Page 130 of Filthy Beautiful
I kept thinking about my brother, alone in his studio.
Did he ever get scared in there?
Shit, what a stupid question. If he wasn’t scared… he wouldn’t be in there all the time, right?
I reached for the remote and turned the movie down. Then I picked up my phone and texted him.
Me:Are you mad that Shay went in the studio?
I kept watching the movie, and after a while, he got back to me.
Cary:It’s okay CC.
Me:How long was she in there?
Cary:For a while. We talked.
I stared at his words, my heart beating a little too hard. I always felt uncomfortable butting into Cary’s personal stuff. Maybe because he’d made it so uncomfortable by being so private about everything.
I never asked him about girls.
I knew he liked them. I used to see him with lots of them. He had female friends. He had girlfriends.
But it had been years since he’d mentioned a girlfriend, and I’d definitely never seen him with one in the last few years.
Me:Did you screw around with her?
I typed that and hesitated, chickening out. But then I sent it quickly.
Cary:?
Cary:No.
Me:Why not?
Cary:Because she’s your friend.
Well, great. Didn’t that just make me feel wonderful.
And totally guilty about what I’d done withhisfriend.
I messaged Shayla, because I suddenly wasn’t so sure why I was mad at her at all. Just because she had the guts to let herself into my brother’s studio… when he never came out of it?
Maybe that was exactly what he needed? For people to stop accepting his terms, and push back a little?
He didn’t seem mad about it, either way.
Me:What happened last night with my brother?
I wasn’t really sure if what she’d done was a good thing or not… but last night, I’d seriously considered revoking her Lil Brat Society membership. Macking on my brother was totally against the rules.
Though I’d maybe give her a pass, what with all the blueberry port… and the vodka lemonade.
Ifshe didn’t actually touch him.
A few minutes later, she texted me back.
Shayla:Nothing. We talked music
