Page 100 of Condemned By Pain
“I swear, Pheny, I’m never going anywhere with your brother again. That man has no sense of shame.” Her cheeks are flushed by the time she finishes.
Mom laughs. “What did he do now?”
“Yesterday’s meeting lasted six hours. I don’t know what gets into that man during long meetings, but by the time they end, he—” She pauses, glances at me, then clears her throat. “Never mind. He’s just shameless. And at his age, for God’s sake, he has a nineteen-year-old daughter.”
Mom doubles over, laughing.
I chuckle quietly. “I bet she has no problem with her dad being a little romantic.”
Aunt chuckles, then grows serious. “Wen, will you tell me something honestly?”
I know what she’s about to ask. And I have no intention of answering honestly. But I nod anyway.
“Is there something going on between Avi and Zo?”
I arrange my features into a look of surprise.
“No. Where did that come from?”
She looks at Mom, then back at me. “You suggested marrying Zo to Avi. And when we asked Zo about it, he gave us a very strange answer.”
I know exactly what that strange answer was. I was hiding with Avi, listening to their interrogation of him.
I chuckle. “I was just kidding.”I was not.
She doesn’t buy it. Neither does Mom.
“You can tell us, you know,” Mom offers gently.
“I know. But there’s really nothing to tell.”
She opens her mouth, but I’m already on my feet.
“Oh, I forgot to call Eda. She had some important questions before her media interviews. I’ll be right back.”
They both nod, their eyes narrowing.
The moment I’m out of earshot, Aunt sotto voce, “There’s definitely something.”
I reach my room and dial Avi.
“I’m still not over that lament,” she whines the instant she picks up.
“Let me give you something else to cry about.” I chuckle. “Your mother and mine are thoroughly convinced there’s something going on between you and Zo.”
“Holy shit.”
I move toward the balcony glass door. “But they really seem okay with the idea. I don’t know why.”
“It doesn’t matter. Daddy will never be okay with it, and there’s no way Mom won’t tell him the moment she’s sure.”
I hum.
“Forget that. Tell me, what made you play that piece that’s now in every news highlight?”
“My happy love life,” I say with a dry chuckle.
She sighs. “I don’t know how you’re joking about it. If it were me, you know where I’d be.”
