Her mention of a job reminded me I needed to actually tell my boss I was going away, which I was sure would go down well. Or not.
I worked my ass off in a dead-end job for a boss who thought yelling was a normal way of communicating. It was my first job out of college, and I was desperate to prove myself and took it. But it all came at a cost—mainly my free time.
Surprisingly, my job allowed me to go away for a few days. Not that I had actual time off, but I could do my work from anywhere if I had a computer, so I’d still be working, just from Colorado.
Brielle crossed her arms. “Are you even listening to me?”
“Yes, of course I am.” I looked up after wiping the frown off my face. “And I’m not going on a vacation.”
Her perfectly arched eyebrows twitched, and then she threw her hands up. “You can’t leave. I need you. What am I going to eat?”
“I’m not leaving the country. You can still call me. Or text. And I believe your fingers are still working. You can order takeout.”
“So I’m just expected to stay here by myself? You know bad things happen when I’m left on my own.”
I suppressed the sigh that desperately wanted to escape. She was five years younger, and after Maimeó died, we were the only family we had left. Things hadn’t always been difficult between us. We’d been best friends, done everything together. But our relationship changed when I turned into her guardian last year.
All she did was complain and party. And it was getting to me. I wanted my sweet baby sister back who thought braiding each other’s hair and watchingGreasepassed for a great night.
“You’ll be fine. Just don’t throw a party,” I said. As if she wouldn’t. There was nothing I could do to stop her, so I didn’t bother going there. It wasn’t worth the argument.
“You’d just leave me on my own? I guess now that I’m eighteen, you don’t want to take care of me anymore.”
She knew how to get to me. I always felt like I never took enough care of her. Even when I went to college while she was still in high school, I tried to juggle working, studying, and helping Maimeó. But no matter how hard I worked, I always seemed to fail somewhere.
“That’s not how it is, and you know it. I love you and only want the best for you.”
I zipped up my suitcase and pulled it onto the floor, where it landed with a loud thump. It was heavier than it looked, but since I wasn’t capable of packing light, I wasn’t surprised. I’d stuffed enough clothes inside to last me at least a month. Not that I was planning on staying away for more than a night or two, but still, you never knew what might come up.
I leaned in and kissed her cheek, ignoring her crossed arms and raised brows. “I’m sorry I upset you. But I need to go or I’ll miss my flight.”
She followed me out of the room, stomping as loud as her socked feet would allow. “Why are you going to Colorado?”
“There’s something I need to take care of.”
My phone vibrated in my purse, but I ignored it. I knew it was work. And if I didn’t hurry, I really would miss my flight.
“This isn’t over,” Brielle threatened.
I forced a smile on my face, thanking all the years of faking emotions that had made me a superb actress. “Let’s talk about it when I get back.”
Brielle turned on her heels and stalked away without a word. Not good. But I didn’t have time to smooth things over.
I dragged the suitcase to the front door and into the elevator.
Henry’s driver was waiting for me outside. He hurried over as soon as he saw me dragging the suitcase out the door.
“Ms. Fitzgerald, please, let me get it,” he said, looking horrified at the prospect of me carrying my suitcase. “It’s no problem at all.”
I smothered the eye roll that wanted to escape and put another fake smile on my face as I let him take my suitcase.
Henry insisted on me having a driver. Appearance was everything to Henry, so he shut me down whenever I questioned the need for someone to drive me around.
I walked forward, and he made quick work of depositing the large brick into the trunk. By the time I’d made it to the car, he was standing by the back door, holding it open for me. Damn, he was good.
I inclined my head and ducked down and into the car. “I told you to call me Kinsley.”
“Of course, Ms. Fitzgerald.”
