Pieces of Me by Pua Ramona (small books to read txt) 📕

to see the good in Becca, but this was pushing it too far. “Can we go inside now babe? I’m ready for round two” she says.

She grabs my hand but I drop hers and I tell her to leave.

“You got to be fucking kidding me Eli? Are you serious?” she whines.

I look at her and tell her again that “This us thing, can’t, I mean won’t happen again. Do you understand me Becca?”

She grabs her purse and I didn’t even see it coming but she slaps me right across my face and starts screaming “Go fuck yourself Eli. I hate you. I am done with your sorry ass” I watched her get in her car and she flips me off before she drives off. I stood there thinking how the fuck am I supposed to fix this shit with Sina? I threw my head back and knew that I had no chance at all with my girl. I blew out a breath and let myself inside because I needed another shower. I needed to wash Becca’s smell off me.

Chapter Five

Sina

I’m sitting quietly with my head on the window lost in my thoughts when Mona reaches over and punches me in the arm “Cheer up buttercup. Lava ga kagi, Sis”, she tells me to stop crying with a sad smile.

I smile at her, “I’m okay Mona, I just need to get through this week so Emma and I can head back home.”

She gives me a sad look and says, “Washington is your home Sina not New York.”

“I just want to go home, Mona, where it hurts less.” Mona doesn’t say anything else and the rest of the drive to Mama’s is quiet. We pull up to the house and I see Emma wrestling with her Uncle Micah who’s the youngest of my brothers.

as we climb out of the car Mona says, “You coming to The Hut tonight Sis? It’s open mic night and we all know you love open mic.”

“We’ll see.” I tell her, not knowing how I’ll feel in the next five minutes, never mind tonight.

Mona rolls her eyes at me, trying to entice me to say yes to her invitation. “Why don’t you ask Leila if she wants to come out? I heard you ran into her at her bookstore yesterday. That way you’ll have someone to come with? Please sister of mine?” She fake begs and I shake my head at her, waving her antics off. I turn to see where Emma has disappeared to and I get tackled by Luka.

“Are you serious?” Getting up and dusting myself off, “you’re such a dick.” I tell Luka trying to keep a stern frown and not snort at his stupidness, but all he does is laugh his ass off. Asshole brothers. I stand there being fake mad at him and kick him in the shin for good measure before snorting and arching my brow in victory. Ha, take that you little shit.

“What the fuck, Sina? That shit fucking hurts,” he whines.

“Luka Viliamu Peterson, Watch your damn mouth. I don’t care how old you are, I’ll still kick your ass,” Mama says through the screen door. “And Sina, you watch your mouth too,” she yells. We both look at each other and we start laughing again.

Luka pulls me in for a hug and says, “Happy birthday, nerd”, and kisses my forehead.

I hug him tighter, “I love you, Luka.”

“I love you more, Sis” and he clamps down tighter with his arms around my back.

I’m trying to wriggle out of the hug when I hear my Daniel and Micah behind me, sandwiching me between the three of them and breaking out into the birthday song. I’m laughing and enjoying the childishness for what it is, feeling loved and safe nestled between my brothers. They put me back down and I turn to Daniel first, embracing him in a hug of my own. “I love you D, thank you.”

Then Micah gives me a bear hug and he wishes me a happy birthday “I love you little big sis. I’m glad you’re home for your birthday.”

I do everything I can to not cry, so I hug him harder and hide my face in his chest.

“Okay, it’s my turn. Move damn it” I hear my sister push her way through the boys. “Happy birthday Sister. Thank you for coming home, I really missed you” she cries. I swap Micahs arms for hers and hold her a little longer cause she’s my favorite sister ever. Well she was my only sister but we don’t tell her that. She frees me from her embrace and tells me that she has to go back to work. “I promise we’ll spend more time together this weekend Sis. I have the whole weekend off to spend with you” she tells me happily. Kissing me on the cheek before she leaves for work, she winks at me and says, “Oh and I left you something on your bed. You can thank me later Snatch”

“Happy Birthday sweet girl” Mama says, pulling my attention to her as she folds me into her chest for a hug. This time there's no holding it in and I cry, again. What the heck? Maybe my period is starting? “I love you with all my heart, and I wish you nothing but love with a full heart of happiness my Masina'' she says as she hands me an envelope that has my name on it. I already know she’s giving me money, and I appreciate it but hate taking it from her at the same time. “Just a little something for a rainy day.”

I look at her and say “Yes ma’am” and she disappears back into the house to help the rest of the aunties cook for the weekend.

“Happy birthday Mama” I bend down and scoop the love of my life into my arms.

“Thank you, baby girl. I love you so much” I whisper to her.

She squeezes her