I smirk and hold back my laugh. That was a good one. Cleaver girl.


    "Lead singer syndrome."


    Valentina rolls her eyes for the third time in like five minutes.


    "Bullshit. Anyway, I was going to say you don''t have to stress about not having a condom. I have an IUD. So no worries."


    At fuck. I hadn''t even thought about that. At least she''s prepared for random, unprotected sex. I already have Willow and one bitch of a baby mom. There would be no way I have another kid with another baby mom. I learned my mistake, picking psycho women to bear my children. No fucking way.


    "If you got pregnant I just would''ve paid for the abortion."


    Valentina friend and leaks forward as if she didn''t hear my properly.


    ~Valentina~


    "I''m sorry what? An abortion?"


    He said it as if it was nothing. As if it''s his body and his choice. Like it''s no big deal. Like it''s a pin prick. This has to be a cruel joke.


    "Yeah. I have Willow. I''m not sure I''m ready for another kid. I don''t even know if I want more kids at all. Willow is my baby, I love her to death."


    I sit still, shocked. Not sure I''m hearing right. I understand not wanting another kid but just going straight to abortion?


    "What about the other options?"


    "Look. If I have a kid, I''m going to take care of it, I''m going to be in their life, they''re going to know I''m their father. So just not seeing my kid wouldn''t be an option. And giving my kid up to be raised by two strangers? No."


    I stand up angry, just as Michael opens the door to tell us dinner''s ready. I glare at Ronnie, open my mouth, think, and close it. I storm past Michael into the house, not saying anything.


    ~Michael~


    When Val goes inside angry, I sigh and run a hand through my hair.


    "God damn it. It wasn''t even.. It was a hypothetical question."


    I sit in the chair next to Ronnie. These two fight like a fucking married couple. They irritate the fuck out of each other. Imagining them dating is impossible. It''d be hell.


    "What''d you do now?"


    Ronnie shakes his head, still staring at the door Val went through.


    "She''s literally mad over nothing!"


    I pat him on the shoulder.


    "She obviously didn''t feel that way."


    He throws his hands up in frustration.


    "I can''t talk to her about anything. Shit! Fucking emotional ass woman! Getting mad over fucking everything!"


    I hurry to change the subject. There''s a few things I want to know that only Ronnie can tell me.


    "I have a couple questions."


    "Are you going to angrily stomp away, cursing me out in your head, if I answer honestly?"


    "No.. But I might beat your ass depending on your answer."


    Ronnie relaxes back into the chair and looks at me.


    "Fucking better than whatever that damn woman does."


    I give him a look and he just admits defeat.


    ~Ronnie~


    "Do you like Val?"


    "Yeah, she''s great."


    Michael gives me a look that he''s serious. Damn. Why is everyone interrogating me tonight?


    "Mikey, come on."


    "You know what I mean. Answer the damn question."


    He folds his arms, showing that he''s not going to give up or drop it. I let out a dramatic sigh.


    "Fuck. I don''t know. Why does it matter?"


    Michael locks eyes with me and breathes out, frustrated.


    "Ronnie, you can''t use this girl. No, shut the fuck up and listen."


    I never even had the chance to defend myself. I opened my mouth and Mikey told me to shut up.


    "You cannot use her, Ronnie. Don''t use her neck as an excuse to keep her here and be your toy. You can''t just have your fun and then just drop her. She likes you. I know you two fucked last night. Don''t just use her for sex because she''s here. Don''t be an asshole like that. So do you like her? Are you serious about it?"


    Jesus Christ, you would think that I''m asking for her hand in marriage. It''s not that serious. Michael is only like this when it comes to Alva. Is this about all the shit from before Val moved here?


    "Whoa, Mikey. Chill the fuck out. She''s only been here for a week. When she leaves, she''ll forget all about us and continue on with her life. It is not that deep. Let''s go eat bro."


    Before Michael can say anything more I get up and open the sliding glass door. Fuck that conversation. Michael grits his teeth but lets the conversation. When we go in everyone seems to be waiting for us.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.~Valentina~


    Fucking Ronnie. He''s such a dick. When they come in, I don''t even look up. I go back to dishing up everyone''s plates. Max is looking at everything like he''s in heaven. When I sit my plate at the table, thinking I''d be sitting alone, I''m shocked when Michael, Alvanis and Max sit around me. The three look at Ronnie, who sighs and sits down farthest away from me. Max breaks the silence.


    "Where''d you learn how to cook like this?"


    I smile, thinking back to before my parents died.


    "My dad''s passion was cooking. When most guys were learning how to fix cars, my dad was in the kitchen helping. When I was little this was my favorite meal and he''d usually let me help make it."


    Alva shoves a forkful of food into her mouth and covers it with her hand as she talks.


    "What did your mom do?"


    "My mom was a part time nurse. Everyone loved her. She used to do it full time but when I was born, she told my dad that she didn''t want to miss out on me growing up. It was tough work you know. Family always came first to her."


    Ronnie speaks up from the end of the table.


    "How''d your parents die?"


    Everyone looks to him shocked. Ronnie continues eating, awkwardly.


    "Sorry..."


    "No that''s okay. My mom had cancer from a very young age. It came back when she found out she was pregnant. She would rather have had me healthy and enjoy the time she had, then risk losing me. She almost died at childbirth. When my mom passed, my dad was so sad. He kept his spirit up for me but I knew how much it hurt that he lost his one true love. A couple months later, he passed away in his sleep. Doctors said natural causes but I know it was from a broken heart."


    ~Michael~


    After Val is done, we all finish eating in silence. Val doesn''t eat much for this being her favorite, but I can understand why. When she''s done she gets up and starts clearing plates. I take my empty plate to the sink.


    "Val, you don''t have to do that."


    "But I cooked and made a mess."


    "Exactly why you don''t need to clean up."


    Max and Alvanis come up next to me with more dirty plates.


    "Yeah, we got this."


    Ronnie hands me the last of the plates. He turns to Alva, who rolls her eyes.


    "What?"


    "Where''d you put those bags so Val can have clothes and she doesn''t have to wear mine?"


    Valentina stands in the doorway, looking down at herself. Even with how thin Ronnie is, the jeans and t shirt she''s wearing, hangs dramatically off her body. She just shrugs.


    "Yeah, it''d be nice to have clothes that fit."


    We all laugh in agreement.


    "In the closet, in my room. All the bags are piled up in the back corner. She knows where."


    Valentina nods at Ronnie.


    "Thank you Chipmunk!"


    He hugs Alva and pats her head. She frowns in annoyance and the two disappear to go upstairs.


    "Can they just date already? He''s so annoying."


    I sigh and finish the dishes.


    "You know how Ronnie is, Alva."


    "Yeah but they''d be cute together."


    Max takes Alva''s hand.


    "Babe. All they do is fight and argue. Do you really want to deal with that?"


    "We''re just visiting."


    I hold my hand over my heart, fake offended and hurt.


    "You can''t do that to me! I''m your only brother! I''d kill myself, constantly being around that!"


    We all laugh.


    ~Ronnie~


    I follow Val upstairs to Alvanis'' room. She opens the closet and starts tossing bags at me.


    "These are all clean?"


    "Yeah. New from various ex''s of Michael''s."


    We carry about 7 bags back into my room to go through them. Val is pulling out short skirts and shirts made out of thin material. She holds up a practically see through, strapless dress that has slits up both sides. There''s a red lace underneath, basically holding the two sides together.


    "Oooh."


    I grab it from her and put it in the bag of clothes that are either too big or too small.


    "Absolutely not. You are not going to walk around in that."


    Val raises her eyebrows at me and folds her arms.


    "Says who?"


    "Me!"


    Val frowns and I throw a pair of jeans at her.


    "There. Wear those."


    She checks the size, holds them up, and glares at me.


    "These aren''t even my size! They''d be baggy on me!"


    "Good. Trying to wear fucking hooker clothes in my house. I don''t think so woman!"


    Val laughs and tossed the jeans back at me. She thinks I''m joking. I should burn that fucking dress.


    "Just pick out clothes that you can wear and not clothes that remind me of the Vegas strip, okay."


    "So bossy."


    I go through the pile of clothes she''s been pulling out to make sure nothing is too revealing.


    "Yeah. Yeah. Whatever."


    ~Valentina~


    Ronnie is so fun to mess with. I had no idea he''d get like that over clothes. Especially since this is just a platonic thing. I look around me at the chaos Ronnie is cleaning up. I have a bag each of shirts, shirts and jeans. I have half a bag of sweaters. I also managed to sneak in a few dresses, including the one Ronnie forbid me to wear.