Why Can't You Love Me?

“You’re going to what?!” Mike let out in a loud whisper. He tried to keep his voice as low as possible because Melody was playing in the living room and he didn’t want her to hear the conversation from Lily’s room.

“We. Are. Going. To. Get. A. Cup. Of. Coffee.” Lily repeated in a slow, exaggerated way.

She stood in front of the mirror and continued with fixing her bangs before pulling a red knitted beanie on her head. She glanced at a fuming Mike, who was leaning against her door frame. Vic was sitting on Lily’s bed, pretending to not exist.

“Oh my God! Are you fucking serious?” Mike said in an exasperated voice. “How stupid can you be? Don’t you see what he’s getting at, Lilian?”

“Since when are we at full first name terms, Michael?” she retorted as she walked to the closet in a poise that seemed that this conversation wasn’t fazing her at all when it really was.

Who was Mike to think he was? Her dad? He was her brother and really had no say in what she could and could not do.

“You can NOT go out with Tony! Who’s going to watch Melody? I’m not! I love her to death, but I am not going to be taking care of her if you’re going to be going on dates with Tony!

“He’s bad for you! You just don’t know him!”

Lily exited the closet with a pair of Nike Janoskis in her hand and went to the bed to put on her shoes.

“Victor!” she whined, looking at her eldest brother as she sat down.

Vic shrugged his shoulders and looked at Mike in a warning manner.

“So you’re gonna take her side, Vic? Why are you okay with this!? You know how Tony is!” Mike said.

Again, Vic shrugged his shoulders.

“Dude, calm your balls. If Lily wants to go out, let her go. You know you’re going to watch Mel.” Vic said calmly. Why was he even here, he thought. He was perfectly fine with whatever Lily did. He didn’t quite understand why Mike was tripping.

“NO!” Mike almost yelled. “You know what’s going to happen tonight? He’s going to take you out, be all gentlemen-y, and then have sex with you, Lily!”

“Mike, I reassure you that Tony and me going to get a cup of coffee is NOT code for us going to get a hotel room and fucking like horndogs.” Lily said, putting a hand over her heart and lifting two fingers with the other hand. “Scout’s Honor.”

“You weren’t even in the fucking Boy Scouts.” Vic said with a chuckle. Lily gently ribbed him and shh’ed him.

Mike rolled his eyes.

“You’re taking this so fucking overboard. Do you just really hate Tony or what?” Lily asked.

“I love Tony to death, and you know that! That’s my best bud! But I don’t want him fucking with my sister’s emotions and breaking your heart! You come before him any day!” Mike said.

The siblings glared at each other. Lily understood that Mike was just trying to protect her. He was the older brother. That’s what brothers are supposed to do, but she knew that Tony was not going to hurt her… at least not yet, anyways. It was just a harmless outing. It was not a date. It was just an evening outing to the Starbucks down the street.

“Look, if anything happens then you have the right to say that you told me so, but fuck, Mike, give him a chance! We’re not going to do anything. What makes Tony so different from Jaime? You had no problem when me and Jaime used to go hang out all the time!”

Mike turned away from her.

“That was before Jonathan. That was high school, Lily.” He said.

“There really isn’t difference.” She mumbled.

Then Vic finally spoke up again. He really didn’t want this to turn into an ugly argument that led to the three not ever speaking to each other.

“Mikey, she’s gonna go out whether you say no or not. So chill. She already said you can tell her off if something bad happens, which I doubt because then Tony would have to deal with us and shit. And Lily, just… be safe.”

Lily looked at Vic with appreciative eyes. Mike sighed heavily and then stormed off to hang with Melody.

“He’s just really scared, sis. You know he’s been paranoid about you and guys since… you know.” Vic said quietly.

Lily nodded with her head down.

“I know, but he doesn’t have to be such an ass about it.” She replied before Melody came skipping into the room.