“How can you do this to us, Arianna? We’ll all be destitute.”
Anger stirred in her gut. “Destitute? You’re hardly going to be destitute. How much did that apartment I bought you cost? Over a million dollars, right? Sell it and you’ll be set for years. Or better, yet, how about you actually get a job and support yourself. I bought mother and father a house. You’ve all had plenty from me over the years. You could have saved some of that money I gave you, instead you spent it on expensive trips with your boy-toys. Do you know the last time I had a vacation?”
Gabrielle looked taken aback. Arianna just glared at her. But inside, she felt lighter. As though a weight had been lifted off her. It was well past time she stood up for herself. That she forced them all to stop leeching off her.
“You make it sound like we were using you.”
“You have been! That’s exactly what you’ve been doing.”
“Well, you let us. You’ve done it for years. Why?”
“Why?” It was a good question. “Because you were my family. I love you. And I guess I thought that if you all needed me then you might love me back. I get that this is my fault as well. I should have told you all a long time ago that this wasn’t what I wanted. I hate doing concerts. I hate being in the limelight. I shouldn’t have to support you all. It’s not my job to do that. And you should love me regardless of what I do for you.”
“You’re so fucking weird, Arianna. Normal people don’t think like this.” Gabrielle scowled at her. But there was something in her gaze. Something like understanding.
Or maybe it was just wishful thinking.
“I…I have to go.” Then her sister turned and stormed out of the room. Ari watched after her with a sigh. Then she slumped into the sofa, her legs hardly able to keep her up. She was so exhausted all of a sudden.
“Angel? You okay?”
She ran a shaky hand over her face as Bain walked into the room and crouched in front of her.
“No? Yes? Do you know, I’m really not sure how I feel? It felt good to tell her all that stuff, at the same time I’m not sure that she’ll ever speak to me again. I love her. But sometimes, I also hate her.” Tears dripped down her cheeks and he sat next to her, pulling her onto his lap. “Why couldn’t they just love me for who I am? Why was I only worthy of being a Silvers when there was something I could do for them? I just don’t understand why I was so unlovable.”
“You weren’t,” he told her harshly. “You hear me? That little girl was not unlovable and the woman in my arms is most definitely worthy of love. I love you. And I swore I was never going to love anyone again. Yet, you wormed your way into my heart.”
She sniffled. “See you’re a squishy, sweet ogre.”
“Good Lord,” he muttered. “Don’t tell any of the other Littles at Sanctuary that you call me an ogre. The name will catch on and I’ll never hear the end of it.”
She grinned up at him. Oh, now she definitely had to let it slip.
He shook his head. “I’m in such trouble, aren’t I?”
She nodded her head. Then her smile dropped as she thought of another worry. “Will they like me?”
“The other Littles?”
“Yeah. I’m not used to interacting with other people much. I don’t really have any other friends—”
“No friends? So those three big bastards that flew halfway around the world because you didn’t answer your phone, what are they?”
“Oh…well… Caleb is my friend and I guess Wolfe and Aleki are too.”
“You guess?”
“But they accept me as I am. They’ve known me for years. They know I can be a bit different—”
“I know your mother tried to teach you that different is wrong. That you had to fall into some sort of mold to be accepted. Not true. There is nothing wrong with you. You’re strong. You’re smart. Definitely creative. Sometimes a little crazy. But you’re also scarily kind. Scary, because you’d give everything of yourself if someone else asked for it.”
“Just as well I’ve got a big, bad Daddy who’ll make sure I don’t do that anymore, huh?”
“Yeah? Where is he? Sounds like a good-looking guy.”
“Hmm. I’m not sure. Are ogres considered good-looking?”
“Brat!” He laid her back on the sofa and started to tickle her mercilessly. He tickled her until she was snorting, trying to curl into herself in order to protect herself.