Wild Bastard by Ella Savitskaya (book suggestions .txt) 📕

There is a sob coming from the room. Lana drops her face into her hands and begins to cry. I go in and shut the broken door. What a wild creature.

I sit down next to her, and when the girl's face rests on my shoulder, I'm even at a loss. I'm not used to comforting those who shed tears. It's a long time since the last time I did anything like that. I touch her on the head, letting her vent her emotions.

"Lana, I don't think he hates you" I carefully share my thoughts and observations, safely accumulated over the past few days, "I think he's trying to protect you."

" Protect? You've seen the way he acts. He doesn't let me do anything!"

"No, that's not true. He said you could come to the party. If he was completely insensitive, he would have told you to sit in your room while the others had their fun."

"He did tell me to sit in my room like a dog!" The blonde is indignant, raising her tear-stained face. It's a good thing when mascara is waterproof, or else both Lana and my whole shoulder would be black right now.

"He said that after he saw you with Mark. I mean, Todd. Why would you even do that? "

The guilty look on her face tells me I was right. She didn't really want to sleep with him.

"No reason, Reenah. I don't know what it's like to date a guy. I don't know what it's like to have sex with him" She waves her hands indignantly.

"I don't know either" I shrug, climbing onto the bed and settling in more comfortably.

Lana looks at me with a disbelieving look.

"What do you mean you don't know? Are you a virgin? "

"I am."

Yeah. I never thought a confession like that would cause such a reaction. If I didn't know Lana, I'd think there is something wrong with her facial nerve.

"What do you mean? You have... well... lived with guys, you said."

"I have. So? My health is more important to me than passing dubious pleasure."

"But... everyone else is having sex!"

"So what? I'm not going to spread my legs to prove something to someone. I'm going to do it with the person I really want, not just because I want to defend my opinion. "

Lana frowns, pondering my words.

"I didn't really want him, either. That Mar...Todd. I just wanted to do something to spite everyone" She confesses doomfully. She reaches for the T-shirt next to me and pulls it on.

"Don't, Lana! You don't have to do anything to spite anyone. It's your life, of course you have the right to make it your own and not take advice from someone who doesn't even know what it's like to have a family. Maybe if I had such an asshole brother, I'd want to go against the established rules, too."

"You're very strong, Reenah!" Lana says as she wipes her wet cheeks, and for some reason I remember at that moment how Mathew said those same words yesterday. "I would have broken down a long time ago if I lived like you."

And then the girl comes down on me again with a hug. What kind of habit does she have? And most importantly, why is it that every time she does that, something moves inside me?

"I wish I had a sister like you. Maybe if Evelyn were alive, everything would be different" She says quietly, and removes herself.

"Who is Evelyn? "

"Our older sister. She died when I was two years old. I don't remember her at all. Lucas has some vague memories, but Matthew knew her well."

Oh, wow. I didn't even know they had a sister.

"What happened to her? "

"Car accident. "

"Where's your mom? "

It's probably wrong of me to ask, but since Lana decided to share... She never talks about her mother, only her father.

"Mom died giving me birth. I think that's why Matthew hates me"

I frown, trying to digest what I've heard. It turns out that not always a rich family can boast of a happy life. Sometimes a luxurious facade hides something very heavy and conceals a lot of pain. It turns out that Lana and I are a lot alike in many ways. She, also, was pretty much living without a family. She didn't know her mother at all, her father, judging by the stories, constantly sent his daughter first to a closed kindergarten, then to a private school. I don't mention her brothers at all. The only difference between us was the quality of our food and the slate over our heads. My cage is rusted, hers is gold plated.

For the first time, I pull the girl to me. Lana cuddles up to me like a lost kitten, finding comfort.

I'd never wanted to get attached to anyone. And now I'd broken my own rule.