Page 69 of Enticing My Off Limits Billionaire

"I'm just saying, be careful. You have a tendency to take on too much responsibility, and you don't always think about yourself." He pauses. "You deserve to be happy too, you know."

I stare down at my empty coffee cup, the weight of his words sinking in. Maybe he's right. Maybe I do put too much pressure on myself to take care of others and neglect my own needs. But it's hard to change a pattern that's been ingrained in me for so long.

And it hurts a little to hear it from him...because he's the person I've put myself out the most to care for.

"I'll keep that in mind," I say finally.

Adam nods, satisfied. "Good. Now, tell me more about this girl. What's she like?"

I can't help but smile as I think about Madison. "She's...amazing. Smart, funny, kind. And beautiful, of course."

Adam grins. "Sounds like a catch. So what's the plan?"

"It's still pretty new," I tell her. "And things between us...well, they're complicated."

"Doesn't seem that complicated," Adam shrugs. "Other than your friend being her dad, of course..."

"Yeah, that throws a bit of a wrench into things."

"Have you talked to him?"

"No," I shake my head. "We've kind of been ignoring the world, actually."

"Has she?"

"I'm...I don't know," I tell him. "I want to protect her."

"Has it occurred to you that maybe it's not your job to protect everyone?"

I bristle at his words, feeling defensive. "I know that," I say sharply. "But I care about her. I don't want her to get hurt."

I'm sure that, as far as he's concerned, I may as well be talking about him. We've played this game a thousand times before...I let him stay at my place, insist on keeping an eye on him, try to help him get clean...then he vanishes.

Because he's an adult.

And help came too late.

"I get it," Adam says, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm not saying you shouldn't care. But you need to take care of yourself too. And maybe it's time to have a conversation with her, and figure out where you both stand."

"I know," I say, running a hand through my hair. "I just...I'm scared to have that conversation. What if she changes her mind? I mean—I'm old, Adam."

Adam's expression softens. "You won't know until you try. And if she doesn't feel the same way, at least you'll know where you stand. You can't keep avoiding things forever, Quinn."

"I know," I say again, feeling defeated. "I'll talk to her."

We both go silent, Adam idly stroking Stanley's fur. I can't ignore how rough he looks; it isn't promising when he was back on a bender the last time he was here.

"Are you actually doing okay, or did you check yourself out?" I ask.

Adam scowls. "Seriously, dude? We like...just finished talking about your savior complex."

"I'm your brother."

"Jeez, Quinn—yes, I'm actually doing okay," he says. "Or...as okay as I can be. It's just that you're not the only one getting older, and you can only be an addict for so long before it starts to kick you in the ass."

"Why do I feel like there's something you're not telling me?"

His eyes dart down toward where his fist is still clenched around his coffee mug, and I know I've hit on something. Dread settles in the pit of my stomach, and I watch him closely for any sign that he'll be honest for once.

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