Roxie
I sank deeper into the couch cushions, tugging the throw blanket tighter around me as Winn flipped through channels on his TV like a man allergic to silence. The smell of garlic and basil still lingered in the air from the pizza box that was now empty on the coffee table.
“Don’t think I didn’t notice,” he said finally, remote tossed aside. “You’ve been avoiding Mom and Dad. They’ve been asking me why you haven’t been coming to family dinners.”
“It’s complicated,” I mumbled.
“Complicated is not talking to your parents for a month.” Winn leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “So, tell me what’s really going on.”
I traced a finger along the seam of the throw pillow.
“I’m just tired of feeling like I have to prove myself every time I walk through the door.
I didn’t take the trust fund. I built something of my own that I’m proud of, and it’s still never enough.
Grandpa made it clear at the Christmas Eve party what he thinks of me. ”
Winn groaned. “He makes everyone feel like crap. You should’ve heard what he said to his friends about how he found me to be a much weaker lawyer than he was. Not that I should have expected anything less.”
I looked at him, my mouth dropping open. “Wait, he really said that?”
“Not to my face, thank God,” Winn muttered, raking a hand through his sandy blond hair. “I’m not sure I would have been able to stand there and take it, saying nothing. But yeah. Someone told me. The man has never met a compliment he couldn’t immediately twist into an insult.”
I let out a dry laugh. “At least he still considers you worth criticizing. He barely looks at me like I’m in the room.”
Winn gave me a long look. “That’s because you scare the crap out of him.”
I snorted. “Me? I’m not scary, Winchester. I’m the furthest thing from it.”
“You are when you’re being stubborn. And when you walk away from money and comfort to prove a point.
” He tipped his chin toward me. “That’s exactly what he doesn’t get.
You didn’t want to be controlled, and you’re making it work.
Your business with Hallie is doing well.
Renee showed me that the New Yorker featured one of your reviews. That’s incredible, Rox.”
That tugged a reluctant smile out of me.
“We were surprised that they reached out to feature us, but I guess people really like our reviews. Hallie writes about the restaurants’ best features, and there’s been a lot of positive feedback on my photography.
Enough that I’ve had a slew of freelance requests come in as well. ”
Winn leaned back, exhaling. “Meanwhile, I’m wondering if I should walk away from the thing I worked my ass off to get.”
My head snapped up. “What are you talking about?”
He stared at the door for a beat, jaw tight. “The law firm. The hours are brutal, and Dad and Grandpa have their fists wound so tightly around it I’m not sure if I’ll ever have my claim.”
I blinked, trying to process that. “Winn, you’ve wanted this since you were fifteen. You used to walk around quoting case law like it was poetry.”
“I know.” His mouth twisted. “But lately, I feel like all I’m doing is cleaning up other people’s messes.
Clients I don’t care about, deals I don’t believe in.
Half the time it feels like I’m just an extension of Dad, not my own person.
I would rather spend my time in my woodworking shop.
Maybe I’m taking some inspiration from you. ”
I stared at him, stunned. “Are you telling me you want to be a carpenter?”
Winn gave me a sheepish shrug. “I’ve thought about it, but I don’t know, Rox.
I know it won’t bring in the same money.
I’m not stupid enough to think it’d give me the same lifestyle.
But it’s the only time I feel like I can breathe.
No clients, no deadlines, no one hovering over my shoulder waiting for me to screw up.
Just me, the tools, the grain of the wood. It’s simple, and it’s mine.”
A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips upon hearing that sentiment. It was the same one I’d felt many a time when I took a step back to appreciate the work I’d put into my photography.
“You’re telling me you, Winchester King, heir apparent to the family’s legal empire, want to ditch suits and courtrooms for sawdust and power drills permanently?”
“Don’t make it sound ridiculous.” He scrubbed a hand over his jaw, but the corner of his mouth twitched, betraying him.
“I’m not saying I’d make a career out of it.
But for the first time in my life, I’m wondering if the thing I worked my ass off for is the thing I want.
Or if it’s just what Dad and Grandpa wanted for me. ”
That hit me harder than I had expected. Because much as I liked to joke about how Winn was the “golden child,” the one who fit neatly into the mold our family had carved out, the truth was he’d been just as trapped as I had.
And while I’d had my suspicions for a while, hearing him say it was something else entirely.
“Winn …” My voice softened. “There’s nothing ridiculous about it in my eyes. You don’t have to live their life. You don’t owe them that.”
“Easy for you to say,” he said, eyes on the TV screen as he continued to scroll. “You broke out. You’re thriving. You’ve got a new business that’s thriving with people interested in your work, recognizing you for it. You’re proving every day that you can stand on your own.”
“None of this proves that you can’t do the same,” I told him.
Winn huffed out a laugh, but it was short and brittle. “You make it sound so simple.”
“Maybe it is,” I countered, tugging the blanket tighter around me.
“You act like there’s only one version of success, and it’s the one our family hammered into our skulls.
But success doesn’t mean sacrificing your sanity.
It doesn’t mean waking up every day dreading what you’re about to do.
If your workshop is the only place you feel like yourself, then maybe that’s worth listening to. ”
He gave me a side-eye, and I could see something else holding him back.
“What is it?” I asked, trying my best to pry the last bits from him. My brother called me stubborn, but he was likely far more stubborn than I was.
“I worry about Renee.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Renee? Your assistant? What about her?”
Winn nodded slowly, rubbing the back of his neck as if the words were stuck.
“She’s … she’s been holding things together for me more than I want to admit.
If I walked away, I’d be leaving her behind to deal with Dad and Grandpa on her own.
She’s good, brilliant. But she doesn’t deserve to be chewed up by that machine. ”
I tilted my head, studying him. “So, you’re telling me you’ve been contemplating an entire career change, but part of what’s holding you back is making sure your assistant is okay?”
He grimaced. “Don’t say it like that. She’s more than just an assistant. She’s the only person in the firm who doesn’t make me feel like I’m suffocating.”
Something softened in my chest at the way he said it, and I couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at my lips. “I knew it. You like her.”
Winn groaned, dropping his head into his hands. “God, don’t start this again.”
“Oh, I’m definitely starting,” I said, leaning forward. “Because the way you just talked about her sounded less like a boss talking about an assistant and more like a man talking about a woman who sees him for who he really is.”
He shot me a glare, but there was no heat behind it. “It’s not like that.”
“Sure,” I mused, tucking my knees under me on the couch. “You’re telling me this woman keeps you sane, supports you, probably covers your ass more times than you’d like to admit, and you feel nothing beyond professional appreciation?”
Winn hesitated, his shoulders bunching up near his ears, and that was all the confirmation I needed.
I grinned. “You totally like her.”
“Roxie,” he said like a warning.
“What?” I lifted my hands innocently. “I think it’s kind of sweet.”
He groaned again, sinking deeper into the couch like he wanted the cushions to swallow him whole. “Even if I felt something, it’s not like I can act on it. It’s …”
“Complicated?” I offered, raising a brow. “Funny, that’s exactly what you accused me of hiding behind five minutes ago.”
Winn cracked a small smile, shaking his head. “Fair enough.”
I nudged his shoulder. “Look, maybe you don’t have to figure it all out tonight. But don’t stay in a career that’s crushing you just because you fear leaving it behind. If she’s as smart and capable as you say, she’ll land on her feet. And maybe she’ll even choose to follow wherever you go next.”
“I’m not sure that being an assistant to a carpenter is a job she wants in her repertoire.”
“Life doesn’t always go as planned. I know that better than anyone.”
But instead of saying that I was right, Winn leaned back and moved to switch the topic.
“How was seeing Sebastian at the Christmas Eve party?” he asked. “I never got the chance to ask you about it.”
My stomach lurched at the mention of Sebastian’s name. I gripped the blanket tighter, wishing I could disappear under it like a kid hiding from monsters. “It was fine,” I said lightly, though even to my own ears, it rang false.
Winn snorted. “Fine? That’s the word you’re going with?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” I asked, trying to hide the defense in my tone. “We barely saw each other that night.”
Winn raised a brow, unconvinced. “Barely saw each other? Rox, you two kept staring across the ballroom at each other, and I’m pretty sure you both were out on the terrace together.”
Heat crept into my cheeks, and I turned to look down at the blanket. While my brother wanted to leave his law career behind, he certainly had a keen eye for spotting the smallest details. “I don’t recall seeing him out on the terrace.”
“Uh-huh,” he drawled. “I’m sure you also don’t recall bolting out of there like your dress was on fire shortly after you came in and had a conversation with Grandpa?”
“I left because Grandpa was being a jerk, as usual.”
Winn smirked. “Right. And not because Sebastian looked at you like he wanted to set the room on fire just to keep you warm.”
My throat tightened as I remembered him draping his tux jacket around my shoulders, and for a moment, I couldn’t find words.
That exact look had seared itself into me.
The weight of his gaze made my skin burn like it always did.
Nate had never made me feel like that in the handful of dates we’d been on.
And even though I’d told myself I hated Sebastian, that I was over him, my body betrayed me with every skipped heartbeat.
I forced out a laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”
“No,” Winn countered quietly, eyes sharp now. “What’s ridiculous is you can’t let him go. Which would be fine if you could just admit it. Why is it that you can’t?”
“I have already let him go,” I said, the words clipped and harder than I intended.
Winn didn’t flinch. He just watched me in a way only a brother could. “Rox,” he said gently, “walking away isn’t the same as moving on. And you know it.”
I bit down on my lip, pulse thrumming in my ears. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over. It has to be.”
His brow furrowed. “I just want you to be happy, and you always end up quite the opposite whenever Sebastian is done with you.”
“I’m fine, Winn. Really.”
“You’re not fine. Not when he’s around. Not when he isn’t. And definitely not when you’re lying to yourself about it,” he fought back.
I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “Maybe some things are just better left alone.”
Winn’s gaze didn’t waver. “You should be honest with yourself and admit that you care, even if it scares the hell out of you. I might not like him, but I also don’t like seeing you like this.”
“It’s just … I’m not sure I do care anymore,” I admitted after a moment. Because what was there left to care about? I hadn’t seen Sebastian in over a month.
But when I got back to the city later that night, I couldn’t get him out of my mind. I poured myself a glass of wine and tucked myself into the couch with the full intention of turning on something to make me forget it all, but nothing seemed to work. Everything reminded me of him.
So by the time the episode I’d put on ended, I was pulling out my phone and navigating back to my old email account.
My fingers had a mind of their own as I clicked through to his email address and unblocked it, fully intending to fight the voice in my head telling me to reach out to him. Just to see if he still cared.
But to my surprise, the moment my inbox refreshed, I had dozens of emails dating back over the past few months. All from the same person.
I didn’t hesitate for a second. I clicked on the first one and began to read.