Only for the Week

“Hell, I was the one who comforted Ri when she started panicking that they were moving too fast due to Arnold proposing after three months. I was the one who convinced her not to break things off, and yet somewhere along the way, everyone deluded themselves into thinking that I’m some heartbroken woman scorned that’s barely holding on to my sanity.”

Janelle’s exasperated tone here establishes that her tense relationship with her sister will be key to the narrative, introducing the theme of The Pain of Dysfunctional Family and Sibling Rivalry. The repetition of “I was the one” emphasizes how active Janelle is in maintaining the peace in her family, even as others assume she must be fragile from her breakup with Arnold. The remark that others around her are “deluded” establishes that while Janelle has a firm sense of self, her family and friends do not fully understand her.

“They’re the color of midnight, tempting you to plunge into the pits of darkness with them. The line-up on his taper fade is crisp. His beard is close cut but long enough at the chin for me to grab and hold on to. Nope. Cancel out those thoughts. It can’t happen.”

Janelle’s description here, especially of Rome’s eyes as a source of temptation, conveys the extent of his charisma and her attraction. She imagines gripping his beard, which betrays that she has some romantic fantasies involving him even as she tries to banish them. Her repeated insistence on the impossibility of a relationship reveals that Janelle resists her authentic desires—a challenge that will become central to her eventual romance with Rome.

“‘Well, why don’t we go over to the desk and see if they can upgrade your tickets? My treat.’ Amerie shrugs. 

Now, I’m just insulted. I can pay for my own first-class ticket, she should know that’s not the damn point. 

Stop what you’re doing and count to ten. It’s her wedding vacation, you can’t go off on her.”

Amerie’s nonchalance and pretense that she can fix her oversight with money highlight the extent of her self-centeredness. Just as significantly, Janelle refuses to tell her what the “damn point” of her reaction is, believing that the wedding entitles her sister to selfish behavior.