19. Cora

Icheck my phone for the millionth time in a week, hoping for a message from Jake.

Yet, once again, nothing is waiting for me.

I sigh, setting my phone face down on the desk and releasing my hair from its clip. A headache tightens its grip on my temples as I lower my head into my hands.

It's been a whole week since Jake walked in on Griffin and me in the kitchen, and he still hasn't said a word to either of us.

Griffin seems to withdraw further into himself with each passing day.

Tonight will be another night spent alone after work. Griffin will likely conjure up yet another excuse to work late just to avoid any discussion about what's bothering him.

I lift my head as Kaleigh walks toward my desk with a slice of cake on a plate. I grin as she sets the plate on the corner of my desk and pulls out two forks.

"You look like you're having a hell of a week, so I thought we could use this." Kaleigh hands me a fork and drags over a chair from one of the other desks nearby.

"You know me too well." I spoon a bite of the chocolate cake into my mouth. "This is so good. Thank you."

"Want to talk about what's on your mind?" Kaleigh takes a bite of the cake and crosses one leg over the other. "I'm a pretty good listener."

I sigh and grab a little bit of the icing that's smeared on the plate. "My life outside work has been a shitshow lately. I'm seeing this man… and my brother is pissed about it. My brother thinks there is a problem with the man even though I'm happier than I've ever been."

"That sounds like a lot." Kaleigh leans back in her chair. "Is that all that's going on?"

"Nope. My brother is also best friends with this man and has been for a long time, so there's that on top of everything else."

Kaleigh hums and points her fork at me. "I think you need to knock some sense into your brother. This might be hard for him, but if you're happy, then that's all that matters."

"You might be right." I squeeze my eyes shut and tilt my head back to look at the ceiling. "I miss life when relationships were easier than this."

"Holding hands in the parking lot and smoking stolen cigarettes really was an easier time." Kaleigh's lips twitch with amusement as she nudges my chair with her foot. "Everything"s going to work out how it's supposed to."

"I hope so." I finish the piece of cake and shove the plate to the edge of my desk. Maybe I'll go see my brother after I"m done here today."

My stomach twists at the thought, but if I keep letting this wound fester between us, nothing is ever going to get better.

I just hope he doesn't end up hating me more.

Jake opens his front door, his broad arms crossing over his chest. Without a word, he steps to the side and lets me in.

I kick off my flats and make my way into his kitchen. I pull out two bottles of beer and open them, passing one to him and taking one for myself.

As I sip my beer, Jake reaches for his and sits down at the kitchen island. He watches me as he tilts the bottle and takes a long drink.

When he puts the bottle down, the tension between us spreads thick. "Cora, what are you doing here?"

"You're supposed to be my older brother, but you've been avoiding me. I thought it would make sense to come down here and see if you've decided to grow up."

Jake's eyebrows soar. "Are you kidding me? You and Griffin are supposedly dating, let alone getting married behind my back, and I'm the one with the problem?"

"You're the one who made your best friend believe you hate him, so yeah, I would say you're the one with the problem." I lean against the counter, one leg crossed over the other at the ankles.

"What I said is nothing compared to what you two have been up to." Jake downs half the beer in one go.

"Because this is the reaction we would get from you. Not only that, but he is also my boss. It"d be too risky if we don't keep our mouths shut. Griffin could lose everything he's built—"

Jake bangs his fist on the counter and cuts me off. "I'm your brother, Cora! You're not supposed to keep secrets like this from me!"

"Look at what's happening now that you know the truth!" I put my bottle down and stand taller. "You're throwing Griffin under the bus even though he needs you in his life."

Jake's upper lip curls into a sneer. "And what about you?"

I shrug one shoulder, my chest tightening. "You're my big brother. I"ll always need you, but if it ever comes down to making a choice… you should choose Griffin."

Jake presses his lips together, staying silent as he burses the beer bottle.

I stand across from him, not knowing what I can say. I wish I could make this storm go away, but there is no turning back time.

I rap my knuckles on the counter, pulling his glare from the veining in the marble and back up to me. "I love you, Jake, and I never did this to hurt you."

He scoffs. "You know, what I don't understand is how you changed your mind about him. You used to think he was nothing but trouble, and now you're defending him."

I sigh and try to force down the lump in my throat. I grab my bottle and down the rest of the beer.

It calms my nerves a little, but my stomach still twists itself into tight knots.

"Jake… I'm in love with Griffin, and he loves me too."

I finally muster the courage to tell him. Jake looks as if someone has just slapped him across the face, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.

His mouth snaps shut, and he shakes his head. "So, that's it. You two are in love, and I'm just supposed to accept that and be okay with it."

The corners of my eyes burn with the tears that build there, but I hold them back. "No. You can be mad about it. You can be pissed at me for the rest of your life if you want, but don't give up on him."

"Why the hell would you want me to pick him over you?" Jake shakes his head. His gaze is a thousand miles away. "You're my sister."

"Because he needs you more. You're his only true family, and I won't take that away from him." I rake a hand through my hair, pushing the loose strands back from my face. "Hate me forever if that's what you need to do, but don't give up on him."

Jake gets up and paces back and forth across the kitchen. "I don't know what to think about any of this, Cora. I don't want to see your heart break all over again."

I cross my arms, my eyes narrowing. "Why do you think the man you've known your entire life will be anything like Victor?"

"I don't."

"So, what's the problem then?"

Jake sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. His jaw muscles flex as if he's holding back from saying something.

"Just say it, Jake. Let's get it all out in the open; otherwise, we're never going to be able to move past this."

Jake spins to look at me. "Cora, you're not going to fit into his world. You know this, don't you? You're wonderful, but people in his world…they're never good enough."

The words cut deep. As much as I want to be mad at Jake for voicing the fear lingering at the back of my mind, I can't.

I'm the one who wanted his honesty, and now I have to deal with it.

I exhale slowly, needing a moment to gather myself. "I know that. I've heard about his parents and family. You're not telling me anything I don't already know."

"And you're fine with that?" Jake shakes his head. "You're going to get yourself hurt, Cora, and that's what worries me the most."

"If I get hurt, that's on me. You don't have to worry about me."

Jake sinks down onto one of the couches. "You don't know these people; how ruthless they are. I'm always going to worry about you. Especially after what you went through with your ex, I do nothing but worry about you these days."

I cross the room and sit down on the couch beside him. "I appreciate you worrying about me... I really do. But I'm a grown woman, Jake. You protected me from everything when we were younger, but it's time I take matters into my own hands."

Jake leans back and rubs his hands down his face. "I know what his family is like, Cora. You have no idea what you're walking into."

"It doesn't matter. I can put up with a horrible family for him." I tuck one leg beneath me as I twist to face Jake. "But I can't put up with my brother hating me forever if I don't have to."

"I don't hate you." Jake's voice wavers as he looks away from me. "I just need more time to process this."

The corner of my mouth twitches. "We've had plenty to talk about it since I came here."

Jake gives me a flat look, his leg bouncing. "Are you really happy with Griffin? Are you sure about him?" he finally asks, his voice softer now.

"I am." I pull a throw pillow into my lap, squeezing it tight as butterflies threaten to beat their way out of my stomach. "I know Griffin cares about me, and he wants to be with me. I love him so much."

Jake swallows hard. "And you're going to be okay with his family when they're awful to you?"

"I will be. Being with Griffin is worth it."

Jake groans and shakes his head. "This will take more time to get used to, but if you're really happy with him, then… I won't stand in the way of your happiness, Cora."

"Thank you," I toss the pillow to the side and get to my feet. Now you're going to come with me and apologize to Griffin for the way you treated him."

"I can only handle one conversation about the two of you in a day."

I grab his wrist and try to pull him to his feet. "Come on, Jake. You'll have to talk to him eventually. You may as well do it now. Please, he just seems so sad these days."

Jake rolls his eyes but gets to his feet and follows me to the door. He makes a show of taking his time to find his wallet and pull on his shoes.

As soon as he's ready to go, we get in my car, and I prepare for the most awkward drive of my life.

Even with the music playing, there is still an uneasiness filling the car.

I know Jake and I will be fine, but I don't know how the conversation with Griffin will go.

Jake tenses when we get to Griffin's house. I get out of the car first, waiting for Jake to find his balls and follow me.

Griffin appears in the hallway when I open the door. "I wasn't expecting you to be home this soon..."

Jake walks in, cutting off Griffin. "Hey man."

Griffin's eyes widen as he looks between me and Jake. "Hey, I didn't think you would drop by."

"Well, apparently we have some things we need to hash out." Jake's tone is stern, and his glare is icy.

I jam an elbow into Jake's side. "Jake has been thinking…about us."

Jake glowers at me before glancing at Griffin. "I'm sorry for what I said and how I reacted. It was a lot to handle, and I was acting like an ass. Hell, it's still a lot to handle."

Griffin nods. "I probably would have reacted the same way if I were you."

Jake slaps him on the shoulder. "I wanted to tell you that if you and Cora are happy together, then I'm happy for you. I just need some time to…adjust."

I watch as they move into Griffin's office den to talk. It's not long before their laughter echoes through the house as I head to the kitchen and crack open my laptop.

As my brother and Griffin waste the night away, I work on drafting plans for my own business one day.

The plan will be better than before, tailored to what I want to do with my life instead of what a man thinks I should do.

I glance at the calendar, trying to figure out the exact date I'll have all the debt paid off.

The front door slams as I'm running through calculations in a spreadsheet.

Griffin's arms wrap around my waist. "Jake got a cab ride home."

I lean back into Griffin's chest, tilting my head back to look up at him. "How did it go?"

"It was good. He seems to be coming around to the idea of us together."

"I knew he would eventually." I yawn as Griffin kisses my temple. "Am I ever going to meet your family? As your wife or girlfriend or whatever we want the story to be."

Griffin makes a strangled sound in the back of his throat as he pulls away from me. "Do you want to meet them?"

"Isn't that what you do when two people get married?" I spin around to face him, seeing the worry flash across his face. "We don't have to if you think it's going to be that horrible."

"It's not that I don't want to introduce you to my family and show you off—because I do—but my family is… difficult. I don't want them to scare you off."

I hook one leg around his hip and pull him toward me until he's standing between my legs. "There's nothing anyone could do to scare me away now."

The worried expression he gives me right before our lips meet makes me wonder if I've just set myself up for some serious regret.