Page 62 of Arden and the Girl Downstairs

“How many guys is Julia talking to at the moment?”

“Just Jarred–”

“Bullshit.” Now it’s my turn to call it.

“I know for a fact she’s still talking to Logan. Which we are going to have to talk about at some point because that is another over-my-dead-body relationship. There is no way I am letting that dude bro get anywhere near my sister.”

“You may not have a say in the matter. I have seen how he looks at her and it’s like she’s it for him,” Chase interjects, not helping the situation.

“Yet, last week, he was putting a post on social media asking which girl was going to come and entertain him at the bar and get the chance to take him home.”

“Okay, so he might have a bit of a problem,” Ella admits.

“Have you heard about his thing with the whole fifteen hundred women?” I ask her.

“What do you mean fifteen hundred women?”

“Logan has been telling people that thefifteen hundredth woman he sleeps with will be his end game. I walked into a conversation at Grumpy’s.”

The truth bomb I drop has the desired effect: my friends are all shocked. Their expressions tell me that much. We all know he’s addicted to sex, we just didn’t realisehowaddicted until we heard his numbers.

“He still thinks I’m going to be his brother-in-law. There is no way that I am letting him anywhere near my sister.”

“Hate to burst your bubble, babe, but I’m pretty sure you don’t get a say in that matter.”

Ella throws me off temporarily with her use ofbabe. She rarely uses nicknames for me.

“Why do you say that?” I grit out, not liking the turn this conversation has taken.

“Because Julia is a big girl, and she can look after herself.”

“Yes, but have you met Logan?”

“I have, and I have also met Jarred, and I have met Isaiah.”

“Wait—she’s messaging Isaiah as well?” I throw a glare at Yasmin and Ally now.

It’s their fault that Julia knows Isaiah. They hired him as her tutor while she was recovering and trying to catch up on all the school work she missed. From memory, he is in his last year of university and was offering tutoring on the side while also helping as a teacher’s assistant for one of his professors. He took up the extra tutoring gig because he needed some cash. Everything’s a little fuzzy because I only met him once, and I lost my shit and yelled at everybody at the time, which wasn’t my finest moment.

But no, this is my baby sister. She cannot be talking to three different guys at the same time.

“What is with all these people and having multiple boyfriends? What happened to the day when just one person made you happy?” I say to my group of friends.

“If it makes you feel any better, you’re it for me.” Ella is trying to cheer me up.

I pull her close again—she’d moved back while we were talking. Giving her a quick kiss, I let her know she’s reassured me enough. But I’m still going to be having words with my sister, and potentially Ralph—we might need to tighten the security.

“No, you will not be talking to Ralph.” It’s as if Ella is reading my mind. “You will just let this play out. If Julia decides she wants to be with Logan, when the time is right, you will let them be together. If she decides she wants to be with Jarred, then so be it. If she decides she wants Isaiah, then you will support her. And if she decides she wants all three, you will be happy that you have three intelligent men looking after your sister. It’s time to let go, Arden. Your dad has stepped up. Let him deal with Julia and her potential harem, if or when it happens.” She gives me another kiss. “But Icantell you, at the moment, nothing is happening. They are just talking, and with what Julia has been through, she needs this. She needs people who don’t know her, or her history, or what she’s been through. People that she can just be herself with. They are learning who she is, from her.”

“But Julia needs to be careful.”

I worry constantly about my sister. I always will.

“Yes, I know. I assure you all three of them are aware of her diabetes and her other health complications. I think you’ll be surprised once you get to know them.”

I huff in defeat, knowing she’s right, but I’m still not happy about it.

“Fine, I’ll see how it plays out, and I’ll stay out of it. But I can’t make any promises that if they hurt—”

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