“Stop your complaining. Noah will appreciate what you're getting out of this. That should be incentive enough right there.” It was a similar encouraging technique to the one Vienna had used when Leah expressed how silly she felt in the zombie prom photoshoot. “I think you're just bitching for bitching's sake, because I did it to you.”
She snorted a laugh. “Me and my big mouth. Fingers crossed that you forget about your little plot by the time I'm photographable again.”
“It's like you have to relearn everything about each other,” Leah observed. Then she amended, “Or, I guess it's more that she has to relearn things about you as well as learn the things that have changed. I can imagine that being a daunting task.” There were some days she wasn't sure how to talk to Kori; the woman was still the same, but there were differences since Mike died.
Leah nodded, shifting into another pose in an effort to ease the discomfort she was feeling. The pain, a dull throbbing now, felt almost like a contraction, but... she didn't want to overthink it. It was too soon for those to happen. “That's true. And younger siblings have ways of pushing those annoying buttons. Not that you're annoying,” she added hastily, with a hint of a smile. “Stereotypical younger sibling traits.”
“I don't know,” she answered honestly. Leah wasn't in the habit of speaking ill of her brother, but she considered Bea a friend, even if they didn't talk as much as they used to, and there was a certain level of protectiveness there. “I don't think he would on purpose, but he's never been the type to want a serious relationship. The last woman he was with... well, she wasn't that great of a person. Whatever he's got going on with your sister sort of puts me in an odd position. I don't want to lose Bea as a friend if whatever it is goes sour between them.”
She shrugged, then raised her head to look at Vienna. “I'd prefer it if that was kept between you and me, though. I don't want to be the one to fuck things up.” Like she usually was. She really did want her brother to be happy, but she didn't have much faith in his track record with women.