Seth looked over at his sister Adelina. She might smile and pretend to be happy but her chocolate brown eyes gave her away. She couldn't hide it in her eyes. He knew her inside out. She was a good actor around everyone else but she could never fool him.
"Your hair is getting long," Seth said.
Adelina gathered her long, dark brown hair in her hand, looked at it, and shrugged. Normally she would cut it up her shoulder blades. It was almost reaching her lower back now. She always said she liked long hair, just not that long.
"I guess," Adelina said.
Seth looked over at Adelina's boyfriend Dolph. Dolph's hair was growing too but Seth didn't care about the man. He only cared about his sister.
"Here's the check," the waiter said.
Seth looked at it and nodded. They hadn't gone overboard with eating. Dolph was the one that had invited them out to eat. Adelina had offered to cook at home instead but Dolph insisted. Dolph cast a glance at the check and then started going through his pockets.
"Crap, I forgot my wallet," Dolph said. "Darling, could you take care of it? I'll pay you back when we get home."
"Sure," Adelina said.
Seth watched his sister as she put down her credit card to pay. She was trying to keep a straight face but he could see the cracks forming. Something was bothering her. He wanted to know what but he couldn't ask in front of Dolph.
"I'm not tired," Seth said. "Would you guys mind if I tag along to your place? Maybe we can watch a movie."
"Horror movie?" Adelina asked.
"Yes," Seth grinned. "Let's find something full of gore and see who can keep their eyes on the screen the longest."
"You're so on, little brother," Adelina said.
"I hate horror," Dolph said.
"You don't have to stay and watch with us," Seth said.
Dolph gave Seth a look but didn't say anything. He just nodded and accepted that. They got out in their cars and drove back to Adelina's house. Dolph quickly moved into the bedroom, closed the door, and started playing video games. All according to Seth's plan. The fact that Adelina had been so quick to say they should watch a horror movie made him know she knew something was up and that they needed to talk. He knew Dolph wouldn't stay when a nasty horror movie was being shown.
"Is everything alright?" He asked.
"Yes, everything's fine," she said.
He moved in front of her and stared her down. She couldn't hide the truth and looked down.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"I don't know anymore," she sighed. "He keeps saying he's got his credit card debt under control, but somehow I still keep paying for everything. Like tonight. He was supposed to pay, and I know he'll throw a fit about paying me back. He knows what to say to make me feel bad about wanting my money back."
"How much does he owe?" He asked.
"I have no idea. Like I said, he says he's got it under control and that he's paid it off, but he hasn't shown me any proof. He keeps buying all kind of stuff too. Stuff he doesn't need and probably can't afford," she answered. "I'm drowning here, Seth. I'm drowning in bills and my stomach constantly hurts. My savings have been drained and I don't know if I can pay rent next year. I still got a bit left for this year but I need him to start paying or I'm fucking doomed. I don't wanna go into debt. I just want to be able to breathe, you know. Just fucking breathe and not feel like I'm choking."
The bedroom door opened. Dolph came walking out. He passed them, went into the kitchen, and came back with a soda in his hand.
"I took the last one. We need to buy more tomorrow," Dolph said.
"You really should stop drinking that. It's too expensive. Drink some water instead," Adelina said.
"No, I want soda," Dolph said.
Dolph walked back to the bedroom and closed the door again. Seth looked at Adelina. In that moment he just wanted to get her out of the house and away from Dolph.
"Sell the house and come live with me," he said.
"I can't," she said.
"It's your damn house. You can do whatever you want with it," he said.
"He'll claim squatters' rights or renters' whatever the fuck it's called. I don't know the laws but he fucking does. I can't get him out if he doesn't want to leave," she said.
"Then think of something to make him leave. You're a fucking Rollins. We don't quit. We fight with everything we got. I don't care if you have to claw and bite and play dirty. Figure it out. Don't worry about his feelings in this mess. I think we can agree this relationship has been over for a long time. Your heart knows it but your brain hasn't accepted it yet," he said.
She looked down for a few seconds, then raised her head again and nodded. She wanted Dolph out of her life but she was stuck with him.
"I love this house," she said.
"I know you do but you were in a different position when you bought it. You had a higher paying job so you could afford it on your own. It's not your fault the pandemic happened and that you lost your job. You couldn't plan for that. None of us could. But it happened and you need to accept that and move on. You got a new job. You can pay rent and bills in something cheaper. You need to get out of this house and away from Dolph before he fucks you over completely, and he's damn near close to doing that," he said.
"You're right. You're absolutely right. It's just so fucking hard," she said.
He pulled her in for a much needed hug. She held on tight and let a few tears fall. She had faced some hard times but she always had her brother.
"Anything you need. Let me know," he said.
"I need a fucking haircut. I can't even afford that. I've been saving wherever I can," she said.
"I knew this wasn't you," he chuckled. "Well, if you trust me with a pair of scissors, I can fix that quickly. I've cut hair before. I can do a good job."
"Please," she said.
They walked out in the kitchen where he grabbed a pair of scissors and cut her hair. Soon it was back to her preferred length. She smiled at him and looked a bit more happy this time even though her eyes still had a sad look in them.
"Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome," he smiled. "Come up with a plan somehow. We can sit down and come up with something together if you want."
"I need to be sure before I make that step. I need to know if he's lying to me or not. I know it's easy for you to tell me to just walk away, but I've invested years with him. I need to know if this can be saved. How the fuck do I figure out if he's got debt or not when he won't show me anything?" She asked.
"Figure it out. You're a fucking Rollins, and we figure shit out," he said. "Whatever you need, I'm right here willing to help you."
