Characters belong to Shonda. The rest is mine.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
ELIZA'S POV
I'm meeting with my sister in the next ten minutes and right now, I don't want to be around her. She makes me feel uneasy. She makes me worry and my anxiety levels have been through the roof since she turned up at my door. I'm a pretty confident person most of the time, but she completely zaps that from me and I hate it. I hate how she makes me feel. She knows how she makes me feel and it only makes me even more angry with her. She doesn't take other people's feelings into consideration and she never has. If it doesn't suit her, everyone else can go to hell as far as she is concerned. At least, that's the impression I've always gotten from her.
Startled when she appears behind me, I grip my coffee cup and she drops down into the seat facing me. "Hey." She gives me a genuine smile, but I'm not entirely sure that's what it is. She knows how to butter me up. It doesn't work anymore, though.
"What's up?" I ask.
"I miss you, I guess." She shrugs. "Did you grab me a coffee?"
"Uh, no." I shake my head. "I didn't. I'm sure you are capable of getting your own stuff, no?"
"Okay, I guess I deserve that." She sighs. "Can we just have a normal conversation?"
"Probably not." I roll my eyes. "There is never anything normal where you are concerned, Maddie."
"Look, I'm trying to be a better person, Eliza." I'd like to believe that she is telling the truth, but I'm having a hard time with that right now. My sister has never been one to try and do the right thing or be a better person. "I just need somewhere to stay until I can find a job."
"Why does it have to be in New York that you find a job?" I furrow my brow. "Why can't you go back home or somewhere totally different to me?"
"Because New York is as good a place as any. Besides, you are here and look how well you are doing."
"There aren't many clubs around here." I shrug. "You'd be better heading out of New York and finding something elsewhere."
"I have a meeting with your boss this evening." My heart dropping into my stomach, I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. "He seems like a nice guy."
"Maddie, you can't stay here and you certainly can't work with me," I state. "It just...it wouldn't work."
"Why not?" She gives me a look of confusion. "You work weekends, right?"
"Right." I sigh. I'm pretty sure she has this all planned out, but I guess I should hear what she has to say.
"So, I'll take weeknights." She smiles. "I don't want weekends anyway. Weekends are my own. You know, for whatever I want to get up to."
"I don't want or need to know what you get up to." I scoff. "I lost interest in that a long time ago."
"Oh, come on Eliza." She rolls her eyes. "It was a long time ago. Do you really still hold it against me?"
"Yeah, I do." I nod. "Who does that to their own sister? Their own twin?"
"I'm sorry." She leans over a little and tries to take my hand in her own, but I pull away. "Please give me a chance out here with you?"
"No. Not happening." I shake my head and push my coffee cup away. "Maddie, you are free to do as you please, but you are not taking over my life here. No way. It's too good to let you in on it. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it has to be."
"It's the writer, huh?"
"Excuse me?" I furrow my brow.
"The writer you're banging." She smirks. "Her work is amazing, but is she really as good as she writes it in her books?"
"You know what…stay away from me. Stay away from us."
"She's living with you." She narrows her eyes. "That's why you don't want me at your place."
"Back off, Maddie." I spit.
"Oh, relax." She sits back in her seat. "Her writing leaves very little to the imagination so I don't need to get her into bed. Anyone who reads her work feels like they have her hands all over them. It's hot."
"I'm leaving." I stand, my chair screeching along the floor. "Stay away from me. Stay away from the club. Just get out of my fucking life and do what you want."
"Oo, someone's feeling a little insecure."
"No, I'm just sick of your shit." Grabbing my jacket and my purse, I head out onto the street and try to breathe through my anger. I have a bad feeling about her being here, and that feeling has only intensified since I've met with her this morning. She may be trying to be a better person, but I know my sister better than she knows herself and I know that no matter how hard she tries…she will never change. Taking my cell from my pocket, I hit my message tab and send one off to my girlfriend.
Headed home. I'll see you tonight. We need to talk x
I hate that I have to discuss all of this with Arizona and I know that she has reassured me where my sister is concerned, but Maddie ain't leaving. I can argue with her until my very last breath, but I know she isn't leaving. I also know my boss will give her a job. He's always looking for dancers who are willing to work the weeknight shifts, so he will have her on that pole in no time. It turns my stomach knowing that she is going to be in the same city as me, but there is nothing I can do about it. I can ask her to leave and I can encourage her to do so, but she won't. She will do whatever she wants…just like she always does.
Settled on the couch, the fire is lit and I haven't moved for the past few hours. I've spent my entire afternoon thinking about my sister and the problems she could cause here. To most people, they would just laugh it off and leave her to do as she pleases, but I can't. I can't because I know how much of a bitch she can be. I know how cruel she can be. I don't even know how we are so similar in looks, but totally different people inside. I sometimes wonder how it's even possible that we are related, let alone twins. She is nothing like me, and even though I'm happy about that, it makes me a little sad. We were so close growing up, and even though it wasn't until college when she did what she did, I could see her changes when we were in our teens. I could see the difference in her around my friends. The people I cared about. I could see how different our lives would end up being. I never imagined she would steal my girlfriend, though. I never imagined she would totally follow everything I was doing and try to outdo me, but she did. She did, and I have to accept that.
The front door opening, the familiar sound of my girlfriend's heels makes me smile and I glance up to find her approaching me with a bottle of champagne. "Hey…" I furrow my brow. "What's the occasion?"
"Finished my book. It's all signed off and it's no longer any of my concern." She leans down and crushes her lips into my own. "Thank god."
"Wow, that's amazing." I give her a genuine smile. "I'm so proud of you, Arizona."
"No, I'm proud of you." She counters. "You stuck it out and even gave me the inspiration, so…thank you."
"It was my pleasure." She kicks off her heels and straddles my legs. "I missed you today."
"Mm, I missed you too." Her lips pressing against my neck, she is trying to start something but I'm really not in the mood right now. "I know you don't drink…" She breathes out against my ear. "But I figured after dinner...we could take this to the bedroom and have a little fun with it?"
"I, uh…" Clearing my throat, she pulls back and studies my face. "Maybe."
"Maybe?" She raises her eyebrow. "You never give me a maybe."
"Sorry, I'm just not in a great mood right now." I sigh and she climbs off of me.
"Wow, okay." She runs her fingers through her hair and heads for the kitchen. "Maybe I'll just open it another night. It's just a book…no big deal."
"No, baby…that's not what I'm saying." I try to reassure her. "I just…"
"Eliza, it's okay." She waves me off. "You met with Maddie today and I'm assuming it didn't go so well."
"Not really." I sigh. "But I don't want you to think that I was blowing you off just then. I'm just not feeling much like doing anything today."
"That's okay." She gives me a sad smile and sets her bottle of champagne down on the counter. "Maybe some other time." Now I feel awful.
"For sure." I stand and round the back of the couch. "I'd love to celebrate with you." Grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, she brushes past me and heads for the staircase.
"I'm taking a quick shower." She turns back to face me. "Get me into some comfortable clothes and relax for the night."
"Did you want me to come and join you?" I raise an eyebrow.
"No, that's okay. You relax here." I'm pretty sure she is tired of hearing about my spat with my sister, and once again, I've dragged our relationship into it. I've never turned her down when she has gotten a little handsy, and now I'm beginning to regret my decision to do so. Dropping back down onto the couch, I rest my head back and close my eyes. I'm so fucking stupid sometimes. I mean, who turns down their super hot girlfriend because her sister has pissed her off? Who does that? Who misses out on the opportunity to go to bed with their amazingly talented girlfriend when champagne is involved? I'm such an asshole and now I've ruined our evening. Arizona walked through our door with a huge smile on her face, and now she has disappeared upstairs looking and probably feeling deflated. She wanted to share her celebrations with me, and because I'm being a moody bitch, everything has turned to shit.
My girlfriend has been showering for near on an hour and honestly, I'm feeling worse the longer she is away from me. I'm sure she is okay, but I'm still feeling really crappy about how I behaved. Honestly, I'd take her right now given half the chance, but that ship has sailed. I've totally killed the mood. Maddie killed my mood when I met her, and now I've brought that home with me. I've lowered the mood in my own home when I should be showering my girlfriend with kisses and lots and lots of celebratory sex. God, she deserves that. She deserves the world and more. I know this will all pass and we will be okay but I'm feeling super shitty right now.
The sound of her bare feet hitting the lower levels, I glance her way and she is busy typing away on her cell phone. "Nice shower?" I ask.
"Sure." Glancing up from her cell, she gives me a small smile. "Did you want to order dinner in, or?"
"No, I want you to come here…" I sit upright and she furrows her brow.
"What's up?" She asks as she approaches me and takes a seat beside me.
"I'm sorry." I take her cell from her hand and place it down on the coffee table. Lacing our fingers together, I press my lips to her own and pull back. "I'm so proud of you, and I'm so happy for you…"
"I know you are." She gives me a look of confusion and I think I may have totally overreacted whilst she was showering. "You don't have anything to apologize for."
"When you came home…" I give her a sad smile. "I wasn't blowing you off, I swear."
"Oh, Eliza." She runs her thumb over my knuckles. "It's no big deal. Really."
"But it is to me." I shrug. "Don't ever think that I don't want that with you."
"Relax." She gives me a smile. "It's not all about sex. I just…I guess I got a little over excited and my instant reaction was to make full use of the champagne. To celebrate with you. You know, in our own way. Just wanted someone to be happy about my book completion with me…but I've fixed that. So, really…it's okay."
"You've fixed what?" I furrow my brow.
"Teddy and I will open it tomorrow before we head out to celebrate." Oh. "I figured since you are working at the club, I'd head out with her for drinks."
"That sounds nice." I agree. She should be celebrating with me. "Just be careful, okay?"
"Careful?"
"Yeah, you know." I shrug. "It's Friday night. People drink too much."
"I'm sure I'll be fine." She squeezes my hand. "Now, how about we order some dinner and then you can tell me all about your encounter with your sister?"
"She's staying." I shrug. "In New York."
"O...kay." She narrows her eyes. "And you're not happy about that, right?"
"No, I'm not happy. Not at all." I shake my head. "Maybe we should just do this another time. You were happy and excited when you returned from work, and I'm pretty sure you don't need to hear all of this right now."
"Hey…" She curls her fingers under my chin. "If it's upsetting you, I want to hear about it."
"I know, but-"
"But nothing." She gives me a knowing look.
"I just don't want her here, Arizona." I sigh. "She is even taking a job at the club."
"Your club?" She raises an eyebrow. "Wow, she really doesn't care, does she?"
"No, she doesn't." I scoff. "She knows who you are, too."
"Knows who I am?"
"Yeah. She knows you're a writer and she's read your stuff."
"Awesome." She smiles. "She will have another to read soon. Well, in like…six weeks."
"Yeah, great." I give her a half smile and drop my gaze. "Kinda wish she wasn't one of your readers, but whatever."
"I have thousands of readers, Eliza. Your sister is no different to the rest of them." She dips her head a little. "She said something, didn't she?"
"Just that your stuff is great." I clear my throat. "None of it matters, anyway." I shrug. "The fact of the matter is…she is staying and I have to share this city with her. This fucking air."
"Why are you getting so worked up?" She furrows her brow. "Why are you bothered?"
"It doesn't matter." I roll my eyes. "Just…do whatever you were doing before I interrupted you."
"Eliza?" She gives me a hard glare. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I stand but she grips my wrist. "Arizona, just forget about it. You're right. I don't know why I'm bothered. I have no reason to get worked up."
"But clearly, this is a problem for you." She states. "I know you hate her being here, but you really shouldn't let her get to you."
"I know…but it's hard not to." I sigh. "She just makes me feel this way."
"So…you pay no attention to her. You let her do her own thing. If you have to act like she doesn't exist in your life, do that. Whatever works best for you." She smiles. "Just don't let her ruin your mood. I hate seeing you like this. This isn't the Eliza I know. My Eliza is fun and flirty. Soft. Sweet. Loving. Doesn't take any crap from anyone."
"Yeah, I'm trying to do that. I really am." I admit. "But I'll try harder, okay?"
"Whatever works for you." She presses a kiss to my lips. "You know I support you, and you know that I love you. Just…give this a chance. She may even surprise you."
"Yeah." I scoff. "No chance of that happening."
Thanks for reading, guys. Reviews are welcome and appreciated.