Page 2 of Off Limits

“Why are you dreading it?” Jesse asked. “Are your parents being assholes again?”

“Always.” I shot him a sardonic smile. “But tomorrow isn’t about them. Well, it isn’tjustabout them.”

“So what’s the other thing you’re dreading?” Isaac asked. “I’ll keep asking until you give me the real answer, FYI.”

I sighed but couldn’t hide my smile. Isaac was like a dog with a bone when he got something in his head, and his and Jesse’sconcern helped clear away some of the storm clouds that had indeed been hovering over my mood for the past few weeks.

“My stepbrother moved back to town a few weeks ago.” Leaning back against my worktable, I crossed my arms. “I’ve been able to avoid him until now, but he’s going to be there tomorrow.”

“Dex?” Isaac asked, his brow knitted. “He’s your oldest stepbrother, right?”

I nodded. I didn’t fault him for not being sure. I had five stepsiblings, and I tried to avoid talking about Dex unless necessary, so neither Isaac nor Jesse knew much about him.

“He’s the athlete, right?” Isaac asked. “Didn’t he go to some fancy college on a football scholarship?”

“Notre Dame,” I said, unable to hide the bitterness in my voice.

Isaac let out a low whistle. “Damn. That’s kinda impressive.”

“It is,” I said. Isaac wasn’t wrong. Getting a full-ride scholarship to Notre Dame for their football program was an incredible accomplishment. So was graduating top of his class with a double major because the golden child of the family wasn’t satisfied with getting just one degree from his prestigious school. “He’s why I’m dreading tomorrow.”

Jesse cocked his head to the side, his question clear.

“This is the first time he’s come home since he graduated last year,” I explained. “And he’s not just here on a visit like before. I already know everyone is going to spend the party gushing and fawning over him, and I’ll be the one who has to entertain the kids and try to make Ruby’s day special for her and not have it be all about the return of the prodigal son.”

Jesse’s expression melted into one of understanding. As the middle child with two incredibly talented and accomplished brothers, he understood where I was coming from.

“That sucks,” Isaac said sympathetically. “But it’s only a few hours, right? And there will be cake.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. Usually that kind of silver lining talk would just piss me off more, but not when it was from Isaac. His endless optimism came from a pure place, and I knew he was genuinely trying to make me feel better and not just gaslighting me or minimizing my struggles like most people who said that kind of shit.

“Yeah, tomorrow will only be a few hours, but so will the next time I have to see him at a family thing or whenever our paths cross. I’ve spent the last five years doing everything I can to avoid him, and I won’t be able to do that anymore without ignoring my little siblings, and I can’t do that to them.”

“That’s a tough place to be,” Isaac said, his tone more subdued. “Maybe things won’t be so bad after all this time?”

Jesse snort-laughed.

“What?” Isaac asked.

“I didn’t see Bas for almost four years before he moved home and I still hated him,” Jesse said with a smirk. “Time doesn’t make that kind of animosity go away.”

“That’s true.” Isaac nodded thoughtfully. “But you and Bas were wickedly attracted to each other and couldn’t admit it.” He flicked his gaze to mine. “Is it like that with you and Dex?”

I shook my head. “I hate him because he’s an asshole.”

My voice caught a bit on the last word, but thankfully neither Jesse nor Isaac seemed to notice.

Memories invaded my senses, replaying the night I made the biggest mistake of my life. Warm hands and a soft, masculine voice. The press of a big, strong body behind mine, the sound of harsh breathing in my ear, and the smell of bergamot and cinnamon all wrapped around me, even as I fought to shut them down and tuck them back into the corner of my subconscious where they belonged.

“Hey, guys?” Dev, one of our bosses, called from the door to the back office.

“Yeah?” Isaac shouted back.

“Can one of you go through the shipment we got this morning and check the items against the delivery manifest? We’re short a box, and no one will talk to me about it until I know what’s missing.”

“I’ll do it,” I said quickly. Doing inventory was the perfect task to keep me from obsessing about tomorrow. It was mindless, but it still needed enough concentration that my thoughts wouldn’t wander.

“Thanks.” Dev flashed me a smile and headed back into the office.

---