Page 96 of Never Your Valentine

“We’re trying to overlay his site inventory map with my concept plans. We’ve got topography, hydrology, and vegetation. Over here is the trailhead access map. Too big for one table.”

“So you came here and took over The Break.” My teeth are clenched so tightly it makes it hard to get the words out.

Felix makes a pencil mark on one of his maps. “We scheduled it with June.”

“I have accounting to do. Bills to pay. Taxes. You know, running a business?” I gesture wildly enough to make him flinch. “Everything I need is behind that door.”

“You can get to it,” he says. “Just go around.”

There is no around. The table stretches wall to wall. He’s barricaded me out of my own space. My fists are tight. So are my shoulders. Heat rises through me, gathering right behind my eyes. I glare at my brother. “God, you’re such a child.”

“I’m working here,” Felix says. “This project is important.”

“To you.”

“To everyone. This is our future.”

“And that gives you the right to steal my space? You didn’t check. You just came in and took over. No respect at all.”

Silence stretches between us. Felix’s jaw works. It takes him a moment to speak. When he does, his voice is low and steady. It’s infuriating. “You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong, but don’t pretend it’s this.”

“This is my problem. You’re my problem. There’s nothing else.” I grab the corner of the nearest table and shove it out of the way.

Felix scrambles around, picking up his makeshift weights and rolling up his maps. “Damn dude,” he says. “Calm down.”

I stop pushing. “What part of me is not calm?”

“I get it.” Felix taps the end of a rolled map. “We’ve all had our hearts broken before. But you’re⁠—”

“Get out,” I snap.

“No.”

“I said, get out.” I’m done with this. Felix and his stupid maps. Dreams of what we can accomplish this spring. Hope for the future. It’s such a waste of time. Nothing’s going to get better.

I yank on one of the tables, trying to put it back where it belongs.

“I’ll pick up the maps,” Felix says. “I’ll put the tables back where they were. But I’m not getting out. I don’t think you should be alone right now.”

I straighten and take a sharp breath through my nose. “I’ll be as alone as I want to be.”

“That’s it, right there.”

“No, there is no it,” I say, hands on hips. I like being alone, which is just as well, because I’m going to be alone forever.

I don’t say that. I don’t say any of that. Why would I? I’m fine the way I am. People like this version of me. I’m responsible. I take care of other people. I’m a goddamned pillar of the community.

Nobody benefits from me getting emotional. So I don’t.

Felix picks up the teacup that was holding down his map. He stretches his arm out to the side, looks me straight in the eye, and lets it go. It hits the floor and breaks in half.

“You’re going to pay for that,” I growl.

“Oh, you mad, bro?” Felix picks up another cup. I recognize the pattern. It’s from the same set Annabelle used to make her tiered tray. Felix waits a beat, then drops this one and grinds it under his boot.

“Stop it.” I keep my voice low, keep the emotions on simmer.

“You gonna make me?”