SARAH A lazy groan escapes my lips as I force myself out of bed, clean my toys up and put them away. I quickly clean up and put on a fresh pair of shorts and a t-shirt, before running down the stairs. With every step I take, my heart pounds in my chest. I’m not supposed to be so anxious to see my blood brother, right? Right. But I haven’t seen him in four years, and with everything I’ve been through without telling him, I’m scared our relationship isn’t going to be like before. What if I’ve changed? What if he’s changed? The second I open the door and see Kevin for the first time in four years, all my worries evaporate into thin air. My grip on the door tightens. He’s standing on my front porch in white sneakers, smiling at me. His luggage is by his right leg, and his left hand waved at me like it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But I can’t move. God. I can’t. I always knew I would be happy to see him, but actually seeing him brings a whirlwind of emotions that make it impossible for me to say a single word. He is no longer the young boy who tried to be both mother, father, and brother to me. He is taller, has a full beard and mustache that makes him look just like dad. His warm brown eyes are heavy, and it reminds me of mom on a Friday night. He’s jet lagged, no doubt. And unlike me who inherited our mother’s flames of red hair, Kevin took our father’s brown curls. “Hey berry,” Lord. It’s so hard to fight the tears in my eyes when I hear his voice…like, actually hear his voice. It’s not over the phone. He’s here, right in front of me. “Think you can let me in now? It’s freezing out here.” Then he winks. Kevin Wellspring fucking winks. And all of a sudden, I feel thirteen again. Without a second thought, I push myself forward and throw my arms over his shoulder. I push myself up by jumping and wrapping my legs around his waist, burying my face into the hood of his blood red “I love Venice” hoodie. Before I know it, I’m sobbing uncontrollably. Kevin chuckles lightly and gently pats my back. “It’s fine, Berry. Big brother is here now. Nothing’s ever gonna go wrong again.” “God. I missed you. I’ve been through so much, Kev. So much. You have no idea.”“I know, I know. How about we go in, so you can tell me all about it?” He places my feet on the ground and cups my cheek. His thumb wipe the tears from my eyes, flashing me a reassuring smile. I’ll be okay now that he’s here. One bottle of wine and three packs of chips later, I’m crying on the ground beside Kevin. I haven’t unpacked a lot of my furniture, so all we’re left with is the one seater couch at a corner of my living room. I tell him about everything and anything, except the part I slept with his best friends, of course. That’s a secret I intend to take to my grave. Kevin holds me while I cry, until I eventually wake up the next morning and find myself in my bed. Nostalgia washes over me immediately, and for the first time in 9 days, I wake up with a smile on my face. I get ready for work and go downstairs, only to find Kevin in the kitchen. I do not know what he’s cooking up, but it smells so good. My friends liked to tease me when I was younger. They often told me I was such a terrible cook because I had Kevin to make all my meals. They weren’t wrong about that. Even now, with the both of us all grown up, he still caters to my needs. “Good morning, Kev.” I greet, stepping into the kitchen. I can’t remember the last time I had breakfast at home before leaving for work. He tilts his neck to look at me as he flips the egg in the pan. It lands seamlessly. I’ve always wondered how he does that. “Good morning, berry. I figured you’ll be hungry when you woke up.” Am I? “I can’t really tell,” I walk over to the island where he’s set a tray. Two slices of bread, a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and a bowl of grapes are seated beautifully on it. “I haven’t eaten before going to work in years. How did you manage to get this done? I’ve been surviving on take outs and wine since I moved in.” He shakes his head. “I had a feeling. So, I brought my own groceries.” “Hmmm.” I pick up a slice of bread and throw it into my mouth. “So, what are you doing today?” I think for a short while before I respond. “Just work. My lawyer would be serving Aaron the divorce papers today. I’m hoping that goes well.”“Do you need anything?” My heart skips in my chest. Yes. There’s something I desperately need right now, something I’ve wanted and yearned for since… I shake my head and force a smile. “No, I’m good. You’ve done more than enough.” With that, I give him a hug and I leave. I should have known the universe would never give me a day off from drama and troubles, because why on earth do I arrive at my office building only to find out that the press have swarmed my parking lot? It’s hard to see through the crowd to know what’s going on. Can’t a girl get a break? Someone knocks at my window, and I turn, shooting the security guard a glare. He motions for me to put down my window, and when I do, he wears a sorry look on his face. “What’s going on here?” My gaze drops to his name tag. “Bruce?” “I’m sorry ma’am. It’s been like this since six this morning. They wouldn’t leave no matter what. You need to come in through the emergency entrance and exit.” I frown. “Are you serious?” “I wish I wasn’t, ma’am.” A tired sigh leaves my lips. “Do you know what they want?” The look in his eyes shift from sympathy to duty. He clears his throat before he speaks. “You, ma’am.” My hands grip the steering wheels even tighter. Of course. I make a turn and head for the emergency entrance. Luke is waiting for me there. Once he catches sight of me, he walks as quickly as he can and takes hold of my bag. “I am so sorry, ma’am. You must know that I’m doing everything that I can to make sure it’s cleared. I arrived this morning to see them as well.” Perhaps I should have eaten before coming here. The stress leaves me light headed. I just want to go to my office and sit down, have some time to clear my head and figure out what to do. But that’s impossible, because my personal space isn’t spared the heat. Standing behind my desk, looking at the chaos downstairs from the floor-to-ceiling glass wall of my office, is none other than Julian Cross. Senior member of the board of directors, and the man who had raised the motion of my retirement yesterday. My heart drops to the pit of my stomach as a frown stretches across the lines of my face. I turn to Luke. “Will you excuse us, please?” He nods and does as I say, placing my bag on the table and making his way out of my office. Leaving me and the devil alone. Bold, dark blue eyes land on me, sending unnerving chills down my spine. “They are all here for you, Sarah.” His voice is a thick baritone, intimidating as always, but I keep my head high and clear my throat. “I have plans to handle it.” He raises a perfectly carved brow as he turns, fully facing me. He tucks both hands into the pocket of his neatly trailered cobalt blue suit pants. “Really?” I heave a sigh as I rub my forehead slightly. I’m really not in the mood for a debate with him. “Julian, I…” “Tell me, Sarah,” he pulls my chair backwards and settles into it. I try, I really try, but I cannot stop myself from shooting bullets at him with a stern glare. It doesn’t faze him, not even in the slightest. He crosses his legs over my desk and smiles at me. “How exactly do you plan to handle this?”