Page 48 of My Brother's Billionaire Best Friends

She swallows.

“His dad didn’t help either,” I add. “You know Jamison’s history.”

She nods slowly.

“Gavin’s been trained not towant.Because wanting leads to disappointment. To exposure.”

“And me?”

“You’re impossible not to want.”

Her breath catches. And mine does too. She reaches over slowly, places her hand on top of mine. “I feel like I’m getting pulled in so many directions,” she says. “Like I’m trying to keep up with all of you, and I don’t know if I’m allowed to say I need something for myself.”

“If you need something, then your job is to fucking tell us.”

She swallows hard. “I want this to work.”

“So do I.”

“But I’m scared.”

“Me too,” I admit. “Because if we fuck this up, I lose everything I’ve built.”

She flinches.

“Not because ofyou,” I say quickly. “Because I don’thavewhat the others have. Degrees. Family names. Clean slates. I climbed the ladder, one rung at a time, and if Vivian or the board decides I’m a liability…that’s it.”

Her eyes soften.

“I’ve never had anything handed to me,” I say. “And I can’t afford to lose what I’ve earned.”

She nods slowly, tears welling. “So what do we do?”

“We hold tight,” I say. “We protect each other. We stop pretending this isn’t important, whatever it is.”

She leans in, her forehead resting against mine. “I don’t want to be just another girl you guys have fun with and forget.”

“You’re not.” I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her into my lap.

“How can you know that? I’m sure you thought the others were here to stay too.”

I huff a laugh at that. “Not really. Certain relationships come with an obvious expiration date. At least, mine always have.”

She goes rigid. “And now?”

“Now, I want something else.”

“With me. And the two of them involved too? Is that normal for you guys?”

“We’ve had some shared fun in the past, mostly at kink clubs. Never anything like this.”

“Thank you for being straight with me about all of this. With Jack and Gavin?—”

“You always get the sense that they’re playing a game?”

She giggles. “Yeah, a little.”

I brush her hair behind her ear and revel in the warmth of her on my lap. “Smooth talkers always leave me with that feeling too. I’m not one of them. So, if you want someone to be direct with you, come to me.”