Page 3 of Losing Ansley

"There's a code." He declares, and my mouth pops open.

"A code?" This time he rolls his eyes, which is very unlike him. I smirk, enjoying how ruffled he is.

"Yes, a code. You never kiss or sleep with your best friend's sibling or an ex." He huffs, and I snort, causing him to glare at me.

"Did he make the same promise to you?" He stares at me before comprehending what I said.

"Yes. He beats himself up that he wasn't there that day." I sigh and glance down at my bare feet. We had been dumb five-year-old kids jumping into a lake. We had been told countless times not to do when adults weren't around.

"Besides, I made a promise." He murmurs. I step up to him and push his shoulder.

"You know what?" He eyes me, waiting for me to speak.

"To hell with your promise." I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him before he can back away. This time he's the one that doesn't return my embrace. He stiffens, and I realize the mistake I've made. Pulling back, I don't look at him.

"I'm such an idiot," I whisper more to myself than him.

"Ansley." I shake my head, stopping whatever he has to say. I bite my lip and take a step back toward his window.

"Sorry, Lincoln." With that, I climb out of his window and down the terrace. He doesn't come after me or try to stop me this time. One day I'll become a famous designer, and I can move to a big city and forget this night has ever happened.

CHAPTER TWO

LINCOLN

PRESENT DAY

I sit at my desk and stare at my computer, waiting for Ansley to come in here to review the plan for recording demos before the app launches in a few weeks. She walks to my door but her phone rings, so she puts her finger up to answer it and walks away.

I grind my teeth. She tests me as no one does. She's the only one who won't align with how I want things to run around here. Although lately, Caroline and Liv have been pushing back too, and I blame Ansley for that. While I wait, I organize the items on my desk.

I've known Ansley since she was born. Her brother, Dylan, and I have been best friends since our parents brought us home from the hospital. My mom and his mom were friends in high school. They always dreamed of getting married around the same time and having babies simultaneously.

The plan worked until it didn't. Dylan and I were born a day apart. I'm older, and I'll never let Dylan forget it. We were six when Ansley and Ivy were born. I'll never forget the day they were born. We made two promises to each other that day.

One, we'd protect the other's sister for the rest of our lives. Two, we'd never kiss the other's sister. At the age of six, that was an easy promise to make. I didn't want anything to do with girls, but things started changing as we got older.

The day I saved her caused a bond between us that is unexplainable. And the day our parents died, and she climbed into my bedroom window, it changed many things. And ever since, our relationship has been strained.

She doesn't want to be working for me. She'd rather be doing something with fashion, but she's made unfortunate financial decisions that put her into debt. So, now, she's working for me. She hates it and tries to keep it a secret that we know each other.

But lately, it's gotten worse, and I'm at a loss about what to do or how to improve it. She's struggling, but she refuses to ask for help. It's not in my nature to let that go, which is why I insisted she works here. She refuses to tell Dylan and puts on a show for her friends, but I know, and she hates it.

I glance at my watch and have had enough of waiting for her. Ten minutes, Jesus! Standing, I walk out of my office and into hers. She has her phone in front of her, and she's talking about cheering on someone.

"Ansley," I bark. "Some time today!" She glances up from her phone and rolls her eyes.

"I have to go. Lincoln is riding my ass hard tonight. I'll put Saturday night on my calendar. Text me the details later." I arch an eyebrow at her as she waves bye and hangs up.

"There, are you happy?" She snaps. And I want to throttle her or spank her. I can't decide.

"Why are you such a brat?" I question her, and she shrugs one shoulder as she runs her hands through her red hair.

"You like it when I'm a brat, and you know it." I grind my teeth and motion for her to move her ass. She huffs, standing from her chair, and I clench my jaw. She's wearing a knee-length red skirt showing off her long legs and a black blouse with the top two buttons undone.

Her red hair hangs in waves around her shoulders today. I can't remember the last time I saw Ansley not wholly put together. I miss the nights of us chilling and watching TV. Now, she avoids me at all costs. Pushing those thoughts away, we walk into my office, and I sit in my chair.

"You can pull that chair over here." Of course, she doesn't. She sits on my desk, crossing her legs and eyeing me, waiting for me to give her instructions. I inhale deeply, trying to ignore the fact she's messed up the desk I just spent time cleaning. I turn the monitor slightly so she can see what I'm looking at and try my best to ignore her legs.

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