Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Isaac
The memory fades away when I pull into the driveway and see Nixie’s big smile, steel gray eyes, and long black waves greeting me as she runs to the passenger seat of my car.
“Hi, asshat,” she mocks.
“Respect your elders, kid,” I roll my eyes and snort at her comment. “You shouldn’t be cursing, booger.” The look on her face makes using her nickname worth the pout. “How are you?” She scrunches her nose much like her older sister and arches her right eyebrow like me, finally responding.
“Booger? I outgrew that nickname a long time ago. Iz, I’m twelve now,” she says, sliding into the leather seat with ease and closing the door.
“Where to, princess?” I ask.
“School, duh, but really I want to go see Ronnie.” I pause and look at my baby sister. “Ronnie… why?”
She shrugs, her slender shoulders bobbing up and down in her oversized varsity jacket.
“Max wants to propose to her, and she’s been distant. She hasn’t come around, and I miss her. Have you seen her?”
I shake my head in reply.
Nixie’s face lights up as she looks at me, stormy irises dancing with so much mischief, giving me a much-needed serotonin boost.
“Brother-sisters day?” she asks, and I smile, not missing the extra ‘s’ she added to the word sister.
Which means I’ve fallen victim to a trap of hooky.
One I was already expecting to fall for.
There’s no way I can deny my baby sister anything.
I would do anything for Nixie and Ronnie. Absolutely anything for my girls.
“I guess we’re playing hooky today. Don’t tell the old folks.”
She bursts out laughing, loud and raspy. “Mom would kill you for calling her old. I promise, but first let’s grab food. I’m starving.” I nod.
I press play on the radio and “Entombed” by Deftones blasts from the speakers.
Nixie’s face lights up, recognizing the first few notes, and she starts bobbing her head to the rhythmic beat.
“Crank it up!” she says, her eyes shining with delight.
I oblige, turning the dial until the bass throbs against our chests.
Heading for our favorite breakfast spot, the cool morning air whizzes past us as we drive down the open highway.
I can’t help but steal glances at my sister as she belts out the lyrics.
Her carefree and youthful energy is infectious, and despite the heavy rock music echoing from the speakers, there is a strange sense of peace that cocoons us within the confines of the car.
It always feels like this when she’s around.
The diner’s neon sign comes into view, and within minutes, we are in the parking lot and out of the car.
We walk into the retro diner, black and red checkered decorations adorning the walls.
The distinct aroma of bacon and fresh coffee fills our senses, instantly making my mouth water.
Nixie links her arm with mine as we walk to our booth.
The very same booth that Ronnie and I used to sit in as kids. The sight of the booth has a crooked smile blossoming across my face. I picture it clearly.
“Mornin’, darlings! The usual?” calls out Linda, the cheerful waitress who has served us since we were kids. “No, Ronnie today?” she adds.
I shake my head, waving my free hand. “Just us, but we’ll be taking Ronnie’s usual to go.
” Linda smiles and nods. We sit in our booth, and once settled in our spots, I look out the large windows, nerves wreaking havoc inside me, causing me to shift in my place.
I didn’t want to take it there, not with my baby sister.
I hate bringing her into things she shouldn’t concern herself with, but if I continue to bite down on my lips—I’ll be needing stitches.
This has been eating me ever since I heard about it.
Still, it feels so wrong to ask. I let out a sigh and ask the question that’s been gnawing at my insides.
“Max is proposing to Ronnie?” I ask. Nix smiles at me, completely oblivious to my pain.
“Yes, he is.”
A lump forms in my throat. “When?”
She shrugs. “Not sure. He spoke about it with Veve and then with Mom. But I don’t think she wants to get married. At least, that’s the vibe I got from her conversation with Mom.”
So perceptive, she is. Ronnie says it’s because she’s a water sign in tune with people’s emotions. This kind of nonsense I listen to whenever she is stoned. The same nonsense I learned about just to determine my compatibility with my favorite Aries. Ronnie.
“You okay?” Nixie asks softly, already noticing the clear frown on my face.
I wonder if she can feel my heartbreak. Like me, she’s also a water sign.
We are both Scorpios, and my precious Ronnie is the only Aries in a house of water and earth.
I smirk, pushing back the pain begging to surface, putting on a show for Nix.
She doesn’t need to know how I feel about Ronnie, not today and definitely not now.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just got lost in my head for a bit. What did she tell Mom?” I ask as Linda walks towards us with our usual. Pancakes for Nixie and bacon and eggs for me.
“There you guys go, enjoy,” Linda says with a smile.
We both thank her, and she walks away to greet and seat new customers.
My attention turns back to Nixie, who looks as if she’s in deep thought, her fork poised mid-air with a chunk of pancake dripping in syrup.
“I don’t know much, honestly. What I gathered is that she might not be ready for all of that. ”
“Not ready? Huh. So she might not say yes, I’m assuming.”
She shrugs, placing the pancake in her mouth before answering. “I don’t know, Mom says Veve doesn’t think Max is the one. But they’ve been together for so long, so how could he not be the one?”
“It’s one of those things, when you know you know,” I mutter softly before digging into the bacon and eggs that Linda had placed in front of me, the food momentarily distracting me from my thoughts.
“Ehh… I guess. But what do I know,” she grumbles out while chewing another mouthful of pancakes.
I do the same, shoving as much bacon as I can into my mouth.
The savory piece of meat meets my taste buds, and I fight back the wave of relief that washes over me, knowing to some degree, she is still mine.
For a brief second, I close my eyes and indulge in the nostalgic yearning that consumes my every waking thought.
An unwanted spirit was exorcised by the sudden feeling of relief.
The words taste bitter on my lips, causing me to hesitate before opening my mouth while I say them.
Even though I’d rather not believe them.
“Maybe she’s just having cold feet.”
Nixie shrugs and takes another bite of her pancake.
“Could be,” she mumbles as she swallows, wiping a dribble of syrup off her chin.
“I think she’s just scared.” My little sister looks at me, and a mischievous look paints her face.
“You know, if you guys weren’t step-siblings.
I would have bet she’d end up with you, right?
Definitely would have shipped y’all. Izronie sounds good. ”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, causing me to choke on a piece of bacon. My lungs fail to expand as I cough up the piece of bacon that I’m sure has traveled deep into them. Nixie quickly passes me a glass of water, saying, “It was a joke.”
I give her a very serious look, reminding me of my father when I would do out-of-pocket things. Bringing the cup to my lips, I gratefully gulp down.
“I didn’t mean to shock you, but it’s obvious that you guys have something hot between y’all. Taboo love or some shit. I’m not stupid, but you two very much are.”
I stare at her in silence, unsure of how to respond. “Taboo? Isn’t that kinda a big word for you, kid.”
She shrugs. “ I read Wattpad.”
My brows knit together. “What the watt?” My heartbeat thumps loudly in my chest, and I desperately want it to calm down.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about, Nix,” I say with a forced chuckle, attempting to play off her words as a joke.
“You might want to stop reading whatever it is that you are.” I poke at the remains of my breakfast, the bacon suddenly tasteless in my mouth.
“Iz, it’s okay. Seriously, it was just a joke. I know you guys met each other as kids and see each other as siblings. I’m just saying y’all vibe. Okay?”
“Okay,” I respond, my voice wavering slightly, hating every emotion that word stirred inside of me.
It took me years before I could even say it, even more so calling Ronnie a Vargas after my dad adopted her.
Turns out Ronnie’s dad never claimed her and even asked for money to sign away his rights to her.
Of course, my dad did whatever he needed to do to keep her safe.
Nixie grins at me, and for some reason, it’s the most comforting thing I’ve felt all morning.
She may not know the extent of what she’s stumbled upon, but there’s an understanding in her eyes that makes me feel slightly less alone.
If only she knew how close to the truth she truly is, but I wouldn’t be the one to tell her.
Not when Ronnie has made it clear that I’m her stepbrother and nothing more.
We finish the rest of our food in comfortable silence. We pick up the table as much as we can to make things easier for waitstaff, placing the tip right beside the small pile of plates. Nixie walks over to Ms. Linda, and I follow right behind her as she grabs Ronnie’s order, and I pay.
“It’s always so nice to see you kids, say hi to your parents and Ronnie,” Linda says, gently squeezing Nixie’s hands. We say our goodbyes and walk back to my Camaro and climb inside, and when I turn on the car, Ronnie’s favorite song plays in the background.
“Ojitos Lindos” by Bad Bunny.