Speechless: REWRITTEN

6. Azalea

Roscoe

I dreaded watching Gianna leave me alone in a room full of pricks. Although, I didn't anticipate she would stay. I know either my mother or Damien would banish her to the kitchen eventually. But I didn't say anything because then Gianna would refuse to come. In hindsight, that honestly was the best decision, but she seemed so excited to come, I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth.

"She's really good-looking, man," Damien notes, sitting back down in his seat on the small blue ottoman. "You're really not dating her?"

"No, of course not. We're..." What was I going to say? We're not right for each other? We're not on the same level of maturity? We already bicker like an old married couple without even being in a relationship? None of those options seem satisfactory, so I just finish with, "We're just friends."

"That sucks," Damien smiles, picking up a bottle of beer and taking a sip. "You know I would've slept with her already."

"Well, it's too bad you're already with Maddie."

"Maddie is the woman I come home to. She's not always the woman I sleep with."

"Didn't you say you were going to stop that shit?"

"Relax, Roscoe," he drawls. "I'm kidding. I look, but don't touch. If Maddie found out, she'd probably leave me. And I have a pretty good thing going with her. Haven't cheated in ten years."

"But you've been together for fifteen." I sigh, running a hand over my face. "It doesn't matter, I don't give a shit about your relationship with her. Don't look at Gianna like that, you weirdo."

"Sorry, you're probably territorial over her," he snorts. "It's fine, you're fairly attractive. You could land her if you tried."

"I don't want to 'land' her. I respect her more than that. If you knew what the definition of that is."

Damien has had a serious problem with his respect for women, and I completely blame it on how our parents raised us. The men of the family were raised to only keep our eyes on two things: the business and the family. And if we have to step on any toes to get it, then so be it. Basic human decency and moral high grounds were out the window, and the woman was useless once the kids are here. My parents are still married, but they rarely talk. I'm sure they've officially declared their marriage open.

"So...because you work around high schoolers all day, you've been subjected to the whole 'millennial' bullshit thing. I told you, this path would rot your brain."

"I'm perfectly happy in this career. I bet you couldn't say the same, taking bottles from your distillery every fucking night."

Damien laughs, and then stands to his feet, approaching me slowly. "Don't forget you're never too big for me to beat your ass."

"No," I shrug. "But I'll never be on your level. Now, back off."

I call Damien's bluff and he backs off of me, taking back his seat. Meanwhile, my cousin, Andrew, pipes up from the back of the room.

"So, if you two aren't dating, can I try her out?" Andrew laughs with the other dumbass cousins. "I bet I can make a wife out of her."

"Can you guys keep your fucking sexist comments to yourself for once?" I snap. "You can be assholes in private all you want, but leave me out of it."

"Aw, look at the little triggered snowflake," Damien laughs. "Calm down before you leak strawberry filling, little bitch."

I swear, my feet take me right to where my brother is, but as soon as I'm about to deck him, a small and timid voice floats into the room, stopping all activity. We turn to the doorway to see Maddie enter the room softly.