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“Helping you do what? Why didn’t you call me when you got home? You didn’t answer any of my texts all weekend. I’ve been worried about you.”
“Yeah, well, I was actually enjoying myself, and I didn’t want you to ruin it for me.”
“What was he helping you with?”
There was a long pause, and I knew she was about to bring up her new plans. For a moment, I was tempted to head down the stairs and interrupt, but I took too long, and it was out in the air.
“Plans for moving.”
“Moving? Where the hell are you moving?”
“Millerstown.”
“What the fuck for, Rox?”
“I got a job at the country club there. I’m going to be their event coordinator.”
“You can’t move there,” he growled.
“Why not?” she barked back, and I realized it was time to step into the conversation. I headed down the stairs, and Roman spun, glaring at me.
“What the hell did you do to my sister?”
Roxy grabbed his arm as he fisted his hand by his side. “He didn’t do anything, Roman. Jesus! You were just telling me that I should get a job, and I found one. What is your problem?”
“He’s my problem.”
I’d had enough. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut, but just then, I wanted both Roxy and him to know that I wasn’t going to stand for this. He had no right to treat his sister this way.
“I don’t know what you have against me, Roman, and to be honest, I really don’t give a shit. This isn’t about me; this is about the fact that your sister did something for herself, and you’re not happy about it. Why is that? Because she won’t be here for you to lord over her? Because she might actually find happiness instead of being talked down to all the time?”
He got in my face, and Roxy was trying to hold him back, but I wasn’t afraid of him, and the two of us went toe to toe.
“Mind your own fucking business.”
“She is my business.”
“No, she’s not. I don’t know what kind of stupid ideas you put in her head, but she’s not taking that stupid job and moving. She stays right here with her family.”
“You mean the family that constantly tells her she’s stupid? Worthless? That family? She deserves a hell of a lot better than the way you treat her. You’re just afraid she’s going to leave like your mother did and never look back.”
His nose flared, and he started to move, but then Roxy was shoving her way in between us. “Stop! Stop it, both of you!”
I inhaled deeply and took a step back. I didn’t want to get into a fistfight with her brother and make her have to choose between us. I was going to be the bigger man here.
“Yeah, you better step back,” Roman hissed, and Roxy slapped him in the middle of his chest before he continued snarling at me. “How dare you even mention our mother. You have no idea what you are talking about.”
Roxy turned to me, an apology in her eyes. “Lee, maybe you should go.”
“Yeah, get the fuck out of here.”
“Roman!” she yelled at him.
“I’ll go, but not because he wants me to. I’ll leave because you asked.”
She tried to smile, but it didn’t work. “I’ll talk to you later.”
I nodded to her and collected my jacket hanging on a peg by the front door. Before I left, I glanced back at her brother. “She deserves a lot better than you.”
