Page 49 of Winning Her

That was more than enough to shut me up. I didn’t have to think back to know what she meant. I’d put Jessi down plenty of times, and it wasn’t like I’d cared if other people heard.

“On your first day at the hotel,” Emily started, “I heard you picked a fight with her. You didn’t think she could have got her job here fairly. And don’t think I missed what happened when you came to the mansion. When you left me to go running after Dad and ran into her. I heard the words you said about her, making a snub about the help using the front door. Oh, and there’s plenty more if we start digging into the past.” She gave a snort and sneered at me, tilting her head back so she looked down her nose at me. “Wow, big brother. I knew you were a douche, but to that girl? You were an absolute bastard.”

My fists clenched on my thighs where she couldn’t see as she listed out all the callous words I’d thrown at Jessi. She was right, our past was even worse. Back then Jessi had been around me a lot more than she was now.

“You know nothing about what’s been going on between me and Jessi,” I said, sounding a little defensive even to my own ears. “And it’s none of your business anyway; I don’t give a damn what you have to say. Now, please get out.”

She didn’t. Little sis was done listening to me. Forever, it would seem.

“That woman,” she said, pointing a finger at me. “Jessi? She loves you. She fucking loves you, Trent! She’s always loved you. I didn’t tell her this, but even before you left and I was a little kid, I would see how she would make eyes around you every time you walked into a room. And you have always, always, thrown it back in her face. I kept silent then because I didn’t know how to talk to you before, but I am fed up. I’m not just going to keep watching it anymore.”

I was stunned, once again. In my mind, I wondered just what my sister had seen all those years ago. I tried to find some sort of defense for myself, some protest. Could there really be anything to find? I couldn’t blame my family issues on it because it was my choice to be an ass to Jessi.

Hell, if I was honest with myself, I was an ass to them all and something of a tyrant, or Emily suddenly treating me so harshly wouldn’t be so shocking. Her temper had never been aimed at me, but that was more because she didn’t know me, and partially feared me, than that she had nothing against me.

I had a lot of making up to do. And not just to Jessi.

The question now was even if I wanted to try, could I? I looked up at Emily, the sister that I never knew, that I always thought was nothing but a meek, spoiled child but was now showing me colors I hadn't seen before. Had my brothers ever felt the same way, that they didn’t know how to talk to me? My father, who was always trying to get me to come home, and my stepmom who made attempts to get close to me I always rebuffed… what about her?

I hadn't treated them much like family at all, and here Emily was, telling me to get her friend back.

“You better go after her, Trent,” she said, voice suddenly quiet like she’d blown off all her anger while she’d screamed at me. “I don’t care about whatever else you do, and you’re going to have to figure out how to do it, but please bring Jessi back home. Soon, if you don’t mind.”

Home… this was Jessi’s home. And I’d been the one to run her off. I watched Emily turn and walk out of my office, closing the door behind her especially gently.

I should go after Jessi. Not just for my sister’s sake, but for my own.

20

Jessi

My alarm clock went off, waking me up from a pleasant dream. As I looked up at my new ceiling, lying in my new bed, waking up to a new day, I had the sudden urge to cry. Because my dream of being back home, surrounded by my friends and family, had been great, so much better than I could have expected it to be.

“I want to go back home,” I whined out loud to myself.

But no matter how badly I wanted it, I had no plans to head back to the hotel in Charlotte after I’d run away not that long ago.

I got out of bed and went and got ready for the day reluctantly. On the way to work I tried calling Emily, but my friend wasn’t picking up.

“Are you mad at me for leaving?” I asked, scowling at my phone. “Just pick up, would you! I could use a friend right now.”

By then, I’d made it to the hotel, and I had to put the phone away so I wouldn’t get into trouble. As soon as I walked in, I was taken to task.

“Hey, newbie!”

I started at the loud call and looked up at the reception. Two people stood there, a woman and a man. It was the woman who had called out to me.

“Yes?” I said timidly, shifting my feet, wanting nothing more than to turn and run off to work.

“You forgot the entrance again or what? And aren’t you a bit late? What, were you on the phone with your boyfriend so long you forgot when you were supposed to get into work?”

I tilted my head a little to the side. “I’m… late? But…”

I was reaching for my phone to check, but she scoffed at me, giving me a scornful look Trent would have been proud of.

“Just get to your station in the kitchen, would you?” the guy said. “You know what happens when you show up late, don’t you?”

It had happened to me a few times already in the past couple weeks since I’d been at the new hotel. I made a quick bow as my heart started to beat a little in panic, then I practically ran in the direction of the hotel’s kitchen. I prayed the whole way that I was in the clear. But then I got there…