My phone buzzes just as I’ve made myself a cup of coffee, and I frown, surprised to find my brother calling me. I hesitate before picking up.
“Elena? What the hell do you think you’re doing? Why the hell am I looking at photos of you with Alexander Kennedy?”
Took him long enough. Alexander and I have been going on dates in the most public places we can think of for weeks now. It was only a matter of time before it came to Matthew’s attention.
I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “Hi,” I say. “I’m good, thank you. So is Mom, by the way.”
“I’m not in the mood for your bullshit,” he says. “Why were you with Alexander? You know full well the guy and I don’t get along. That he can’t stand Jen choosing me over him. You need to stop playing games.”
I shake my head and take a sip of my coffee. “I love how you’re making this all about yourself, as usual.”
Matthew laughs, the sound sending a chill down my spine. “You’re still as stupid as you’ve always been. Do you really think he’d even look at you twice if you weren’t my sister? It’s me he’s after. Me and Jen.”
He’s not wrong. It hurts to admit it, but Matthew is right. Would Alexander even have married me if I didn’t provide him with an opportunity to take revenge?
“We’re dating,” I say, shaking away my thoughts. “And I’m very happy.”
Matthew groans. “You stupid fucking bitch,” he mutters. “Don’t fucking come running back home when he leaves you. Men like Alexander Kennedy don’t date girls like you. They just fuck ‘em and leave ‘em. You’re being used, and you can’t even see it. Dumb fucking whore.”
He hangs up before I can even retort, and I’m left feeling shaken. When did my relationship with my brother deteriorate to this extent? I see the way he treats Elise, and he’s never once treated me that way. Not even before Mom’s car accident. I see all the photos on social media, of Matthew and Elise going out for lunch together, of them hanging out with mutual friends. Matthew has never done any of that with me. He cares about Elise the way a brother should, but me, his actual sister… he can’t even get himself to speak to me politely. What have I ever done for him to treat me this way?
I think of Alexander, my heart sinking. He, too, has always made it clear that he won’t treat me the way he’d treat someone he’d actually want to be with. Alexander and I… we knew what we were getting into. He’s been clear about what to expect, and more importantly, what not to expect. Yet despite all that, Matthew has me questioning myself. I wonder if Alexander will end up leaving me. If Jennifer ever wants him back, would he leave me? And if he did, what would that mean for my mother? Would my mother’s life be at risk all over again?
“What’s wrong?” Lucian asks, and I blink, disoriented.
I shake my head and force a smile on my face. “It’s nothing,” I murmur.
“Are you sure?” he asks, worried.
I smile at him and shake my head, trying my best to reassure him. “Just my brother being a dick,” I say as I grab my bag. “I’m having lunch with Alexander.”
“Ooh, a date,” he says, teasing me, and I force a smile onto my face.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s just part of our agreement. We said we’d go on a couple of high-profile dates, and then we’ll stage a proposal so we can convince your grandfather that we’re in love. Alexander is going on a business trip tomorrow. He’ll be gone all week, so today is a good day to stage a date.”
Luce wriggles his brows, and I can’t help but smile. I shake my head and move to walk past him, but he stops me. “Hey,” he says, and I turn to look at him. “I’m so happy that you’re back in our lives. I’ve missed you, Elena. I know things aren’t back to what they used to be, but I’d really like it if we could work on that. You’re the only real friend I ever had. The only person I ever confided in, the only one I’ve ever really trusted.”
My heart warms, and I hug Lucian tightly, squeezing him. “I’ve missed you, too,” I whisper, feeling vulnerable all of a sudden. For years, Lucian was my closest friend, and having him back in my life just when life couldn’t get any harder has felt like a blessing. “And yes, let’s work on that.”
Lucian presses a kiss to my forehead and tips his head toward the door. “Come on, I’ll go with you. I was planning on dropping by the office anyway.”
I frown and Lucian blushes just slightly. “I met someone,” he says, looking down. “It’s complicated… one of my brother’s employees.”
My eyes widen, and I grin. “My gosh, Luce, that’s amazing! You’ll have to tell me all about it.”
He nods, but I see the nervousness in his eyes. “Let’s go out for lunch soon, and I’ll tell you everything.”
I smile and we walk out together, surprised to find the limousine waiting for us. Lucian frowns and raises his brows before grinning.
“Well, damn, you’ve won over my brother, huh? He sent the limo to pick you up?”
I’m about to deny his words, but then the door opens, and Alexander steps out. My heart skips a beat when our eyes meet.
He smiles at me, but his expression drops when he notices Lucian. “Why are you here?” he asks, annoyed. His eyes move between Lucian and me, his gaze tinged with distrust.
Lucian elbows me and leans in to whisper into my ear, annoying Alexander even further. “Wow, he came to pick you up himself? He never does that.”
Alexander is frowning at Lucian, and I see the suspicion in his eyes. He walks up to me and threads his hand through my hair, his body tense. He leans in and lowers his lips to mine, putting on a show of possessiveness, telling Lucian that I belong to him without uttering a word.
He pulls away to look at me, his gaze heated. When he looks at me this way, it gets hard to remember that it’s only my body he wants. That all we have is an agreement, that none of it is real.
Lucian shakes his head and pushes past us, making me pull away from Alexander. I’m flustered, embarrassed, and he leans in, his lips brushing against my ear. “I told you, Elena. I’m going to make sure it’s evident to every man that you’re mine—Lucian included. It’s me you married. Remember that.”
I look into his eyes as he pulls away. “Was that really necessary? I’m just another of your belongings, aren’t I? Lucian already knows that. You don’t need to stake your claim, Alexander. There’s no one around to put on a show for.”
Alexander blinks, and I push past him, getting into the car. My heart is aching today. I’m tired of being reminded that I don’t mean anything to anyone, that I’m just a thing to be owned, used, and discarded. I know I have no rights to Alexander, but I’m sick of feeling like I’m a mere object.
He sits down next to me and buckles me in, taking his time, his touch lingering. His eyes are on me, his gaze searching. He frowns as he sits back, his hand on my knee and his phone in his other hand. I’m tempted to push his hand away, wanting a bit of space, but I resist.
I resist, because Lucian is staring at the two of us, his eyes twinkling. I look at him through narrowed eyes, trying to convey that he needs to knock it off, but he continues to smirk at us. I know he’s seeing things that aren’t there—Luce is like that. He’s a hopeless romantic, and he’s falling for his brother’s theatrics.
“Buttercup,” Alexander says, sighing. “I need to head back to the office. Something came up.”
I nod, and he gently pushes my hair out of my face. “Come with me,” he says. “Come to the office with me. I don’t know how long this’ll take, but we can grab some food after? Or if you’re hungry now, I can just order you some food to my office?”
I look at him with raised brows. If we aren’t putting on a show, why do we need to spend any time together?
The mildly impressed look on Lucian’s face tells me that Alexander taking me to his office instead of just cancelling our date is unusual, and I hate that it gets my hopes up just slightly… I hate that it makes me wonder if maybe, just maybe, he wants to spend time with me as much as I want to spend time with him.
