Rose Tinted Reality - A Succession Story

Family Ties

As soon as the door to the apartment shuts and the lock clicks, Juniper lets out a frustrated cry and tosses her jacket onto the couch.

"I never want to see any of them ever again!" she shouts, breaking for the kitchen where she tears open the fridge. Piper is over in a flash, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder and taking control of the fridge door.

"Deep breaths, Junebug," Piper says. "And careful with the fridge, alright? What do you want?"

Juniper takes a step back, arms crossed as she scowls into the sparsely populated fridge. "You don't have any coke?"

"I don't drink that shit," Piper says, reaching in and taking out a half gallon of orange juice and pours Juniper a glass. While handing it off to her, she adds: "but you can put that on the grocery list for next week and I'll get you some."

"Thanks."

Juniper's words of gratitude are cold, and Piper can't blame her. The night has been rough on both of them, though Piper can't imagine how much worse the ordeal had been for Juniper.

"You won't have to see Logan again," Piper promises, unsure if it's a promise she can keep. It's one she'll try to keep, at least.

"And the rest of them?"

"You liked Sophie," Piper says softly, guilt threatening to keep the words from ever leaving her mouth. It's a dirty trick to bring up Sophie. Juniper scowls, her soft features knotting into a conflicted grimace.

"Yeah, well, she was bearable," she says, though Piper can tell she's relented at least partially on the subject. "I don't ever want to be in the same room as Logan, though. I mean it."

"I'll do my best to keep you two away. Next time there's an event, you don't have to come with. Deal?"

Juniper glowers up from her cup of orange juice. There's a moment where Piper fears that she'll decline, but she eventually does nod.

"Alright. I guess I'll be seeing Roman again no matter what event I avoid," she says, taking a seat at the kitchen island. She nurses her drink, taking tiny, bored sips as Piper struggles to find an appropriate answer.

"Yeah, you'll probably see him again. I mean, I'd like to have the three of us spend time together," Piper explains, gesturing as she speaks.

"Oh, yeah, well he seemed pretty uninterested in me and I am not very interested in him," Juniper retorts, to which Piper feels herself physically wince. Memories of the ride over to Thanksgiving hit her, with Roman sitting up front and the two girls in the back of the car. She had tried to introduce the two, but once it was clear Juniper wanted nothing to do with Roman, he wanted nothing to do with her. It's something she'll have to talk to him about, though she knows that two will have to meet each other halfway if they were ever going to get along.

"I'll talk to him, and he'll be nicer."

"Doubt it," Juniper shoots back, and Piper feels herself floundering. What would Mom do, had she been dating someone Juniper didn't like? Nothing good.

"Well, I think you underestimate what kind of hold I have on him," she tries, flashing her best smile. Juniper's cold scowl starts to melt and she has to hide her smirk behind a sip of orange juice.

"Really?" Juniper says, disbelieving. "My sister, Piper Wallace has some magical hold over a billionaire?"

"I don't think he's quite there yet-"

"He will be." Juniper is blunt, straightening her back and staring at Piper with a keen gaze in her dark brown eyes. "You know, for the record, I still think we should eat the rich. If your boyfriend or any of his family members die, I will not be crying."