Page 77 of My Fiancé's Brother 2

After talking to Jackson,I couldn’t fall back asleep. To say that I was emotionally confused was an understatement. One part of me was terrified of this relationship and how much it promised to devastate me. Jackson and I had a lot of unresolved problems around the fact that it seemed like he still harbored some big feelings for Harper. The other part of me was in love with him. After reading the journal, I was starting to get a better understanding of his past and how that had shaped him into becoming the man he was today. I could tell that when he arrived home, and I had not been there, he'd been upset. Anyone would've assumed the worst. After the BBQ I had promised him I'd be there when he got home. I could understand how he'd automatically assumed that I had left him. I hated how that must have felt like such a betrayal to him. I spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, unable to shut my brain off.

Functioning on almost no sleep, I staggered out of bed at an ungodly hour, feeling like death warmed over. I packed my bag up and drove to the loft property. I sat in a car and waited until Matt and Julie backed out of the garage and drove off.

The locksmith opened the door, and then my real estate agentand I walked through the place. To say that it was a mess was an understatement. Being neat had never been either Julie or Matt’s strengths.

“Look at this!” Jean looked like she was about to cry.

Two pieces of furniture that belonged to the staging company, a white leather couch and a faux suede wingback chair, had been ruined beyond repair by what appeared to be wine.

“Jean, I’m so sorry. I’ll pay for all damages.”

“I know this isn’t your fault.”

Together we walked around the loft, tagging things that belonged to the staging company to ensure it didn’t get packed up and moved.

As angry as I was with Matt, I felt horrified as I watched the movers pack. They'd been instructed to put stuff in boxes and move it out, and they hadn’t been instructed to be gentle or to take care. I stood in the bathroom and watched as they removed a drawer from the vanity and dumped it in a box. Cosmetics and hair products tumbled roughly in. The mover tossed in wet towels on top of everything and sealed the box shut.

The cleaning company arrived after the movers finished and they started to make their way through the loft.

I walked into the kitchen. The stove was filthy. It was beyond me how anyone could be so messy.

My phone dinged with a text from Jackson.

Jackson: How’s it going?

Me: Tired. Beth is meeting me for a late lunch, and then I’ll be on my way home.

When had that happened? When had Virginia started to feel like home?

“What the hell’s going on?” Matt’s voice sounded from the door.

“Matt,” I turned around, anxiety shooting up my spine. “What are you doing here?”

He looked around the place, “I repeat. What the fuck is going on here?”

I heard more footsteps, and then Julie appeared at the door. She looked around in shock. “What are you doing in my place?”

My eyes widened. “This isn’t your place. I own this loft.”

Matt strode in. “Where’s all our stuff?”

I handed him the invoice to the storage facility. “Your stuff has been packed up and stored in a storage locker.”

Julie took off up the stairs, and a moment later we heard her scream, “Matt. Everything's gone. She stole our stuff.”

Matt’s eyes narrowed at me. “You think this is a joke?”

“Not at all but you can’t move in here. I own this place. I’m trying to sell it.”

“Well according to the Land Spouse Protection Act, I have just as much right to be here as you do. You can’t sell this place without my express permission.”

“Not according to my lawyer,” I tried to bring air into my lungs.

“You supported me, Emily. You think you can just up and walk away from those responsibilities? There are laws against that.”

Julie flew down the stairs. “That stupid bitch stole everything. Where are my clothes? Where is my makeup? You took everything you stupid cow.”

“Hello!” Beth called out, appearing in the doorway. She stopped in her tracks as she took in Julie, Matt and myself.

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