Page 12 of My Best Friend's Grump Brother

Claire reminded me, yet again today, that I was to be nice to her friend. It felt more like a threat than a reminder if I was being entirely honest.

I sat in my Porsche like a fucking stalker, unable to leave my car as I watched her from a distance.

Had I been a little harsh? I suppose so. Did she need a little more grace from me? I would say so. But the question was, could I give it to her? That I didn’t know.

There had always been something about Selena that rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn’t put my finger on it for the life of me, but it was there. She was so crass and loud, the complete and utter opposite of me. I was organized, and she…well, she was chaos. Seb always joked it was because I wanted to fuck her. I denied it always, but maybe there was a reason I kept my distance. I always thought she’d be bad news, or maybe I was scared of having feelings for her. Clearly, I was attracted to her, seeing her in this new light. It certainly was a strange, conflicting feeling. Regardless, nothing had, and nothing would be happening between us.

I continued to watch her walk toward the building.

Brandon, far taller than her, greeted her with a gentle nudge of his shoulder against hers. She smiled up at him and then said something that made him smile. Brandon was Edward Valger’s boy—a hot-shot construction tycoon who lived in Washington, DC.

I hated him.

I had only green-lighted Brandon interning at my firm due to the past relationship he had with my father and all that he had done for my family in the past. But now my debt was paid, and I owed that man nothing.

They talked, and I noticed how Selena leaned toward him as she spoke animatedly about something.

When the hell had they gotten so close? She had been here less than a week, and they were already friendly. Odd.

Brandon said something, to which she laughed at it, causing my eyebrows to pull together. He was not that funny. I had spoken to the boy for at least an hour, and he had about as much personality as a cardboard box.

What the hell was I saying? I sounded like a jealous boyfriend.

I shook my head and reached for my briefcase. As I was about to exit my car, I saw the automatic door open, and Brandon placed his hand on the small of her back to usher her inside.

Why the hell is his hand on her ba—what the hell? I was doing it again.

What she did and who she did was none of my concern unless it directly affected the firm. Then I would have words with her. As long as they weren’t fucking, then she was in accordance with the rules.

The doors closed on them, still smiling and chatting away with each other as I walked into the lobby. I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

Today was going to be yet another long day for me.

***

Once I reached my office, I pushed my chair out from under my desk and looked at the skyline. The weather had turned gloomy all of a sudden. The sun was hidden behind a dense ceiling of clouds. I had been working on the Ashton LeVrous case all morning and had no idea how I would tackle this one. He was being accused of neglecting to pay alimony and withholding financial information from his soon-to-be ex-wife, Charlotte Davenport.

The man was supposed to be the next Roger Federer, and now this mess had landed on his doorstep. He lost most of his sponsors, and now he was on the brink of losing his entire pro tennis career. I would not have taken this case had I not believed in him, and I did. There was no clear evidence, and it looked to be a setup. I believed this man was innocent of all the crimes against him, but the media was making it look like he was not paying his ex her rightful share, and it was my job to prove his innocence to the world now.

Everyone thought that being a good lawyer meant you had to be a good liar, which wasn’t true. You had to be convincing, but you also had to be persuasive. And you needed to believe in your client.

The media was having a field day with this one. The tabloids that had loved and adored him only a few weeks ago were now tearing him to shreds. That was the thing about society. They built you up so that they could tear you down. It’s how the world worked. Fucked up? Yes, but it was just the way the cookie crumbled. It was also one of the major reasons I stayed far away from the limelight. I always declined magazine interviews and photo op opportunities. I stayed far away from the models and the A-list celebrities who would undoubtedly bring the media with them. I wanted a quiet life. I wanted a purely private life—no drama, no cameras, just me and my money. Of course, my family was safely tucked away in Braven Bay.

It was one of the major reasons I stayed in Braven for so long. It offered me all of those things and more.

I turned from the windows and walked out of the office, needing to take a break from all the documents and emails. I needed to clear my head so I could recuperate.

I had just turned the corner when I saw Greg leaning toward Selena, who looked less than comfortable. She was leaning so far into the wall to keep the distance between the two of them that I was actually a little shocked it had not cracked from her pressure.

“You smell great? What is that, cherry blossom?”

Selena glared at him, “None of your damn business. But do you know what is about to be your damn business? If you don’t step away from me in the next five seconds, my knee is going into your balls.”

The sides of my lips tilted upward a fraction at her words. Selena was always a feisty one. She rarely needed help from anyone because she had learned to take care of herself. She didn’t just bark. She had a mean bite as well, according to my sister. Growing up in the area she did, I was sure that she had to learn a thing or two about the streets and how cold they were—unlike my sister, who had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

“Don’t be like that, Sel.” He flicked the tip of her nose in a joking manner, but Selena didn’t look the slightest bit amused. “We could have a good time together, you and me. I can do things with my cock that you have—…”

“Not that hearing about your cock isn't fascinating, but I think she said to step away, Greg.” I had heard enough, and this asshole failed to take a hint.

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