Page 48 of Falling For Her Boss

“I know what I’m doing,” she hisses. “I think it’s you that doesn’t know what you’re doing. You come over here uninvited and start telling me how to live my own life, while standing in my apartment? You have some nerve.”

“I’m trying to protect you,” Joshua snaps. “Someone’s got to.”

“I can take care of myself. And I seriously don’t need a lecture,” Isabella says, crossing her arms. “Besides, he’s your best friend. Why don’t you trust him to be a real man? He’s a gentleman, so stop telling me he’s trouble. He’s treated me better than I ever could have imagined. I want to be with him, Joshua. What’s so hard to accept about that?”

“He’s going to play you! Why can’t you have the sense to realize that men only ever want one thing?”

Isabella gives Joshua a scathing look. “Just because that’s all you want, don’t lump all other men in your category. Grow up, Joshua, and stop generalizing. I know there are some scumbags out there, but Logan isn’t one of them.”

I don’t know whether I should try and contribute to this conversation or not. Whatever I say, Joshua is going to shoot me down, but sitting here and letting Isabella fight my battles for me doesn’t exactly shed me in a good light or make me feel like much of a man, especially one who wants her as bad as I do. I stand up and cross the room to put an arm around Isabella.

“Look, I know this can’t be an easy pill to swallow,” I start carefully, looking Joshua in the eye. “I know you are protective of Isabella. But I want to be with her too. This isn’t just some casual fling. I’ve wanted this for a really long time. Can’t you find it in you to be happy for us?”

“It’s all just words,” Joshua growls. “How am I supposed to trust you when you went behind my back.”

“You didn’t give us a lot of choice,” I say gently. “You literally tried to keep us apart. But we’ve got a connection…we keep coming back together, despite everything we have been through together. We really care for one another.”

“You need to have a little faith,” Isabella says, her voice quieter now. “And even if this is a mistake, it’s mine to make.”

“He’s your boss. If you were mature enough to handle a relationship, you’d be mature enough to know that sleeping with your boss is a bad decision. You could start a scandal! You could get in real trouble, and all you care about is following your childish crush.”

Isabella straightens up. “I know how I feel. I guess you’ll never be able to understand what we have, because you refuse to put your heart on the line, but I’m willing to take the risk for Logan. If he breaks my heart…well, at least it was my choice. I refuse to live my life with my brother making every decision for me.”

Joshua stares at Isabella. It feels like a private moment between siblings and I want to walk away, but I don’t want to seem like a coward. The way he’s looking at her now, it’s almost as though he doesn’t recognize her.

“You’ve changed,” he says quietly. Isabella blinks, her face softening a little.

“I have,” she replies gently. “But I’m still me. New and improved. But I can’t take any bullshit anymore. You have to accept that my life is my own. You don’t get to make me your problem, or make decisions for me. Including this one. And if you can’t forgive Logan for following his heart, then you’re not being fair.”

“I’m finally happy, Josh,” I tell him. He finally looks at me without venom in his gaze. He takes a deep breath.

“All I have ever known is men that let my sister down,” he responds. “Our father left us behind to fend for ourselves. I’ve seen hundreds of guys looking at her like she’s a piece of meat. I’m the only one who ever looked out for her…it’s hard to accept that someone else might have good intentions.”

“I get it,” I say honestly, running a hand through my hair. “You know me better than anyone…you know I used to have a reputation. But you can understand why I was the way I was, right?”

“You were an asshole.”

“I was. But I was also broken. You know what it’s like to suddenly live life without your parents around,” I remind him. Joshua avoids my gaze.

“I suppose I do.”

“When my parents died, I did a lot of things I shouldn’t. But that doesn’t make me a bad person. You know I’m not a bad guy, right? We’ve been best friends for years. Isn’t it every guy’s dream for their little sister to find something worthy with a guy they already know and trust?”

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