Page 41 of Chasing After You

He finally looked at me. His gaze flicked from my mouth to my eyes, then away again, as though catching himself. “You’ve grown up well,” he mumbled under his breath, too quiet for anyone else to hear.

I blinked slowly, a sexy smirk forming. “Say that again,” I coaxed.

“No.”

“Please?”

He groaned, covering his face with one hand. “You areso annoying.”

I grinned. “So youdothink I’m attractive.”

Josh looked like he was about to launch himself off the roof. “I didn’tsaythat.”

“You literally just did.”

He slumped in his chair. “This is why people don’t hang out with their long-lost siblings who show up out of nowhere and stalk them.”

“Because we’re too sexy?” I offered.

He tossed a napkin at me.

I caught it, still grinning like a maniac. “You’re adorable when you’re flustered.”

He tried to glare at me, but it didn’t land. Not when his lips were twitching like that. “Are you always like this?”

“Only with you,” I said, my voice quieter this time. “You bring it out of me. And I’m pleasantly surprised that you didn’t refute the adorable comment.”

He groaned, avoiding my gaze again. He toyed with his straw, staring into his drink. “This is weird. You know it is.”

“I know,” I said gently. “But is it bad?”

He didn’t answer right away, but turned his eyes up to look at me. He studied my face like he was trying to memorize it all over again. His eyes softened at the edges, like he didn’twantto say no. Like a part of him had always wanted this.

“It’s not…bad,” he said finally. “It’s just… confusing.”

That was good enough for now. Confusion meant he was thinking about it.

I could work with confusion.

“It’s just so weird,” he continued. “You were—what, fourteen, right? When we last saw each other. And now you’re all,” he waved his hand towards me, “adult.”

“That does generally happen to a person over the course of eight years,” I chuckled.

“Shut up.” After taking a sip of his drink, he asked, “So… I know this isn’t a fun topic, but you uh… you didn’t really mention Victoria last time… and uh… well, how is she? Do you live with her still?”

“I made her suffer, if that’s what you’re asking,” I said bluntly, carefully keeping tabs on his expressions.

Josh cringed. “Is she…?” He looked around to make sure no one was listening in. “Dead?”

I shook my head. “No. She’s a long-term patient of a substance abuse treatment center in Tampa. I’m paying top dollar for it. It’s a pretty nice place, she just isn’t allowed to leave.”

“Substance abuse? She liked her wine back then, but not like that. Was it because of Daniel’s death?”

I smiled grimly. “No, she hardly cared about that. At most, she was happy that he was gone, plus you left, so two birds, one stone.”

He frowned, taking another sip. “So, what was it then?”

“I…cultivatedher addiction, I guess you could put it, slowly over the years. Eventually, she was so fucked up that I was able to get a conservatorship over her. Scrubbed my hands of her by admitting her to the rehab. It’s one of those luxury ones, which is more than she deserves, but it helps with playing the part of the devoted son caring for his sick mother.”