Chapter 3
Erin
“Igot it from here, thanks!” Liz snapped at the perky new receptionist when she opened my office door. I looked up from the email on my screen, a sense of dread forming a lump in my throat before I had even made eye contact.
I sighed. “It’s okay, Amy.” I nodded to the fresh-out-of-college girl staring at me from the doorway. “Thank you.”
“Told you, Amy.” Liz crossed her arms and dropped into the chair across from my desk, shooting a glare towards the blonde that had likely tried to stop her in the lobby. “I tried to tell her,” she said when she turned to me.
“Enough, Liz.” I gave her a warning glance that reminded me a lot of the one my dad used to give us as kids, and then I smiled at Amy. She slinked out of the doorway, closing the thin wooden door behind her before she made her way back down the hall to the front desk. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I asked, turning my attention back to my sister.
Liz scoffed and rolled her eyes so dramatically that her whole head followed. “Wrong with me? She tried to tell me I couldn’t come in here. She said I have to have an appointment. She’s the one you should be getting after.” She crossed one of her legs over the other, drawing attention to the large tears. The denim barely covered her legs at all, only held together by the seams, and she wore a too-sheer crop top that revealed her red bra.
“This is my office.” I waved vaguely around me as if to remind her. “You can’t just walk in here dressed like you’re ready for some party in a club downtown and yell at my receptionist!”
“You’re overreacting.” Liz smacked her gum. “She’s just some secretary. I’ll apologize on the way out. Geez.”
I pressed my fingers to my temple. “You’re unbelievable,” I mumbled under my breath.
“What did you just say?” It was just like her to get defensive even when she was in the wrong in the first place.
My heart pounded, and I took a deep breath to try and calm it before I spoke again. The pressure on my temple started to hurt before I released it, and I sat back in my chair. “I said you’re unbelievable, Liz. Where were you yesterday?”
“I had to take care of a couple of things.” She shrugged, nonchalantly relaxing in the chair.
“What things?” My patience had run thin, and it was clear with the strain in my voice. I gripped the fabric of my blazer to stop myself from smacking my hands against the desk. “What could you have possibly been doing?”
“Oh my god, Erin. It’s not that big of a deal!” She threw her hands in the air like she was preparing to throw another tantrum. I wouldn’t be surprised if she did—or if everyone in the office heard it and gathered outside my window to listen. “Why are you on my ass like this?”
“Seriously?” I shrieked, then clamped my lips shut. “I drove over an hour to help you move out and you weren’t even there!”
For a second, a brief glimpse of guilt crossed over her face, and I felt slight relief. Would she apologize? Then she rolled her eyes again, and my hand twitched. I wanted to slap her. “You are being so dramatic!”
“Oh good lord.” I put my elbow on my desk and dropped my head against my hand, resting my forehead on my palm. “You are so selfish. You always have been.”
She groaned. “You’re just jealous.” Liz looked around the office, pointedly looking bored.
“What could I possibly be jealous of?” I looked at the same office. Where she saw a boring room, I saw years of hard work and a job to be proud of. “I make more in a year than you made in the last five, I own my condo, and I would never cheat on someone that took care of me the way Jacob took care of you. The way I see it, I have everything I could need, and your life is falling apart. So please, tell me why I’m jealous of you.”
My chest heaved, and Liz just stared at me. “How did you know that?” she finally asked.
“Oh, did you think you could hide it? What was your story going to be?” I rolled my eyes. “He told me everything.”
Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. “He told you? When?”
“When I was waiting for you in his kitchen yesterday!” I yelled. My breath hitched when images of Jacob standing over me flashed through my mind. Warmth radiated between my legs, and I crossed them, pressing my thighs together.
Liz sat back, confusion clouding her features. “You waited?” She nearly spat the words like they tasted bitter on her lips.
“Of course I waited!” I huffed. Was she being serious? “I drove over an hour, and you were too selfish and flaky to be there. I waited in hopes you would be back since you called me begging for help!”
“Wow, Erin.” She shook her head. There was no way she knew I slept with Jacob, and I was definitely not going to tell her. My sister was not known for controlling her actions, and I didn’t want to see what she was capable of.
“Wow is right,” I said. “You’re an embarrassment. Just look at you! Look at your life!” I gestured again to her outfit.
Liz stood up from the chair, storming to the door and throwing it open. The thin wood slab crashed into the wall. “I don’t have to listen to this,” she said, walking away and not closing the door. I didn’t go after her.