At least, the rich-people version of broke where they need to downsize to two mansions to keep eating at Michelin star restaurants.
“Then there’s Ethan.” Margot throws her hands up.
My heart sputters.
I clear my throat, aiming for cool, and totally sophisticated.
“Ethan.” My voice cracks slightly on his name.
Ethan.
Ethan!
Margot’s older brother. Also, the biggest savage ever born.
“You mean Ethan-Ethan?” I clarify, just in case she’s randomly sprouted another brother named Ethan in the last few years.
Like, a nicer one who isn’t moody, despicably attractive, and whodidn’ttease me remorselessly growing up—when he noticed me at all.
It didn’t happen often, not unless he wanted a laugh at my expense.
That’s how it is with older brothers and their kid sister’s friends, though. Especially when they’re born with a chip on their shoulder the size of a two-by-four.
He’s only about four years older than me.
Just old enough to be around during our formative years and treat us like dirt.
When he wasn’t raising hell and getting locked up by Leo’s bodyguard, he bullied us mercilessly.
I’m not sure it ever dragged Margot down much.
She gave back as good as she got.
But me, I was—let’s just say I wasn’t a very confident teenager.
When Ethan came in with cruel jokes, they had teeth.
“The one and only,” Margot answers, not noticing I’m in stage Ethan of heart failure.
It shouldn’t shock me so much.
He’s family and I knew he’d come up at some point.
“And what about your cousin, Cleo? She’s so sweet.”
“She’s crashing out.” Margot shakes her head. “She’s taking it crazy hard. I don’t know if she’ll even come back to meet with the lawyer anytime soon.”
“Sad.”
“I wish it was someone else ghosting, but meh.” She sips her latte.
“I don’t know, heshouldbe here, right?” I rasp. My throat feels like a desert despite the coffee. Caffeine isn’t strong enough to erase Ethan’s harsh laugh and malicious blue eyes.
Actually, their eyes are almost the same.
But his are empty. So much colder.
“He’s been back in Maine for a while, you know.” Margot flicks her wrist like this information won’t bowl me over. “He came back a few months ago to help PopPop and the team with some new acquisitions.”
