When I walk out of my bedroom the next morning Janeen comes over to me with a glass of orange juice – what I always started my day with as a kid – but I barely notice as she places it in my hand because I am too busy gawking at the incredible view from the second-story living room of my house.
My house.
“Oh my god,” I murmur, walking over to sliding open the glass door that leads to an expansive back deck. Janeen comes with me, smirking a little, as we both look over the silent ocean that seems to stretch for miles in front of us. “Is this…is this a private beach?” I breathe.
“It’s supposed to be,” Janeen says with a little sigh. “But you can’t really stop people from walking up and down it. Nor would I want to – the beach belongs to everyone, not just Mr. Lippert.”
I give Janeen a little glare before I continue to turn and stare around the gigantic, far too beautiful house with its incredibly high ceilings and walls covered in windows…
“This place,” I murmur, shaking my head and taking a sip of my orange juice. “It’s…unbelievable…”
“I know, right?” Janeen says, grinning at me a little wickedly. “What did you do to Mr. Lippert that made him this happy –“
“Ew, Janeen,” I say, glaring at her again before walking over to the empty kitchen. We’re both up before dad and Daniel, which I guess is good – because I know Janeen and I have some stuff to talk about that I’d prefer dad not year. Not yet.
“What!?” she says, chasing after me and laughing a little as I move to the coffee machine and pour myself a cup of the pot Janeen already made. “Seriously, Fay, I’m impressed with your work. Mr. Lippert must be-“
“Stop calling him that,” I mutter, starting to get mad. I know my sister is teasing me, and that I’ve got a lot to answer for, but honestly.
“Fine,” she says, leaning against the counter with a smirk, “Mr. Baby Daddy.”
“Janeen!” I gasp, swatting at her with my free hand, which she easily evades, laughing at me.
“What, that’s also no good?”
“So,” Janeen says, turning her wicked grin on Daniel now as she looks up at him. “You’re the gay one, right? Where’s your boyfriend?”
Daniel blinks to hear Janeen say it so blatantly, but then he smirks, glancing at me. I grimace a little, realizing that I never told him…well, just how much I filled Janeen in, over the weeks.
“He got arrested,” Daniel says, deciding not to deny it and taking a sip from his coffee. “As part of the raid.”
“So you’re both nerds who are into mafia bad boys,” Janeen says with a wide, delighted grin, laughing and looking between us as she crosses her arms. “Makes sense why you’re engaged to each other.”
“She’s just jealous,” I say to Daniel, smiling at him over my coffee cup. “She wishes she could land a Kent or a Jerome.”
“Accurate,” Janeen says with a shrug. “If you know anyone…”
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