I stared up at him with wide eyes. “Don’t be silly, Harvey. That’s too much! I don’t think I could take your money, not like that.”

He shrugged, and his fingers tightened around mine. “Nonsense. You’re family, and you’re not exactly taking it from me. I’ll lend it to you, and you can pay me back later on if you want. I’m an idiot for not offering sooner; I could’ve saved you weeks of worry.”

“I probably wouldn’t have accepted, anyway,” I replied.

“I want to help you in any way that I can, Sara,” Harvey insisted, “and I can’t do that if you won’t let me. You’ve got to let someone help you. You’ve got to start letting someone in…”

I looked at him again with narrowed eyes; we were no longer talking about the job or the money or the house. His words vaguely touched upon something else. I swallowed a rising thickness in my throat.

“You’ve helped me plenty already. I don’t think I can keep doing this to you,” I muttered and avoided meeting his gaze.

But he wouldn’t allow me off the hook; he took my chin with his thumb and forced me to look at him. “You aren’t doing anything to me… I want to be here. I want to help you. I promised I’d be here for you, remember? Let me do this for you. Let me in. I’ll be at your side whenever you need me. Always.” He spoke in a whisper, his lips close to mine. I felt my head spin. Oh god, oh god. My heart was fluttering out of control; it was as if he was swearing an oath to me, and I couldn’t help the rush of tears that started to well up or the feeling—instinct, really—that I should lean in and kiss him. In the heat of the moment, I desperately wanted to. His hand was upon my chin, and his eyes were searching my soul; I so desperately wanted to meet his lips with my own. Oh god, what do I do?

Humbug jumped up onto my lap, and his needle-like baby claws sank into my flesh through the fabric of my trousers. I reached for the kitten and scooped him up. “You need your claws cut, Mister,” I said to the ball of fluff who now squirmed, wanting to be back down on the floor.

I let Humbug free and glanced back at Harvey. The need to kiss him was still there, but the moment was lost.

I smiled. “All right, if you insist. I’ll take the kitten and the job, but I will pay you back. I’m serious about that.”

“Fair enough,” he said, beaming.

I shivered against the winter cold and pulled at my thick coat. Burrowing deeper into it, I carried on towards Harvey’s offices. I was anxious and delighted all at the same time. This could be the break I needed, I thought, the opportunity to get my life back on track after being derailed so many times. And though it was hard to say goodbye to Humbug’s fuzzy face that morning, Momma had to go out and earn some money so we could both eat. He wasn’t too fussed, anyway, curled up in his little plush bed without a care in the world.

The sun was in the process of fighting its way up into the sky as I made my way towards the large building. The chilly breeze wafted into my thick dark blonde mane, spinning it up into the air as it drove me forward on my first Monday morning commute to work.

My fingers trembled slightly when they connected with the building’s glass door. I pushed a button to let myself in. Though it was only eight in the morning, a crowd was already forming, queuing for the lifts, as I stepped inside. Shiny leather shoes padded against the polished floor; heels clicked softly as I looked around. Feeling self-conscious, I unbuttoned my coat to reveal a black pencil skirt, a white blouse and a mixed cotton cardy. I couldn’t help but think I was underdressed, surrounded by men in pristine three-piece suits and ladies in dresses I would only think of wearing to an event like a wedding or a ladies’ day at the races.

I was here now, I thought. There’s no going back. They’d have to take me as I was, even if I was dressed simply, the ugly sister at the ball. Instead I concentrated on the day ahead, wondering how Harvey would react at work. Would he treat me differently? Dismiss me as just another one of his minions, or would he continue to nurture our relationship, which I considered almost bizarre. He was becoming my best friend, which puzzled me to no end. The mere thought of working by his side, taking orders and doing what he wanted, sent an odd yet electrifying sensation down my spine. The idea of being at his beck and call made my stomach flutter. I had an interesting day ahead, that was for sure.

I pondered whether Harvey was feeling the same at the prospect of ordering me around, having me within his inner sanctum. Or would it just be another ordinary day for him? Surely not… I wanted to believe the small connection we’d made over the last few weeks, months even, was real. That I wasn’t just his annoying, ugly, helpless, damsel-in-distress stepsister, that maybe he saw me as something more…

I shook my head. The thought was ludicrous. I didn’t even want to form the words in my head, let alone let them develop and grow. There was absolutely no way Harvey could or would feel more about me in that way. You’ve lost your tiny mind! Especially when his actions had always made it very clear that he desired and would only settle for the perfect woman. Skinny, flawless, and downright gorgeous. Someone who was the total opposite of me. I was the imperfect Sara Chambers.

Why am I even thinking about this anyway? He’s my stepbrother. Playing in a loop, though, chanting in the background, was a little voice I barely paid attention to. Not anymore, he’s not…

14

Sara

A strong gust of air conditioning hit my face as I entered the office. It was nearly as bad as the frigid gale outside! I shivered against the cold and pulled my cardigan tighter around my plump body as I dithered after getting out of the lift. Workers behind me bumped into me; I mumbled apologies and quickly hopped to the side as I took in the long row of desks and computers. The inner office walls were a soothing, inoffensive cream while the carpet was a rich shade of burgundy. Apprehensively I made my way over to the reception area and tried to ignore the curious looks I was receiving from the passing employees.

A familiar face came around a corner, startling me, and I stumbled upon my short heels. I stuck a hand out against a nearby desk and balanced myself, cursing under my breath for perpetuating the crappy opinion Sadie must already have of me. God, I could only imagine how many of my unredeeming qualities Harvey might have shared with her during their time together.

“Hi,” I said, sounding a little out of breath.

Standing close to Harvey’s girlfriend, in her shadow, I righted myself and sent a quick, almost apologetic smile at the blonde-haired vision, yanking anxiously at the hem of my cardi.

“Hi,” Sadie answered, though her voice betrayed confusion. She was staring at me as if I’d suddenly grown a pair of horns. “What are you doing here? Are you here to see Harvey?”

“You could say that,” I said with a smile.

“He’s in a meeting at the moment,” she replied, “but maybe I could help?”

“Um, I’m here for the job,” I said.

Sadie frowned. “Here? What job? We aren’t hiring at this point.”

My lips parted and my mouth fell into a small O. Hadn’t Harvey said for me to come on Monday morning and he would settle me in? Did I get something mixed up? But I shook my head. No, I was definitely in the right place and at the right time. I’d made sure to write down the building’s address as well as the date and time he wanted me to start.