He winced at the vitriol that accompanied his sister’s answer and buzzed Auggie in, which reminded him he only had himself to blame about Dan—the guy he never should have allowed in the building. Apparently, Christine still didn’t like the word “no.” They’d broken up a month ago, and she continued to harass him, now using her brother to send messages.
Last time Xavier would make that mistake.
He’d known he and Christine were over a while ago, but he’d tried his best to make it work. As a therapist, Xavier knew all about dysfunction and lying to oneself. Christine had been pleasant...at first. A nice woman, attractive, self-sufficient. The perfect companion.
Until she’d revealed certain truths, become clingy and codependent, and had made his life a living hell with petty jealousies and insecurity. Auggie hadn’t liked her either, and that was typically a telling sign that things wouldn’t work out.
Xavier could count on one hand the number of times they’d approved of each other’s relationships. A real pair, the both of them.
“We’re so pathetic,” he muttered as Augusta Hanover pushed through the door.
Though obviously not identical twins, they might as well have been. They shared the same features, voice inflections, and had that twin-brain, where they had a tendency to pick up on what the other might be feeling or thinking. Auggie was incredibly pretty, more redhead than brunette, tall, and had a trim and toned physique. She’d never taken crap from anyone in her life—a clear balance to Xavier’s people-pleaser mentality.
He had a few inches on his sister in addition to muscle but wasn’t nearly as defined. Auggie, a personal trainer and gym-worshipper, had an aggressive drive and a tendency to go after what she wanted. Unlike Auggie, he got the twin share of charm,had a smile that could kill from twenty paces—according to Mom—and the patience his sister lacked.
They were two halves of the same whole. Unfortunately, most significant others wanted the entire piece, not just a half, and neither he nor Auggie had yet to find that perfect partner for more than a few months here or there.
“Xavier, my dearest brother, you still pale beside the glory that is me.” Auggie flexed, showing off some impressive biceps, looking cute and fit in a pair of workout shorts and a tee-shirt, her hair pulled back into a long ponytail. “If only you had my brain, my sense of style... breasts.”
Xavier rolled his eyes. “If I wanted a ‘boob’ I’d look no further than you. Idiot.”
Auggie grinned and flipped him off.
“Thanks. But I already had one of those earlier.”
“This?” She pointed that middle finger at his face “What happened?”
“I went against my better judgement and let Christine’s brother in to talk to me. The only good thing about the visit was I got to return her grandmother’s necklace without meeting up with her.”
“The same necklace she deliberately left here last time so you’d have to talk to her again?” Auggie asked.
Xavier sighed. “Please don’t say it.”
Auggie shrugged.
A few seconds passed.
“Itoldyouso,” Auggie blurted. “Ah, that feels better.”
After a second of glaring at each other, they eased into smiles and laughed.
Xavier looked his sister over. “You working out more?”
“Yeah. There’s a new event I’m entering in August. It’s a fitness competition with major sponsorship. Winner gets backing from the sponsors, a fifty thousand dollar prize, andemcee rights for the winter competition, which includes major branding and marketing. It’s huge, Xav.”
“Where’s it being held?”
“Our great city of Seattle. Duh.”
“Hey, for all I know you’re going to Hawaii on another ‘work’ trip.”
“I wish. And that Hawaii trip was legit. I worked out, trained two guys at the hotel gym, and had a hell of a time with Barry. You know, before we broke up.” Auggie plopped herself on the couch and eased her forearm over her eyes. “My life is a mess.”
“When isn’t it?” Xavier muttered but didn’t react when Auggie moved her forearm to glare before covering up again. Taking one for the team, he asked, “Okay, Ms. Messy, what’s wrong?”
“It’s Rafe.”
“Wait. The guy who thinks he’s a pirate?”
