Page 39 of Falling For Her Boss

While I’m sitting there feeling sorry for myself, I hear my phone buzz. I’m half expecting it to be Logan trying to grovel, but he hasn’t even bothered trying. Maybe he knows me well enough to know that I won’t respond. I honestly just want to be left alone. But it’s not him. It’s my brother, and somehow that’s worse.

Good morning. Coffee?

My face turns like a corkscrew at his offer. Coffee is the last thing I want after this morning’s ordeal. Besides, my brother isn’t exactly at the top of my list of favorite people right now either. As much as he was trying to look out for me, I still feel a little frosty toward him for his controlling behavior.

Not today. Not feeling well.

I take it your work night out didn’t go well?

Something like that, yeah.

All right, I’m coming over with soup. It’s the cure for anything.

A cure for anything? Even a broken heart? I don’t think so. I sigh. I really don’t want to see anyone right now. My eyes are puffy from crying, and I feel an ache in my chest. I don’t want Joshua to see me like this. He will start asking questions that I don’t want to answer.

Please stay at home, Joshua. I want to be on my own.

I’m on my way.

I throw my phone down in frustration. Why is it that no one listens to me? First, I told Logan what I wanted from him and he threw it back in my face. Now, Joshua is completely disregarding me, just so that he can play the hero older brother. I’m so sick of these men trying to control my life and messing it up for me. Everything was going just fine before Logan and I got involved. I was so much better off when I was just craving him. Because now that I’ve had him and he’s let me down, I know I’ll be aching for him for a long time.

Joshua lets himself into my apartment without even knocking half an hour later and I sit up, angrily wiping my eyes. He narrows his eyes at me.

“Have you been crying?”

“Hello to you too.”

He shakes his head, dumping a bag of groceries on my kitchen counter. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of bed. I’m going to pour you a bowl of soup.”

“I don’t want any soup,” I mutter. “You’d know that if you ever listened to me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I asked you not to come.”

“And I came anyway because I can tell when something isn’t right with my sister.”

“How valiant of you,” I say, rolling my eyes. Joshua’s head snaps up at my comment.

“What’s with you, Isabella? You haven’t been yourself lately. Explain yourself.”

I stand up shakily. “I don’t have to explain myself to you at all. And I’d like you to leave now.”

He blinks at me, trying to figure out if I’m joking. “You’re not serious.”

“I am completely serious.”

“I just got here! I drove from the other side of the city.”

“I didn’t ask you to,” I hiss. “Why do you have to be so damn difficult all the time? Just leave me be. I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Izzy…come on. I’m your brother. You can talk to me.”

“I can talk all I want. It doesn’t mean you’ll listen. I swear, you just take being my brother as an opportunity to be a Good Samaritan. You don’t really care about me,” I shriek. I know as soon as the words leave my mouth that I’ve made a mistake. I’m being a brat, coming up with all sorts of insulting things that I don’t mean. I can see from Joshua’s expression that I’ve hurt him. He takes a step back as though I have physically pushed him. He’s even quieter than usual and his eyes are ice cold. His gaze drops to the floor.

“You know, I really thought you understood me better than that,” Joshua says. His voice is barely a whisper, but I don’t miss a single word. “I practically raised you. You’re more than a sister to me. You’re my best friend. Nowadays…nowadays, you’re my only friend.” His eyes solemnly raise to meet mine. “I never want to tell you that I feel lonely, or that I’m struggling. Because it’s always been my job to support you. Never the other way around. All I wanted in return was some gratitude. A friendship that I can be proud of. And you’ve just thrown it all back in my face.”

“Joshua…I didn’t mean anything I just said…”

“You seemed pretty damn serious,” Joshua snapped. “I could handle it when Dad got put away. I could handle losing Logan as a friend…because I thought I had you. But as it turns out, you think I’m just ticking items off my checklist every time I come and see you. Is seeing me that much of a chore that you feel that way?”

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