A Perfect Love Story - Book 9

After Dinner Talk

STEF POV

This dinner was enough to make me lose my shit as I grab my lighter and smokes off the nightstand of my room and head to the back porch. The last thing I wanted to do was talk to my asshole brother as I see him light a smoke too, and he turns to look at me, frowning. Shaking his head and letting out a laugh it does nothing but piss me off as I light my own smoke and glare hard at him.

"Something funny, T?"

"Not at all. Especially considering I have you smoking, and here I am, too, even though I haven't smoked in weeks. I mean what are the odds?"

"HA! So what, that's my fault?" I ask as he laughs again, and I roll my eyes for the third time at him. "What did you come for if you were gonna be a complete ass, Taylor? Just to be an ass or say you were to me?" I grill as he turns to look at me, glaring hard, his hazel eyes dark with anger which wasn't new.

"I came to eat with Dad like I always do. Every Sunday, Stefanie. You just happened to be here with your family at the same time."

"Oh I just happened to be here with my family? We have the same family in case you forgot or somehow it slipped your mind. Flew away-"

"Oh really? We are a family now? Could have fooled me!" he scoffs puffing his smoke as I feel like I am ready to deck his arrogant ass.

"Now I remember why you and I didn't get along and why we had it out at Francis' funeral. You're not interested in making up with me or even getting to know me. You just wanna show me that you're still pissed at me, and for what? Putting bugs in your bed? Ratting you out as a kid? Oh wait, being gay?"

"I don't give a shit that you're gay. Let's get that straight."

"Oh, now you don't? Ha! But when you stood up to testify against me in court saying I was a bad influence on my daughter because I was a homo, you had a problem? Now that's vanished? This is news to me!" I interrogate as he shakes his head at me not saying a word while continuing to puff his smoke. He won't even look at me now, and it makes me want to smack the absolute fuck out of him.

"That was ages ago, Stefanie. You're the one still stuck on it."

"You never apologized to me, Taylor. That shit hurt," I say as he looks at me now.

"You're a tough woman, Stef. You were a tough kid, too. You don't need my apology. You got through it. You've reconciled with everyone else. It's fine. Besides you could have reached out if you wanted to make up that bad," he laughs softly now as I glare even harder.

"Ha! Wow! I love how you have it ALLLLL figured out! First of all, I haven't seen all of our brothers yet, but you're the first to be a dick which shouldn't fucking surprise me. Secondly, I love how you put it on me, big brother. You didn't really make it um, comfortable or as if you wanted to hear anything I had to say. You damn sure didn't at the funeral, pretending I didn't exist or that my daughter didn't. Ohhhhh! And another thing! Laura speaks for you now? She's the one trying to smooth things over at that funeral, NOT FUCKING YOU!!!!!" I am shaking now as I step towards him.

"I have nothing against your daughter, Stefanie. And I could say the same for you. You never asked about your nephew. Any of your nieces or nephews. Yet you get all pissed that we didn't ask about yours. AND I never told Laura to speak for me! Get it right!"

"I DIDN'T say I was pissed that you didn't ask! I said you ignored my daughter at the funeral. And I am getting IT RIGHT! Laura has to smooth things over cuz you're a flat out ASS!!!!!"

"She wasn't even your daughter then! SHOOT ME! Oh wait, was she? I don't keep track of your life. You just keep doing what you're doing, and I will keep doing what I'm doing. Next time you come to Albany you can handle Dad. You know, being you're his only daughter that he talks about all the time. His big shot police officer daughter that can't do wrong," he spits out now stomping out his smoke as he turns to go inside but I get in his way.