Handled

Chapter Thirteen

I rolled my eyes, continuing to click through the channels on the TV, desperately trying to ignore my Mother's nagging from the kitchen. 

"Are you listening to me?" she snapped from in front of me, forcing me to flinch as she tried to swat me with the small hand towel that was draped over her shoulder. 

I tried not to whine, but damnit she was bothering me. 

"Yes! I'm listening Mom! You almost hit me in the face!" I hissed at her, trying to shuffle out of her reach. 

She stood ready for battle, her jean covered legs apart, her hands on her hips, and annoyance on her face that looked so much like my own. 

She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail, her warm caramel skin absent of wrinkles even though she was definitely old enough to have some. The streak of grey by her temple the only sign of age, as she leered over top of me. 

"What did I say then?" she snapped. 

Fuck. 

I blinked slowly, trying to buy me some time, "obviously that you love me, but I'm ... too ... come on! You know I wasn't listening which is why you tried to hit me! Why are you testing me?!" I cried out, rolling just out of reach for her towel not to slap me again. 

"I asked you to call your cousin! We are just about to eat and Raina is still not here" she sassed. 

I tried not to roll my eyes at her as I fished my phone out of my pocket, reluctantly opening my contacts. 

"Why are we questioning what the universe is clearly doing? Giving me a break" I sighed, as she continued to glare me down. 

I shrunk further into the couch, trying to not make eye contact with her. 

Nicole Doxin was a forced to be reckoned with. As a bakery owner you'd expect someone to be as sweet as the goodies she makes, but no. Unfortunately, she and I were the two sides of the same coin, which means we screamed loud and fought hard. 

It was almost depressing to think I made people feel how she made me feel. 

Slightly frightened. 

But I respected the hell out of my Mother, always had and always will, especially with the bullshit we had to navigate together. 

I was an only child, which meant it had always been me and her, especially with the whole shitty Dad issue. 

I hated how sometimes I could still see the sadness in her eyes, she hadn't want my Dad to leave, but choices were made and lines were drawn and when it was all said and done he had left. 

"Don't talk about your cousin like that, she's in a very vulnerable state, and you need to comfort her especially since she's living with you" she snapped, while I tried not to roll my eyes. 

"I have been trying to be nice, much more than usual. But she's pushing me, and to be honest, I'm just going to say it, I don't want her to come. It's Raina's face all day, everyday all the time. And I'll also be the first to say, she's not pretty when she cries. She makes a horrible dying sound and fucking sniffles continuously. So excuse the hell out of me if I just want one night where I don't have to stare at her face or worry about where my car is, because she's stolen it" I sighed back. 

Already dodging the next few whips of a towel aimed for my face. 

Raina's mother came sweeping out behind my Mom, that calm smile on her face that neither me or my Mother could pull off. 

"Nicole, why are you trying to strangle your daughter with a hand towel?" she laughed lightly, her long skirts brushing beautifully as she danced around. Her face nearly identical to my Mother's, except for the thinner lips and rounder face, they could nearly be twins.