Page 4 of Tempt Thy Neighbor

That’s a lie and we both know it, but I already feel like a burden as it is. I’d rather be tucked away in here where it’s not obvious to everyone that my life is in shambles.

We sit in silence for a few beats, enjoying our coffees.

It’s been so long since I’ve lived with my brother, I almost forgot how much I love having him around.

Dean was the smart one out of us. From the moment our dad started his company, all he talked about was how he wanted us kids to follow in his footsteps and make it a family business.

He paid for college as long as we got business degrees—because they’re so versatile—with the expectation that we’d work for him at Evans Inc., helping him build his empire. Dean didn’t last long and he told Dad to shove it, shifting gears toward what he was passionate about—teaching.

I’ve never seen him happier than he is now—though I’m sure his girlfriend, River, has a lot to do with that—and I regret that it’s taken me this long to join him in his rebellion like he’s been begging me to for years.

Our family won the lottery when I was twelve.Literally.

Before then, we were fine people. We lived paycheck to paycheck, but we were happy. We were in the thick of shit together.

Then the money rolled in, and everything changed.

All our mother worries about is the next big social event, and all our dad cares about is how deep his pockets can go.

It’s sad, really.

“So, you wanna talk about it?” Dean asks, breaking the comfortable silence.

“About your dad being an asshole?”

He laughs. “He’syourfather. You know the rules.”

For as long as I can remember, he’s always beenmydad, just like Mom has always beenDean’smom.

“Can’t say I feel like claiming him right now.”

“Don’t blame you.”

I return his glare from earlier. “This is all your fault, you know.”

He lifts his brows. “How?”

“If you hadn’t been riding my ass about quitting, I wouldn’t have been thinking about it. If I hadn’t been thinking about it, I wouldn’t have let those two words just tumble out of my mouth.”

He grins. “Hey, if it got you here and away from that jackass, I’m not even sorry about it.” He winks at me. When I don’t return his smile, Dean blows out a breath. “I’m sorry, Holls. I know this is hard for you, but I really do think it’s for the best. You’ve been so…stagnant working there.”

I want to tell him he doesn’t know what he’s talking about because he bailed years ago, but he’s not wrong.

Ihavebeen stagnant.

I’ve been living in this predictable existence for years, and what it really boils down to is that it’s nobody’s fault but my own. I’m the one who didn’t push for more. I’m the one who stepped into the supposedly temporary role of secretary when my father’s previous one went on maternity leave. I’m the one who sat there and continued to be ordered around when she never came back. I didn’t speak up and push for a better position, not even when I was itching to do so much more.

I had my dad’s approval, and I was content with that.

Until I wasn’t anymore.

And even then I didn’t do a damn thing about it.

There’s this small part of me that’s rolling the last few years through my head on a loop. Was it really that bad? Enough to give up the job security I had? I know I could waltz back into the building and get my job back with no hassle if I wanted to.

But do Iwantto?

“Oh shit—please tell me you’re not sitting here thinking of going back, Holland.”

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