WE SHOULD STOP NOW

PART 19 - PHOEBE

JOANIE

"When did you get this?" Phoebe says eyeing up my new laptop. I give out a small sigh as I flip the screen open, I was hoping she wouldn't notice.

"It's nothing." I mumble, a little embarrassed.

"Come on, for the last eighteen months I've been trying to get you to invest in a new one, did that old one finally pack out?" Phoebe smirks before taking a large sip of her Vodka Cranberry.

"Actually...Caleb gave it to me." I admit quietly and I know my face has just heated up with a huge blush across my cheeks.

"Why would Caleb just give you a laptop?" She says and I can sense her eyes burning on my skin, there's a bit of a stern tone to her voice that I don't like.

"He saw my prehistoric one that I was working off and had nothing short of a fit about it and insisted I had his old one." I admit sheepishly.

"This is not old. This is the latest model that I've just ordered for Sammy's business. In fact, I'm pretty sure this is even a higher spec. Why the fuck is it all scuffed up? Did you drop it?" Phoebe questions as she looks over the laptop more closely.

Jeez I wish she'd stop going on about this, I've already had enough arguments with Caleb over it.

I give out a big huff before looking at her, "No, OK. I only agreed to accept the laptop if it was 100% a second hand one of his, which he promised me it was. However I found out that all he'd done was to order a brand new one and scuffed up the lid with a dish brush to make it look old so i'd accept it. Stupid I know because I could tell as soon as I turned it on that it was brand new but as he'd marked it up there's no way it can get returned. Can we just get on with looking at my accounts now?" I say trying to change the subject, but Phoebe is like a dog with a bone when she gets started.

My sister folds her arms and sits back in her seat to eye me up whilst I stab my ice in Whiskey soda with my straw.

"Again, why did Caleb give you a laptop, Joanie?" Phoebe questions, the coldness to her voice is now starting to get my back up.

I put down my drink and looked her straight in the eye, "Because we're seeing each other. OK? Can you just drop this, it's not a big deal."

Which is a total lie, it's a huge fucking deal to me.

"Jesus Joanie! Caleb!? Really?" she snaps.

"What the fuck does that mean?" I snap back.

"There are more guys out there than the Maverick brothers you know. Do you ever wonder what life would've been like if they'd not moved in next door? I'll tell you...we'd have been perfectly fucking fine. Our lives don't have to revolve around theirs!"

I cross my arms and sit back in my chair mirroring my sister's shitty attitude and glare at her.

"What's this really about?" I hiss at her, because now I'm pissed.

"I'm just saying Joanie, I know you've not been dating much recently and you don't have to just settle..."

"I'm not fucking settling! I like him, I really really fucking like him, OK? Will you not ruin this for me?" I yell back at her.

"Jesus, keep your voice down will ya? Do you want the whole bar knowing your business?" Phoebe scowls.

"Why are you being like this?" I say now in a hushed whisper, but still full of venom. "I stupidly thought you'd be OK with this. You know what i've been through, you know how hard it is for me to trust people. He makes me happy, Phoeb's, so can you quit being such a judgemental bitch about this already?"