Naughty or Nice

Lucas lets go of a ragged breath. ‘Okay.’ He looks at Nate, his disgust, his hatred, clear as day, and then he shakes his head and makes for the door.

‘And don’t fucking come back!’ my brother throws at him.

I want to shout, to tell him to shut up, but I’m frozen in their hate.

Lucas looks to me for something—anything—but I’m trance-like.

And then he’s gone.

‘Good riddance,’ Nate mutters, rubbing at his jaw.

Slowly, I turn, taking him in. Replaying it all. ‘Stupid’ was what he called me. Stupid. After everything I’ve done for him these last few years. Everything he did to bring this raining down on us.

‘Stupid...?’

My voice trembles over the simple word. White-hot anger laces every syllable.

He looks to me now, his eyes landing on my lip. ‘Shit, Eva—I’m so sorry.’

He moves towards me and I raise my hand to stop him. ‘Sorry for hitting me or for referring to me as stupid?’

I know that’s what made Lucas snap—he was coming to my defence. It should make me happy. Instead I’m terrified. Terrified of the hatred that filled the room, the hatred between the two people I love. My worst fear coming to fruition.

He shakes his head and looks to the floor, appearing more like a teenager than the thirty-one-year-old he’s supposed to be.

‘I flipped out. I’m sorry. Seeing you, my little sister...’ He raises his eyes to me, his shoulders bunching. ‘And him...like that. I mean, for fuck’s sake, Eva, you were about to let him screw you over your desk. Him.’

I’m still and controlled as I say, ‘Who I sleep with is none of your business.’

‘It is when it’s him, and you know it.’

‘Bollocks, Nate. You were the one who went behind his back and totally stuffed the company—him included.’

He stares at me, wide-eyed.

‘Yes, he told me. He didn’t want to. He said I should come to you, make you explain.’ My smile is bitter, tight. ‘Would you have admitted it if I had, though?’

‘Eva—’

He breaks off and I wonder if he’s going to lie some more. I can’t bear it if he does.

‘Look... I made a bad decision, okay? I know that, and I’ve regretted it ever since, but has he told you the whole story?’

My eyes narrow, a sudden chill making my skin prickle. I wrap my arms around my middle and remind myself that I trust Lucas. I do.

‘What else is there?’

‘He could have saved us, Eva—the whole business. He’d been investing for years on the side. How do you think he got so huge so quickly? He’d been stockpiling money...building up his own funds.’

I swallow. ‘Stealing from the company?’

Nate snorts. ‘As if! Lucas would never sink that low.’

Relief swamps me and my knees weaken. I plant my hands on the desk. The swell of nausea sudden and disorientating. ‘Then what?’

‘Don’t you see? He was already loaded when the company lost it all.’

‘When you lost it all.’