"Siiiiisssssssss!!!! How could you do this to me? What was the rush? You could not even invite your one and only lovely gentlemanly brother to your wedding? Whhhyyyyyy?????"
"Hahahahaahaaaa, stop being dramatic!" Shelby felt a genuine smile stretch across her face as she heard the familiar voice of her brother, Rockwell. Rockwell preferred to go by the name Rocky as, in his own words, it indicated his ’masculinity’. She had just re-entered the room allocated to her after successfully leaving the evening’s ’festivities!’
Even as Rocky said these words, Shelby could hear him smiling on the other side of the phone. She was happy to hear from him, and judging from the numerous missed calls from Rocky, Shelby could say the same for him.
"Did my dad do anything to you? Does he have a hand in this? I don’t get it. I was to come home next week. If you could not wait till then, then Dad must have had a hand in it."
Shelby tightly shut her eyes, and the smile dropped off her face. In all her life, she could confidently say that whatever James had done or tried to do, it never escaped his son, Rocky, but she never capitalized on it to destroy the father-son bond between them.
"Why would you say that, Rocky? ’Our dad’ did nothing. I fell in love with-"
"Spare me that, Sissyy, I know you better than you think you know yourself. For one, I know that you will never sign up to be a catalogue bride. As for the reason, you know better than I do. So, are you going to tell me what is going on?"
"Really, Rocky, nothing is up-"
"Shelby Monroe! Do you take me as a kid? I am nineteen now! A full-blown adult. So, treat me as such."
Shelby sighed silently as she realized that Rocky would never let go. Her eyes moistened with tears as she silently thought, ’At least, I have one more person on my side!’
"So, what did he threaten you with this time? Mum or my education?"
"I knew it! Your reaction just gave you away. Why do you always fall for that, Shelby? I just completed my school registration and was waiting to surprise you with it. I guess I should have told you earlier.... Damn!"
Shelby’s eyes glazed over with the thought of James’ words earlier that day:
"Rockwell Wendover, please let it go. The deed is done, and there is no use mopping over it."
"But sisssyyyy!!!!! The man is already forty years old!"
"I’m being serious here, Shelby!"
"I know you are, and so am I. Older men are wiser and more knowledgeable. He will know how to care for women, so I have nothing to worry about. Besides, life begins at forty, so I am on the winning side. To add to it, he is rich and powerful and-"
"Yeah, yeah.... All I hear are excuses. I know you are not vain and will never look for these things in any man. Heck! Because of that issue, I know with a hundred per cent certainty that you will never look for any man. Shelby, seriously, please!"
Shelby hesitated for a while before answering, especially as she knew exactly of the ’issue’ that her brother was referring to.
"Rocky, thank you. I know you care-"
"What of that man? Where is he?"
"He is not ’that man’. He is now your brother-in-law. He is Ian Thornston, so address him with the respect that he deserves."
Deep down, Shelby felt like crying... feeling so touched and overwhelmed by the day’s activities and by her brother’s concern. Rocky always understood, but Shelby never wanted him to be involved in any of the issues she had faced in the Wendover household. Besides, even if she did know that Rocky had successfully completed all procedures to start medical school, she would have still let herself be blackmailed into signing that contract because there was still the matter of her mother. Also, James always had ways of getting whatever he wanted.
’I am just glad he never got what he wanted, though.’ She thought as she pulled off the ring and then the glove. She examined the tattoo-like imprint on her ring finger and then settled the ring right on it, twirling it around her finger a few times. She sighed as her mind travelled back a bit to that day...
"Shelby? Are you there?"
"Yes, Rocky, I am. Tell me about your school and your roommates...."
"Don’t try to change the subject," he replied helplessly, but even Rocky knew when to back off. After all, the deed was already done. He just wished that his sister would have a better life in her new home than what she experienced so far in her own home.
"I hear some friends behind you. How are you settling in?"
Rockwell had been travelling with friends before their tertiary education started, and they had not had that much time to sync up. Besides, with what and how James handled the whole thing, there was no way she could have wiggled out.
Rocky sighed and realized that he would not get anything else out of his sister. He went ahead and talked to her about his activities over the past few months he had left home and about his new school. But then, as if remembering something, he asked,
"Didn’t you just get married, sis? Can you stay on the phone that long? Can I say ’Hi’ to your husband?"
Thank you so much to all for your votes and comments! I hope we can keep it up ^_^