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Eight
“Alright, everyone needs to calm down,” Anna pressed her side into Lance.
The feel of his big warm body near her made her resolve that much firmer. Sandra was always running roughshod over Anna, but not this time.
She couldn’t believe this was happening. Why was her sister even here? And Glenn? Since when did he even acknowledge Anna?
“This is family business, Anna, not his. Come on,” Sandra said in that same bored, annoyed voice that always grated on Annalia’s nerves.
“Well,” she put her hand in Lance’s, glad when he squeezed tightly, “he’s my family too. You’ve heard of Shifters? Well, I’m his mate.”
“What?” Glenn barked.
“Oh no, you did not go and tie yourself to some kind of animal,” Sandra screeched.
“I don’t know what you want from me,” Anna began.
“Want? We want you home with us. You haven’t even looked at the quarterly documents, much less signed them,” Sandra sniffed.
“You can’t even do the simple things we have asked of you. How many times did I tell you? Those documents are important! You can’t live up here on your own when you forget your obligations to your family. Now, you are coming back home,” Glenn said in a muffled voice.
He looked like he was going to burst that vein in his forehead if he didn’t calm down. But then again Glenn always was dramatic.
Anna looked to her sister for aid, but Sandra just nodded, agreeing with her husband. Her red-nailed hands dug into her too skinny hips, and Annalia noted how unhealthy she looked. Like plastic.
The sweet sister she’d loved when she was a baby didn’t exist anymore. Sandra was different now. Hard. All Botox and war paint.
There was nothing left underneath all that armor. Years of caring about money and keeping up with the Joneses had killed all her warmth. She didn’t know what love was. She certainly had none for her little sister.
“Did you ever love me?” Anna asked.
“What? Anna don’t be stupid. I took you in. Glenn did. We didn’t send you to foster care when we could have.”
“Hmm, you mean should have,” her husband added.
Pain gripped Annalia’s heart, followed by the rolling growl coming from Lance. His presence soothed her, but this was going to hurt no matter what. She’d hoped they cared even a little about her and her happiness. But right then, Sandra and Glenn tore apart every dream of a real family she’d ever had.
They’d done that with everything she wanted growing up. Especially, when she was little and dreamed of finding her true love.
“True love is for princesses, Anna, not chubby little girls.” Sandra’s past voice played in her mind.
“I don’t think you ever loved me,” Anna smiled sadly.
“You know, you have lost your mind! Thinking of you with this animal makes me sick! It’s a good thing I packed your apartment up,” Sandra grabbed a cigarette from her pocket and lit, “We are going now.”
Annalia covered her mouth and nose and backed up a step. Her sister always smoked around her, uncaring of the fact it triggered many of her allergies and led to a severe difficulty in breathing.
“Put that out,” Lance growled, but Sandra just laughed.
“As if I would listen to you. What are you, a dog?” she looked him up and down.
“No. He’s not. And are you serious? You emptied my apartment?” Anna glared at her sibling.
She’d been pushed too far this time. Sandra might be her older sister, but Annalia had paid her debt long ago. These people did not have an affectionate bone in their bodies. They just stood and glared scathingly at her. Like she was dirt.
“Now, look, you owe us, pudge,” her sister tried sweetness now, using the nickname she’d called her as a kid, which Anna hated by the way, “We paid for college and your first car-”
“You gave me your old car, and I had to have the engine and transmission rebuilt! And here,” she took her checkbook out of her purse and filled it out, thrusting it at her older, bitter sister, “This is the last payment I owe you for that college loan. Don’t worry Glenn, I included the bank interest like I always do! Now, leave me alone, and don’t ever come back here.”
