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"Speak for yourself," Laurel says. "You like me more than Damon. Right, big bro?"
They're fucking with me on purpose now.
I match their level with aso-sogesture.
Zack smilescalled it. Laurel laughs, enjoying the return of teasing.
Daphne looks between them, noting their ridiculousness and ignoring it. (The smartest move). "Oh. You mean Rome. Isn't it short for Roman?" Daphne asks.
Zack and Laurel exchange a look. "Is it?" he asks.
Laurel shrugs in an attempt to sell her disinterest. But she shrugs too hard, makes her voice too bored. She overdoes it so much it's obvious she's playing a part. "How should I know?"
"'Cause you're obsessed with him," Zack says.
"No. He's obsessed with me." Irritation slips into Laurel's voice.
"Obsessed with how annoying you are," Zack says.
"Yeah, well, I don't think about him at all," she says with very little conviction.
They aren't enemies, exactly. They're not friends either.
I suppose they're something like frenemies.
The way Cassie and Damon were.
Only that was different. Cassie had a crush on Damon.
Or is it different?
I study my sister's expression, trying to find the truth underneath it, but it's impossible. She's too good at the pokerI don't give a fuck about anythingface.
Crush or no crush, she doesn't get along with Rome. The two of them are fire and ice.
Rome is a steady, responsible guy who worked hard for everything he has and who would do anything to keep working with our dad and his brother at their label.
Well, it's Dad's label. He doesn't co-own it with his brother. He owns it, and his brother, our uncle Pete, has his own division. Dad is way too uptight to partner with someone as relaxed as Uncle Pete.
I don't know their corporate structure. Only that Dad is the man in charge, and Uncle Pete heads some division. They were both richer than god when they retired from touring, so neither is in it for money.
Dad is in it to prove he can run the world.
Uncle Pete is in it to mentor at-risk kids. A more honorable motivation, but he never really sees it that way. He just loves sharing music with people, the way Dad loves, well, control.
Way back when, Rome was one of Uncle Pete's at-risk mentees. When Laurel took an interest in music, she joined the program unofficially.
Immediately, she and Rome rubbed each other the wrong way.
He resented Laurel because she didn't appreciate the life she had. She hated his pretentious attitude and rolled her eyes at the chip on his shoulder.
But they were teenagers back then.
Do they still care about their mutual animosity?
Don't get me wrong. They don't get along now. But it's not like I get along with Zack.
There's no rule you need to get along with family.
