Page 85 of Billionaire Temptations

“Hello, Emerson.”

“Hey, big brother. Listen, I need some more cash.”

“Em, you’re done. Your money is pretty much depleted. You told me you would settle in one place and get a job.”

“I had a job. I quit. It’s time to move on. I’m over Texas, Adam, and I need to leave.”

I heard him sigh. “Emerson, you’re twenty-six years old. It’s time to stop what you’re doing and settle down somewhere. Make a place your permanent home. I thought we talked about this already.”

“Adam, I need some money to leave Texas. I can’t stay here anymore.”

“What happened to that cowboy you were seeing? I thought things were serious between the two of you.”

“Nah. He was nice and all, but he was getting too serious. He started talking about marriage and kids. Do you see now why I need to leave?”

“You can’t keep going on like this, Em. The answer is no. You’re not getting any more money because there isn’t any. I warned you about this a year ago. Damn it. It’s time you grew up.”

“I am grown up. Just because I don’t like to be stuck in the same place and live a boring, ordinary life as most people do, doesn’t mean I’m a child.”

“It’s always the same argument with you.”

“Fine, Adam. Leave me homeless.”Click.

I threw my phone down on the couch and paced around the room. I was going crazy here in Texas and needed to leave ASAP. I had other places to go. He didn’t understand. He couldn’t understand. No matter how many times I tried to explain it, he didn’t want to hear it. Just because he was happy being cooped up in an office working a nine-to-five job didn’t mean shit.

The next morning, as I was drinking my coffee and dodging calls from Billy, my phone rang, and it was Adam.

“What?” I answered in a huff.

“Watch that tone of yours, little sister. Listen, I’ve been thinking that you need to come back to California for a while. We need to sit down and have a talk.”

“You mean you need to sit down and lecture me? And I don’t want to go back there.”

He sighed. “My job is relocating me to Tennessee for the next three months to try and save a company that’s going under. I’ve bought a plane ticket for you, and you’re going to stay with a friend of mine. His name is Alex Parker.”

“Why can’t I stay at your place? If I decided to come back.”

“Because it’s being renovated while I’m gone, and it will be unlivable.”

“So, you want me to stay with a guy friend of yours? What brother does that to his sister? Just tells her to move in with a total stranger?”

“Trust me. You have nothing to worry about with Alex. Besides, he owes me a favor, and I called it in last night. Three months, Em, and then I’ll be back, and we’re going to talk. But, within those three months, you are to figure out your damn life and decide where you’re going to plant yourself in this world and stay. Alex’s house is huge, and he’s never home, so you’ll barely see him.”

“I don’t know about this, Adam. I don’t want to come back, and you know that.”

“Do you want to get out of Texas or not? This is your only option,” he spoke with seriousness.

“Fine.” I sighed. “I’ll come to California. When is my flight?”

“Tomorrow morning at eight a.m. So, get packing.”

“Will I see you tomorrow?”

“No. I’ll be gone before your flight gets in. I’ll text you Alex’s address. Just take a cab there and get yourself settled. I’ll be back in three months.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay. Since you have my life all figured out for me, I guess I have no choice.”

“Have a safe flight, and I’ll talk to you soon.”

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