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" i ask myself what am i doing here? "
NEEDED ME * HERE • ALESSIA CARA
"Come on," my sister whined.
"No."
That was the fifteenth no tonight, and she still wasn't off my ass. Iva was determined to drag me to some afterparty for one of her clients - another talentless pop brat with more money than personality.
"Please, Dominick, pleaaase."
I drew another clean line across my sketchbook. "Why are you so desperate for this? I said I'm not going."
She reached for the book, and I caught her wrist before she could touch the page. I'd had this design circling my head for three days - a dress like liquid mercury - and I was finally putting it on paper. That's what I wanted to do with my Friday night. Not stand in some neon cesspit pretending to care about bottle service and bad music.
"Let's go," she snapped, shaking off my hand.
I looked up at her. "Why do you want me to go so badly, Iva?"
"Because you're depressing as hell!" She threw her arms out. "You sit in this grey office drawing party dresses like you even go to parties."
My gaze met hers, flat and unimpressed. "You're such a bad liar."
She inhaled sharply - the warning breath before a meltdown.
Here we fucking go.
"You're twenty-nine, Dominick!" she burst out. "You have no friends, no relationships, no social life, and no basic social skills! It's disturbing!"
I set the pencil down. "First of all, plenty of people consider me their friend. I just don't return the sentiment."
"Killian, Nikolai, and Ludmil don't count!"
I dragged a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly so I wouldn't break something. "Listen-"
"No, you listen." She stomped a heel like a furious ballerina. "I'm looking out for you. Do you know how hard it is being your sister? I get scolded by our parents for your lack of engagement like I can control your goddamn emotions! Do you know how exhausting that is?"
Tears welled up. Shit.
The guilt hit immediately. Our parents were ruthless with her - I'd always known that. I stood, wrapped an arm around her. "I'm sorry."
She sniffed. "No, you're not."
"I am," I said quietly.
She looked up, eyes wide and manipulative. "Then come to the club with me?"
