Page 29 of Flawless Foundations

Fuck. If I have to officially apply and interview, I'll freaking do it. This game is pissing me off.

I sit down at my desk for the first time in hours. I let out a breath, closing my eyes for a brief second.

"You look like shit. Not sleeping well?" My eyes fly open at the voice. I'd recognize Emmy's voice anywhere. Gone is her light and fun tone, her words clipped.

"My God, give me a heart-attack, why don't you. I didn't even know you were here." She doesn't answer.

Did I close my eyes longer than I thought? She perches on the edge of the couch in my office. Her arms crossed over her chest. She looks pissed. Great.

"Not that I don't love a visit from my sister, why are you here exactly?" I lean forward, placing my elbows on my desk.

"I called you a few times this week. You never answered." Shit. She's right.

I wince. "Sorry, Em. It's been so crazy here this week. I haven't even—" I slam my mouth shut. I was about to tell her I haven't even seen Becca when I realize that I don't know if Becca and Emmy have talked yet. Does she know?

Her phone beeps, and she reaches into her purse and momentarily places her focus elsewhere. I shoot off my own text.

Me:Did you tell Em about us yet?

Nothing. A second later, Emmy slides her phone back into her purse. "You weren't answering, so I booked a lunch with you." She scoots into her seat, clearly stating that she's staying put.

I pull up my calendar on my computer, sure enough, there's a lunch blocked out.

"Where do you want to go?" I stand, button my suit jacket, and move around the desk.

"Right here. Food has been ordered, should be here any minute." She looks really mad. I'm not normally on the receiving end of her anger. It's a bit scary.

"So, what's up? How's Jake? The house?" I try to make conversation just as a knock sounds from the door. Heather opens the door and brings in a couple bags from a sub shop down the street. I smile and nod as our lunch is handed over. I thank her as she exits and closes the door behind her.

I pull out the subs and some sides. My stomach is aching with hunger and I realize that I didn't eat breakfast this morning.

I get ready to take a bite of my hero sub, when she chooses that very moment to speak. "Are you screwing Becca?" I nearly choke on my food as I quickly try to chew and swallow. I hold up a finger and cough a few times. Guess there's my answer. No, she doesn't know. Clearly, she suspects. I know Becca wanted to tell her, but I can't lie to her, I'll have to come clean.

I suck down some Diet Coke that came with the meal before carefully choosing my words.

"Becca and I are seeing each other." Her mouth opens to interject but I hold up my hand asking her to wait. "We are actually in a relationship. An exclusive one."

"How long?" She hasn't touched her food. If looks could kill, I'd be a dead man.

"A little more than a month." I try not to flinch as this answer puts her over the edge. She shoots up off the couch, nearly knocking her food and drink over in the process.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now, Levi? A month?! When were you guys going to tell me—or were you just planning on keeping me in the dark?" She's yelling at me.

"No, we didn't want to keep you in the dark, but we wanted to make sure this thing between us was real before we told you." She shakes her head, speechless. "If it helps at all, Becca was supposed to tell you this week." I'm wondering why the hell she hasn't.

Immediately, she softens slightly. She plops back down on the couch. "I may have been avoiding her."

"What? Why?"

"I suspected the two of you were hooking up, and I wanted to talk to you first." She leans forward to unwrap her sandwich. I take the opportunity to attempt another bite.

Through my mouthful, I say, "More like yell." Because if you can't forget your table manners with your sister, who can you do that with?

"Sorry," she mutters.

"Please don't avoid her anymore, she's already worried about not seeing you; you'd probably caused her to think her fears are warranted." If I'd been around this week, I'd know whether she's feeling the way I suspect she is.

Emmy's shoulders drop. "No, that hurts my heart. Now I feel like an asshole."

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