her daughter’s hand and squeezes it to remind her to stay calm.
"I have endured so much under your roof and I was fine with it. You and my mom weren’t very close. You never sent me any cards for my birthday, no gifts or even calls. I know mother did those things for Kira here even though you never properly acknowledged them. From a young age, I suspected my only aunt might not be a very friendly person but my mom defended you and constantly tried to change my mind about you. She was wrong about you and I was right." I shake my head at her.