“That’s why you are in this situation.” he frowned, putting the gun away. “Don’t fight the devil…be him and let others burn trying to fight you.”
“Thanks for that advice. I’ll stitch it on my royal pillow.”
TWENTY-TWO
“Saying goodbye is a little like dying.”
~ Marjane Satrapi
WYATT
When I got to her room, both doors were wide open and more than a dozen maids were already packing her things in large brown boxes. I was stunned to see how much was already done. The longer I looked, the angrier I became.
“ALL OF YOU, GET OUT!” I hollered making them jump, staring at me wide-eyed for a brief second before my words must have hit them and they left quickly. Waiting until the door was closed before looking over to her; she laid in the middle of her bed, legs crossed, staring up at the ceiling.
“I hope you aren’t waiting for true love’s kiss. You’ll get bedsores,” I muttered, walking over to her.
She smiled but didn’t look over at me. “I’m a princess. I’m sure there is some special magic for that. When do you think I get the power to talk to birds?”
“You’re not a princess,” I replied, laying down next to her and staring up at the spinning ceiling fan that she had for no other reason than to watch it spin.
“What am I then?” she asked softly.
I didn’t have to think. “My sister.”
“I’ll still be your sister even in—”
“You’re a hypocrite.” I didn’t want to hear it. “For five years you told me to come home. To come back to Chicago. That Chicago was our home. That nowhere on earth will ever feel like home except Chicago. I’m finally back, and now you’re planning on moving not even to another state but to another damn country!” I bit my tongue, breathing in and trying to keep calm.
“I’m a hypocrite,” she replied.
; “Don’t agree with me. Just don’t be a hypocrite,” I whispered back. “Don’t—”
“Don’t do this to me, Wyatt,” she replied. When I finally looked from the fan over to her, her face was calm and emotionless, but her eyes… Tears slipped down, rolling down the side of her face and neck.
“Dona—”
With one hand, she took mine and with the other she brushed the side of her face. “I love you, Wyatt. I love this city. I’m happy you’re home. I’m happy you came back. But I can’t stay. Gabriel said part of me might be hoping you’ll stop me…and he’s right.”
“Then let me stop you,” I begged, squeezing her hand tightly.
Finally, she turned to look at me, her green eyes coated with tears she wouldn’t let fall. “The part of me hoping you’ll stop me is smaller than the part of me that will hate you for making me stay.”
“In time, you’ll get over—”
“I’m a dying wolf-dog here, Wyatt,” she frowned. “I’m dying. I didn’t even realize it. Until he said it.”
“He’s just trying to get in your head.”
“Maybe, but he’s not wrong,” she said, smiling. It had to be the saddest smile I’d ever seen. “Time will only make this worse. We aren’t kids anymore, Wyatt. Ethan’s married. He was going to be father. Soon, he will be. And one day you will be, too. You’ll get married and have a family, and what about me? If you make me stay, if you beg me to stay, you’re just forcing me to watch as I become less and less important to all of you.”
“Dona, that’s impossible.” I turned over, feeling my eyes burn as I stared at her. Reaching over, I put my hand on her head. “You’re my sister. My twin. No one can—”
“You don’t know that because you’ve never loved anyone that deeply,” she reached up, taking my hand off her face. “And I want you to love like that. I want you to love like Dad did.”
“What about you? You don’t love him—”