Page 46 of Save Me

Kyle clears his throat. “Even if that were the case, would that be terrible?”

My shoulders slump. “Yes!” I insist louder than I mean to. “Would getting the job as COO because you’re the boss’ son be such a bad thing?” I add in a mocking tone.

His eyes narrow on me. “I earned that promotion,” he defends, arms folding like our father’s.

“Exactly.” I thrust my hands outward. “You know what it’s like to work for something, and to think someone pulled strings to get to where you are now doesn’t feel so good, does it?”

His expression turns contrite. “I get it,” he concedes. “I didn’t have anything to do with your job. I swear.”

I turn to my father, who, surprisingly, is wearing a rare smile.

“I didn’t pull any favors,” he finally says.

“Are you sure? Not even a ‘my daughter would like that open position at your newspaper’ in passing?”

“Not even.”

I push out a breath, feeling relieved.

My dad places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes. Unmistakable pride shines in his hazel eyes.

“I’m so damn proud of you.” He looks over at Kyle. “Of both of you. Of all of my kids.” Then he looks across the room, and that look he always gets when he stares at my mom covers his face. “Your mother’s mostly responsible for how well you all turned out.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, old man,” Kyle teases, gripping his shoulder.

Dad gives him a sharp look. One that’s been known to freeze heads of corporations in their seats. Kyle, though, laughs it off.

“I’ll show you old.”

“Are you threatening my son?” my mother asks as she moves to my father’s side.

“Yes,” he answers, not bothering to look ashamed. He wraps an arm around my mother’s shoulders. “He called me old. Ungrateful ass. I think we fed him too well growing up.”

My mom laughs.

“You’re not allowed to hurt my baby boy tonight,” she replies. “Especially since he’s the only one of our sons who can be here in person.”

She smiles as she says it, but her voice has a hint of sadness. My two younger brothers, Andreas and Thiers, also twins, aren’t here. At only nineteen, Andreas lives in California and is an up-and-coming actor in Hollywood. Thiers is in his second year in the military.

My heartstrings tug because I miss my little brothers.

“Andreas called about an hour ago,” my mom says. “We were upstairs on the phone with him.”

I nod.

“Dinner’s ready,” Stasi screams from the dining area.

My mother quickly scolds her for yelling across the entire house.

A smile crests on my lips because it reminds me of my mom scolding me or Kyle when we were younger.

As I start to follow my family to the dining area, my cell phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out to see Dae’s name on the screen. Since our last date, we’ve talked or texted on the phone daily.

Our conversations are usually short, but I can’t ignore the butterflies I get in my stomach whenever I see his name on my phone screen.

“Hello?” I answer before thinking better of it. I pause at the little entryway right before the dining room. The rest of my family piles in and around the table.

“Hello, little warrior.”

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