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I couldn’t help beating myself up over what had happened. And the fact that I hadn’t called her back. What had she wanted? What if it had been important? What if she’d needed something? I hadn’t discussed Summer with Emilia since the day of her wedding. What if Emilia hadn’t been speaking to Summer either?
Could she be in danger?
Stop it, idiot.
My office phone rang, and I lifted the receiver out of the cradle, my abs tightening up. “This is Baker.”
“Hi, Mr. Baker, it’s Melanie. I’ve got your sister here wanting to speak to you. Are you free?”
“On call? Sure, put her through.”
“No, Mr. Baker, she’s here at reception. Shall I let her up?”
“Of course,” I said and put down the phone.
Odd. What the hell did Emilia want? I was seeing her tomorrow at a family dinner, regardless. If she was here, it had to be important. I rose from my desk, concerned.
The door to my office opened, and she strode in, glaring at me. She had our mother’s necklace on.
“Hey,” I said, reaching out for a hug.
She slapped my hand.
I raised an eyebrow at her. “Have you reverted to two years old?”
“No, but I’m so pissed at you I might as well have.”
“Huh? What the fuck’s going on?”
“I think you know,” she said.
“I most definitely don’t know.”
“Oh my god.” Emilia walked to my window and glared out of it at Miami and the palm trees down on the street. She walked back again, practically growling.
“What’s up?”
“Why didn’t you just call her back?” she asked.
“Who?”
“Summer. She told me she tried to get ahold of you a couple weeks back, and you just ignored her. What the hell? Why couldn’t you just have, I don’t know, called her back?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
“You wouldn’t,” Emilia snapped. “Look, when I spoke to you about her, I didn’t expect you to act like this. Why would you ignore her?”
“What I do has nothing to do with anything you say, Em. Sorry to break it to you.”
“I know that, I just…” She let out a frustrated cry. “This is such bullshit. You have to speak to her.”
“No, I don’t,” I replied. “It will only make things worse. I’ve made my decision, Emilia, and it is final.” But even as the words left my lips, I was still filled with doubt. I wanted nothing more than to see Summer again.
The image of her in that white dress, on the last night we’d been together, was still stuck in my mind. I missed her. I shouldn’t have missed her, but I did. Fuck!
“You have to speak to her.”
“Emilia, this is none of your business. Do you understand that? I didn’t stop talking to Summer because of what you wanted, but because it was best for what I wanted.” I sat down again, leaning back in my leather executive chair. “I don’t know how else to explain this to you.”
“You don’t need to explain it to me. You’re just an asshole. Just because you don’t want to date her doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk to her. I mean, what’s going to happen when she comes by for Thanksgiving or Christmas or something?”
“That’s months away.” My sister had done a 360 on this. “The last time we spoke, you wanted me to stay away from her. What the fuck’s changed?”
Emilia’s jaw worked like she had something to say, but the words wouldn’t come out.
“Em?”
“Nothing. Nothing’s changed. I just spoke too harshly last time. I feel that you shouldn’t write her off.”
“I haven’t written anyone off,” I said. “Emilia, I’m done talking about this.”
“Look, get your head out of your ass, Matt. Summer’s struggling.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s working two jobs, she’s living in her beat-up old apartment, and she’s got no one. Maybe you should stop thinking about yourself for two seconds.”
I gave a bitter laugh. “That represents a certain degree of irony coming from you.”
“What’s that’s supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, Em. Just leave. I’ve got work to do.”
Emilia grunted and stormed toward my office door. She looked back over her shoulder at me. “You need to do the right thing, Matt. You might not want Summer as a girlfriend or whatever, and that’s fine with me, believe me, but she needs to speak to you, and you need to speak to her. Things aren’t right like this. Do the right thing. Make it right.”
Emilia stormed out and slammed the door shut behind her.
What the fuck?
My sister loved me, but she’d never gotten involved in my personal life. Or tried to. I never let anyone get involved. Usually, people took a fucking hint and backed up when I told them to. I commanded respect.
Apparently, Emmy was immune to that command. That or she was just determined to piss me off. Or seriously worried about Summer. And if she was worried…
