My Best Friend's Brother(32)

I took a deep breath and centered myself before my anger got the best of me on national television.


"There is no scandal here. Just two individuals with powerful influences  enjoying lunch and each other's company. The only scandal here is the  fact that the photo was illegally apprehended, and that was after we  chased down the man hiding like a coward in the bushes and deleted the  photos from his camera. This man, this paparazzi who hid like an animal  to forward his career, is the real scandal of this photo. And pretty  soon, you will know his name because if he's not fired in the next hour,  I will buy out his place of employment just so I can fire him."         

     



 


Tony was biting back his laughter as all the press sitting on my lawn whipped up their heads in shock.


"The lives of the rich and influential are not yours to gawk over. I'm  sure some media outlet will attempt to spin this as a scandal, so you  heard it here first. There is none. Just a kiss, a beautiful woman, a  man who enjoyed her company, and bellies full of a fabulous lunch that  can be found at The Soufflé Salon. Thank you for your time, and there  will be no questions taken."


I stepped off the podium as pictures flashed and people called out with  their questions. I stepped back into my home as Tony rallied all of them  off my property, and I watched the news while impromptu workers broke  down the press conference set up. I smiled when I saw the paparazzi  guy's face flash up on the screen. Fired within twenty minutes of me  giving my statement.


Good fucking riddance to that asshole.


The Soufflé Salon was giving their official statement on the situation  as I closed my eyes. I allowed the sting of the bourbon to slowly burn  down my throat as I thought back to Emma and Sarah. I hoped she would  appreciate my statement. I hoped it would somehow rehabilitate her image  from those who were determined to tear her down. I hoped it would  provide an outlet for her to make a statement that would pull her  reputation out of the dumpster I still didn't understand. I didn't know  why social media was chewing her up and spitting her out the way they  were, but I hoped I could help.


If only just a little.


I twirled my phone in my hand, the screen lighting up with Emma's  number. I wanted to call her. I wanted to beg for her forgiveness. I  wanted to tell her that it was all my idea. Take the blame for keeping  this from her before Sarah told her the truth.


But that was what got us into this shit in the first place.


We hadn't been honest with Emma, and we needed to be honest with her now.


I pressed the dial button and held the phone to my ear. It didn't shock  me when it went automatically to her voicemail, but I left her a message  I hope would prompt her to call me.


A message I hoped would tap into that sisterly part of her that had been ignited Wednesday night.


"I have no words other than I'm sorry. Sarah and I panicked when we  found out her best friend and my sister were the same person. All we  wanted to do was enjoy one another while enjoying you as well. Sarah  thought you would be upset, and I thought you wouldn't want to meet up  with me anymore. I'm sorry, Emma. I really, truly am."


I hung up the phone and set it beside me while the last of the equipment  drove off down the road. My Dallas home was no longer a secret. My  sister was no longer taking my phone calls. The woman I'd sought stress  relief and solace in wanted nothing to do with me.


The three things that rooted me to this city were gone, and I felt the  prices of the building flee my mind as I continued to sip on the amber  liquid in my hand.


No point in staying in Dallas now.





Chapter 27


Sarah


"Emma. Open up!"


I'd called Emma several times throughout the day to no avail. She  wouldn't answer my text messages, she wouldn't take my calls, and she  probably wasn't listening to the voice messages I was leaving. I wasn't  going to bed tonight until we talked, even if that meant I had to stand  here banging all night on her townhome door.


"I know you're here! Your car's out front."


"Go away," she said.


"Not a chance. You're my best friend, and you're hurt and it's because of me. Now, open up so we can talk."


Finally, I heard the lock on her door being thrown. The knob turned, and  I placed my hand on the door, slowly pushing it open as I saw her  walking away from me. I stepped in and shut the door, paying very close  attention to my surroundings. The last time Emma and I fought anywhere  remotely close to this, she swung a frying pan at me.


At least she knew how to protect herself.


"All the kitchenware put up?" I asked.


"Get in here and talk or leave," she said.


"Emma, I'm so sorry you had to find out this way," I said. "I never meant for you to find out like this."


"I don't think you ever meant for me to find out, period," she said.


"Has Mason been trying to call you?"


"Yep."


"Have you taken his calls?"


"Nope."


"You should. This was all my idea. He just went along with things," I said.


"Mason isn't the type of person to just go along with things."


"Yeah, well. I'm breaking the mold with him," I said.         

     



 


"Oh, how quaint."


Emma sat down on the couch, and I sat down beside her. She was staring  out the window into her backyard, trying to keep her gaze off me. Her  arms were folded around her chest, and her eyes were red. She'd been  crying because of me, and I felt like shit for it.


"Out of all the things you've done, this was shady, Sarah."


"I know. And I'm sorry. I swear to you, when this first started, I had no fucking clue he was your brother."


"So, you guys were fucking before the dinner."


"Yes," I said.


"When did you find out Mason was my brother?" she asked.


"The week before last. A few days after you told me he blew you off. It  literally was something we stumbled into. We were trying to make up, and  he kept calling and-"


"Make up? So, this was around the time you told me shit was broken off between you two?"


"Yes," I said. "I told you things were broken off, he kept calling  incessantly, I finally picked up the phone and I agreed to lunch. That's  when we found out, and I walked away again. I swear to you," I said.


"So, how did you go from walking away to hiding the fact that you were fucking my brother?" she asked.


"He was persistent, I guess. Came to my dressing room, there was this whole thing with my boss, we talked … "


"Did you actually talk?" she asked.


"We did, yes. He proposed an idea to just be fuck buddies, essentially.  No strings. Just good food, some attention, some other things."


"Sex. I'm a big girl, Sarah. Sex. And you agreed," she said.


"Yes, and then I was the one to lay down the conditions. That we  couldn't tell you because you wouldn't approve. He actually tried to  talk me out of that. Didn't think I'd be able to do it because of our  relationship."


"Looks like we both learned something new about you," she said.


"Emma, this was never to hurt you."


"I guess my brother lays down some decent cock. I've never known you to  keep anything from me, Sarah. Ever. What the fuck's wrong with you?'


"Wrong with me? Emma, you didn't even want me dating."


"And you agreed with me!" she exclaimed.


"To get you to shut up about it, yes, but I enjoyed Mason right from the  get-go. Not telling you was less about him being your brother and more  about the fact that you'd be pissed I was seeing someone."


"Yes, because you choose the shittiest men," she said.


"Is your brother a shitty man?" I asked.


"He's making up for it, but in the past, yes."


"Emma, you didn't even want me seeing anyone because of how it would  backfire. How was I supposed to tell you the guy I was fuck buddies with  was your brother?" I asked.


"Well, it did backfire. You see your social media feed? They're eating you alive," I said.


"Not since Mason's press conference. They've toned down a bit," I said.


"Press conference?" she asked.


"Yeah, he gave a whole thing or whatever. That's not the point. The  point is, I fucked up. Not Mason. I was the one who laid down the  condition, he double-checked if it was something I wanted to do, and I  confirmed. If anything, you should take his calls. He was just going  along for the ride," I said.


"It's shady of you to lie like this. I-we've known each other for years,  Sarah. I cried over that fucker for months because he kept blowing me  off, and you're blowing him?"


"Watch it," I said. "Even best friends have lines."


"Do best friends fuck their friend's brothers?" she asked.


"Sometimes, yes," I said, grinning.


"Seriously? You're cracking jokes right now?"