Page 1 of The Enforcer
1Zoe
Of all themornings to be running on two hours of sleep.
It doesn’t matter that I didn’t know today would be important or that I thought yesterday would be just a regular degular Tuesday; what matters is that the world is clearly conspiring against me and my blood pressure. I sent my younger sister a few threatening voicemails and text messages — none of which she’s responded to, by the way. I had dinner with my boyfriends. And then I had plans to get railed all night to take my mind off the stress of my sister’s extended honeymoon disappearing act. But instead of that delightful evening spent in bed, my boyfriends served me dessert with a side of “you must be fucking kidding me.” Unfortunately, they were not.
“We want to have a baby with you. We want to be a family.”
That was not in the plans!
All the screaming and arguing we put each other through for the rest of the night hasn’t erased the shock and betrayal I feel from those sentences. I don’t want a baby. I don’t want kids. I want to work my ass off and then fuck until I pass out in a warm bed with at least one person who loves me unconditionally. I was very clear in my dating profile. No kids. No dogs. No moving in.
“Motherfuckers,” I mumble under my breath.
“What’d I do?” Shae whines.
I look up to find my younger cousin looking genuinely hurt and tired. “You still sleeping on the couch?” I bark. She jumps at my tone. “Sorry. I’m pissed.”
“Clearly. About what?”
“Stop avoiding my question.”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s just until I can save up enough money for a deposit for another place.”
“If that’s what you’re waiting for, then you might as well move back into your room and just marry Steve’s boring ass.”
I can see her throat working overtime, swallowing whatever tart response I deserve for my early morning attitude. But then her back straightens, her hackles rise, and she begins to prepare to defend her ex. Thankfully, she realizes that being Steve’s shield is beneath her; it only took a few too many years.
“Good girl,” I tell her.
“Shut up,” she hisses, and I smile.
“You can move in with me. I have an actual spare bedroom, and I’m never there.”
Shae shakes her head. “Um, I can’t afford half your rent on my wages. Not even with tips.”
“Sure can’t, so it’s a good thing I’m not asking you for money. But if you want to leave that wet mop — and I really hope you do — then I’m going to help you.”
“Oh my God,” she whispers. Shae clutches the strap of her backpack and bites back a smile. Knowing her, she wants to jump on me and hug me and is justbarely suppressing the impulse. I don’t like physical intimacy I didn’t initiate. I especially don’t like unnecessary hugs, and this would be unnecessary. Offering Shae my spare bedroom is the easiest thing I’ve said in the last ten hours.
“Don’t get all emo on me. You’re family, and you need help. Also, I never liked Steve’s ass anyway. This is a no-brainer.”
Shae clutches my arm and starts jumping up and down.
“Jesus,” I groan. “Can you not?”
“No, I can’t not. You’re amazing.”
“That’s true, yes.”
“Thank you.”
I place the hand she’s not trying to strangle on her shoulder to get her to be still, and we look each other in the eye. “Is that it?” I ask, noting the dark circles under her eyes. Her skin is tinged yellow. She looks pale and sickly. “You just need a new place to stay, right? There’s nothing else going on?”
Shae, Zahra, and I have always been three peas in a pod. We’re the only girls in our generation of the family, surrounded by male cousins who are all older, louder, and annoying. Our mothers dressed the three of us alike, practically treating us like mismatched triplets. And since I’m a few years older than Zahra and Shae, I always thought it was my responsibility to take care of them, and I’ve taken my role in their lives very seriously. Too seriously, Zahra says.
That’s how I know Shae is lying before she even opens her mouth.
“Yep,” she says in a strained tone. “I’m fine. Once I move, I’ll be perfectly fine.”