Page 30 of Flawless Foundations

"You should." I take another bite. She gives me angry eyes.

"That's partly why I'm so mad at you. Had you answered my call Monday, I wouldn't have had to dodge my bestie."

"Wait, why am I the one you're mad at? It takes two to tango." Her nose scrunches at my line.

"I'm not mad at Bex. I'm a little hurt that she's been keeping this from me for weeks, but she's always had a thing for you. So, I'm not mad at her for finally getting what she's always wanted. That doesn't mean I can't be pissed at you."

I humph. "I don't understand."

"One, you're an idiot if you never realized she's been head over heels for you since we were twelve. And two, I know what's really going on, and I don't like it. I hate it, actually," she says.

"I knew about the crush. But what am Idoing," I air quote the word, "exactly that has you hating on me?" I scarf down the last of my sub and eye the cup of potato salad on the table in front of me.

"I heard you and our father talking. You need to be married before he will hand over King to you." She levels me with a stare.

Fuck.

My throat is dry. I try a drink. It doesn't help. "Em. Let me be very clear here. I'm with Becca for one reason only, and it's because I want to be. Our relationship is ours alone and is not driven by anything to do with this place or Joseph King."

"Does she know?"

"No."

Emmy closes her eyes, the disappointment evident when she opens them again. "You need to tell her."

"I plan on it. I'm just..." I scratch my temple.

"Just what, Levi? Waiting for the right time?" She levels me with a stare. "There is no right time at this point to tell your girlfriend that your dad expects you to be married before the end of the year in order to take over your legacies. She's going to question everything."

"I know." I feel defeated. I can't win. Everywhere I turn, I'm treading water with no end in sight.

"Look, I love you. I think what Dad is doing is shit. If he cared one iota for what I had to say, I'd give him a piece of my mind. But he doesn't, so the only thing I can do is look out for my best friend. If you hurt her, I will hurt you," she says this in all seriousness. I believe her, she's always been protective of Becca.

"I won't hurt her," I say it with more conviction than I feel. She eyes me, trying to figure out how sincere I am.

"You really care for her?" she asks, letting down her guard.

"More than I ever thought possible," I tell her truthfully.

She must believe me as she nods and then looks down at her uneaten lunch. I give her a few moments to catch up.

"What made you suspect Becca and me to start with?"

"Jake. He slipped about seeing you guys in a hallway and then worked like a bat out of hell backtracking. The poor guy should win an award for the effort he went to keep it a secret."

Poor guy. He's got his work cut out for him with my sister.

Chapter 15

Becca

I'm sitting at my desk with my planner open and I'm using my favorite set of colored pens to outline my next several months of blog posts and video ideas. I've decided to focus on Glitz & Gloss and try to build up my viewership instead of rushing around to find a new job. I don't have to have a job. I want to work, and I want to work for a living, but since I have the funds, why not try to make money by focusing on my passion? I think it makes sense.

I've talked to my parents about it, and surprisingly, they didn't hate my plan. Granted, I would have moved forward with this plan whether they approved or not, but I still respect their opinions. I think they were just thrilled I wasn't bartending anymore. They really hated that I did that.

I submitted my resume to a couple places, including one at King Cosmetics, but I haven't heard anything from them. That's okay, though. I'm not discouraged. I closed a door at Blush, I'm waiting to see what new one opens. In the meantime, I'd be stupid not to work on Glitz & Gloss.

After a few conversations with Levi about where I see my site going in the future, it's just put me in such a positive place. I'm so excited to see where I can take this site.

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