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“Perfect. Now we can toast to Kyle and his business deal thingy,” Krista said, dismissing my accomplishment.
I rolled my neck. Krista was only doing this to get under my skin, I knew that, but it was working and I couldn’t ignore her. “Thatthingyyou’re referring to is what will keep you living more than comfortably for the rest of your life.”
Krista had the gall to laugh. “I’m not taking your money. I don’t want it. I like my job and don’t want everything to change.”
“Come on, Krista,” I said with a laugh. “My sister, my twin sister and my only sibling, doesn’t have to work anymore. Don’t be ridiculous.” She couldn’t have been serious. Right?
“What? Just because you’re rich doesn’t mean I’m rich,” Krista countered.
I leveled her with a look. “Do you not know how much a billion dollars is? Can you even comprehend that number? It would almost be irresponsible for you to take a job away from someone who needs that money to live on.”
Krista sighed like I just told her I wanted her to clean the bottom of my shoes everyday for the rest of her life. “Emma, tell him he’s being ridiculous.”
I followed Krista’s gaze to Emma. She looked from me, to Krista, and back again. “I don’t know,” Emma said. She then took a drink, but I knew she was stalling. “I think Kyle has a point. I mean, you could still volunteer and be really involved with a charity—”
“Or start your own,” I interjected.
“Right,” Emma agreed. I liked that we were on the same page. “But you won’t need that salary and someone out there does. Plus, he’s your brother. He just wants to take care of you.”
“Or he wants to just boss me around,” Krista said.
“Or he wants to take care of you,” Emma said, defending me.
“Right,” I agreed.
“You guys are lame,” Krista shot back, then laughed. “Come on, I wanna sit down somewhere. Let’s go to the living room. Unless…did you bang your girlfriend on the couch?”
Emma swiped her glass off the counter and followed Krista to the living room. With no other choice aside from standing in the kitchen by myself like a dick, I followed Emma.
“She’s not my girlfriend,” I clarified.
“That doesn’t answer my question.” Krista plopped down on the brown leather couch and spilled some of her drink. It was going to stain the leather, but I didn’t say a word. I was a billionaire and Krista was already pissed. I’d buy a new couch. “Should I be sitting on this couch right now?”
“You’re good. You interrupted before anything more could happen.” For some reason, I was happy for Emma to know that. Not that it mattered, not that she’d want to be with a man who was seconds away from being inside someone else, but I needed her to know that.
“Okay.”
Krista sat back on the couch while Emma sat on a pillow on the floor, across the coffee table from her. So, I joined Krista on the couch since it was big enough for us each to have plenty of space.
“When are you going to grow up, Kyle. I mean, I’m happy that girl isn’t your girlfriend but maybe one consistent girlfriend would be better than your parade of gold digging bimbos.”
This time, I wished Emma wasn’t around to hear my response. “I never date any of those women seriously because they aren’t serious women.”
Emma scoffed, then quickly took another swig of her drink. I had a suspicion she’d been filtering everything she was saying, and it was infuriating. She never used to hold back on me, and I didn’t want her to start now.
“We’re almost thirty, Kyle. Hell, Emma’s a mom already. Catch up,” Krista said.
“That’s one milestone I have no fucking interest in catching up on, Krista,” I spat back. “I’m not having kids.” The words spilled from my mouth before I could stop them. Maybe that was true, maybe it wasn’t, I didn’t know because I’d never spent much time thinking about if I wanted kids when I was no where near wanting a wife.
But, I didn’t want to offend Emma. Of course I knew she had a daughter, and I imagined she was a great mother, but I didn’t want her to think I found that unappealing. I didn’t. Or at least I didn’t when it came to Emma.
“Great, Kyle. Real fucking great. Lily is sunshine personified and I love her so much she makes me want to have a kid of my own, you ass,” Krista said, making me feel even worse.
“I didn’t mean—” I started to say.
“Thanks, Krista,” Emma said with a laugh, cutting me off. “Now I miss my daughter so I’m going to FaceTime her before it gets too late.”
“Okay, hon,” Krista said as Emma climbed to her feet without another word. She then turned on me. “You be nice to her,” she seethed. “She’s been through a lot and this weekend was supposed to make her feel better. The last thing she needs is for you to…to…” Krista sighed. “Just leave her alone, okay? Promise.”
