It’s what makes the chase so satisfying.
***
“Adelaide, you built the same thing yesterday,” I tease my little sister while willingly gathering the proper LEGOs to create a castle. “You’re lucky I love you so much.”
She grins sheepishly, the ear-to-ear smile putting me in a good mood. “Are you tired of it?”
I return her smile. “Hardly.”
When it’s just the two of us together, we’re far away from the painful echo of our mother drinking and drugging herself to death. Today, however, is quiet, a rare occurrence that inspired me to have Adelaide join me in the family room. The grand room hosts a collection of stained glass windows that filter multicolored light over the dull navy blue furniture, cold stone walls rising so high that they seem like they might go on forever.
Adelaide looks up when our father drifts into the room. He gives us a tight smile and wanders over to a desk in the corner, leaving us to ourselves.
“Sir,” one of the servants says from the doorway, eyes on me. “You have a visitor.”
Soren waltzes into the room with his hands in his pockets, a ball of fucking sunshine compared to the drab antique decorations, the silver-gray stone walls, the dark damask carpets. “’Sup?”
“Adelaide, I’ll be back later.” I tousle my sister’s hair and give her a kiss on her forehead. “Be good, all right?”
“All right, big brother.”
My father observes Soren neutrally. “Welcome back, Soren.”
“Good to see you, too, Mr. D’Hautpoul.”
Dad doesn’t respond. As per usual.
Wandering upstairs feels like walking through the Tower of London except without all the fun toys involved. Soren follows after me, trotting excitedly into my room and tossing himself onto the massive California king-size bed. The thick curtains guarding the four posts shiver slightly from his weight.
“Break out the good stuff,” he instructs. “I need it.”
Once I have a joint lit between us, my muscles relax, settling me like a stone into the bed next to Soren. “I don’t want to marry that Alex bitch.”
“You’re telling me.”
“She’s a fucking prude. She can’t yank to save her life.” I hit the joint and pass it off, smoke dancing in a stream from my lips as I add, “But I’ll use her until she marries someone else.”
“Which one of us do you think gets that sweet cherry first?”
I shrug. “Who fucking knows? Parker is being a huge pussy about it.”
“He would go insane if either of us did it.”
“That would be funny to watch.”
He coughs as he hands me the joint, his voice nasally as he says, “Right?”
Frantic footsteps approach my bedroom door and then Adelaide bursts into the room, tears streaking her reddened cheeks. In a fluid, practiced motion, I stub out the joint in an ashtray next to the bed and slide the tray underneath the mattress.
Concern creases my brow. “What’s wrong, little bug?”
“Mommy…Mommy did…She destroyed the castle.”
I huff with frustration.
Well, the silence didn’t last long, did it?
“Bro,” Soren complains while dragging his fingers down his cheeks. “Get rid of the running faucet. It’s harshing my high.”