Page 151 of Girls Will Be Girls
Sure, we’d been taught how to charm and manipulate all our lives, but when it came down to it, I couldn’t imagine anything I’d hate more than living like that for the rest of my life.
Otto is a born politician.
He knows exactly how to get what he wants, no matter the cost.
So when he decided to follow in our dad’s footsteps, I was grateful that it left Mom’s career path wide open.
But in true Otto form, as soon as I’d decided to go to school for journalism, to follow the path of least resistance, Otto decided that was the better path for him as well.
Our father was pissed for a while that neither of us was starting the journey to run for office, but he came around when he realized how muchbetterwe make each other. How the competition that we’d been fighting in all our lives would continue in our careers.
Besides, who says you can’t run for office after a successful journalism career? That’s something he’s expecting from at least one of us, ideally both.
I’ve handled everything so badly.
I let my brother get under my skin.
I’ve made stupid mistakes.
Like bringing Louisa to this dinner, subjecting her to my family. Making her go along with this in the first place.
I should’ve known that after Otto brought our parents into it this time that things had gone too far.
I feel awful. I feel sick to my stomach. That fucking delicious drink swirling around without much food probably isn’t helping.
Louisa means everything to me, and I fucked up.
I know I haven’t known her long, I know this whole thing is a whirlwind, but I have never been so sure about anything in my life. I know she’s it for me, and there’s no way in hell I’m letting her slip away.
I know Otto set me up.
He baited me, somehow knowing Louisa’s secret, but I’m still the one that screwed up.
I can fix this. I just need to fix this.
Right before I reach the front door of the restaurant, I’m pulled back by my shoulder, forcing me to stop.
When I turn around, I sigh loudly.
“I thought I told you to leave us alone.”
He shakes his head with a determined look. “I can’t.”
“What do you want, Otto?”
He stands there, looking exhausted. “Just leave it.”
“No.”
“Let her go.”
I push his shoulder with my hand, lighter than I wanted to. “What the hell is it to you?” My voice rises. “This is youprotectingme? You have been trying to fuck with me since the moment you learned you had a brother.” I shake my head. “How is this protecting me? How is you being an asshole doing anything but harming me?”
He wipes his hand over his face. “If you marry her, Mom and Dad will never drop it. They will come after you every chance they get, they’ll come afterher. You know the hell they put us through, you really wanna bring someone they already disapprove of into that?” He’s shouting by the end.
“I don’t care,” I say. “I really don’t care. I’ll keep her away from it. I’ll take it. Because being with her is worth every second of shit from them.”
“Says the guy that is still in a job he hates because his parents forced him into it.”
