“Hey, sis,” I greeted her, my voice light despite the turmoil inside.
“Andy! Where are you? I tried your old number a hundred times!” Mia’s voice was a balm, soothing over all the rough edges inside me.
I leaned back into the couch cushions, letting her familiar cadence wash over me. “New phone,” I said with a chuckle. “Long story, but I’m fine, really,” I assured her. “Just… dealing with some stuff.”
“Stuff? What kind of stuff? Are you in trouble again?” Her tone was equal parts concern and exasperation.
I hesitated for a moment before answering, “It’s complicated.”
Her voice softened. “Andy, you know you can tell me anything.”
“I know,” I replied, feeling a lump form in my throat. “I’m working it out.”
“Working it out how?” There was a pause on the other end before Mia spoke again, her voice filled with cautious optimism. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I promise,” I said, though the words felt heavy on my tongue.
“Apart from that, you’re doing well, right?” she asked.
“Doing well?” I echoed Mia’s question with the finesse of a seasoned actor. “Oh, I’m fantastic, practically tap-dancing on a rainbow over here.”
I could almost see Mia’s brow furrowing in that adorable way she does when she’s calling my bluff. “Really, Andy? Because the last time you said that, you were two seconds away from getting evicted.”
I chuckled, running a hand through my hair. “Evicted is such a strong word. Let’s just say I wasencouraged to explore alternative living arrangements.”
Mia snorted, and I could tell she was smiling on the other end. “Right. So what’s your newarrangement?”
I glanced around the luxurious penthouse that screamed Matt Caine’s name in every opulent detail. “Let’s just say I’ve stumbled into an… unexpected living situation.” I quicklychanged the subject before she probed deeper. “Mia, how are you holding up?”
There was a brief silence on the other end, like she was weighing my words. “Work’s been rough. The other staff are treating me like dirt, and my boss? He’s a grade A jerk.”
My grip on the phone tightened. “What do you mean? What’s he doing?”
She sighed, a weary sound that made my blood boil. “He yells at me for every little thing, gives me the worst shifts, and I’m pretty sure he’s docking my tips.”
“That jerk has another thing coming if he thinks he can treat you like that,” I spat out, the protective brother in me roaring to life. “That’s it,” I snapped, anger rising like a tidal wave. “I’m getting you out of that pathetic job of yours. Whatever it takes.”
“Andy.” Mia sighed. “It’s fine. I can handle it. I’ve been through worse, remember?”
“No, Mia. You deserve better than this,” I insisted, feeling a familiar fire ignite within me.
“Andy,” she said again, more firmly this time. “I love you for wanting to protect me, but I’ve got this. You need to focus on sorting out your own mess first.” She was quiet for a moment before her voice softened. “It’s late, and I’ve got an early shift tomorrow. We’ll talk later. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mia,” I said softly.
“Get some sleep, okay?” she said with a smile in her voice.
“Okay,” I said.
The call disconnected with a soft click, leaving me alone with the weight of her words. I stared up at the ceiling, my jaw set in determination.
She deserved the world—white picket fences, puppies, the whole nine yards. A real life, not this endless cycle of scraping by.
I hauled myself off the couch and padded into the bathroom. After brushing my teeth and taking a quick shower—scrubbing myself clean using Matt’s expensive body gel—I returned. My gaze fell on the massive bed, crisp sheets beckoning with the promise of expensive thread counts. Sighing, I collapsed onto the plush mattress and let the scent of money envelop me.
My eyes drifted shut as I replayed Matt’s offer in my mind. “I want you…” Those four words held both a tantalizing promise and a terrifying threat. Could I really let myself be bought? Become some billionaire’s boy toy, a pretty little bauble to dangle on his arm?
A resigned sigh escaped my lips as the answer solidified inside me.
