“You mean you need to make sure I’m not stealing from my sister,” I snap.
“Essentially, yes. And any additional monetary requests have to be approved by me.”
“Are you serious with this?”
Kailyn sits back in her chair and crosses her legs. She looks just as annoyed as I do. “My role here is to protect Emme and her finances. I would do exactly the same thing if I was dealing with your aunt or any other guardian. So you can be pissed off about it, but I suggest you reserve your hostility for the person who deserves it, and that isn’t me.”
As irritated as I am by this whole situation, she has a point. My anger shouldn’t be directed at her, again, but I sure as hell can’t aim it at the person who’s put me in this position. Not to mention it’s hot as hell to have Kailyn take me down a peg or two.
“Got it.” I tap the arm of my chair. “I need to keep detailed records of receipts and go through you for additional funds. Anything else?”
“Regarding the trust, no.” She picks up a pen from the desk and flips it between her fingers, something she used to do in class all the time. “We can’t make or implement changes until the custody dispute is settled. So I think the most important thing we can do is discuss my role and how we’ll deal with future issues.”
I don’t like how Kailyn’s being dragged into this whole thing with me. The finances I get, but having to involve her in anything else is complicated, especially since the antagonism between us still seems to be an issue. And Emme likes her. “I can deal with future issues. If the school calls you, then you call me and I’ll deal with it.”
“My role as conservator means I must be directly involved, and I’ll need to be present for school meetings, should they occur.”
Her tone gets my back up and I lean forward, getting closer. “And you need to remember that I’m her brother and she’s my number one priority, not an obligation or a job.”
She mirrors my pose, leaning in, except she’s much more composed than I am. “How exactly do I know that, Daxton? How do I know that you haven’t spent all your savings? Maybe you’re on your last dime. Maybe you snorted or gambled all your money away, maybe you spent it all on prostitutes and now you’re looking to supplement your income with Emme’s trust.”
“Do I look like I need to hire a prostitute?”
Her gaze moves over me and she lifts a shoulder. All the while the pen keeps traveling back and forth along her fingers. “I have no idea what your sexual habits are, Daxton. But I can make a guess as to your type based on your friend at the diner the other day.”
It takes a second for me to tie together the reference. “Jessie’s an attention-seeking star fucker, not a friend. She attended the same charity event as I did and made quite a spectacle.”
Surprise crosses Kailyn’s face, possibly at my candor or my language, I’m not sure which, and she fumbles her pen.
“Regardless, if there are any pictures floating around the internet with the two of you, be prepared for that to come out. I’m just asking the questions Linda’s lawyer will if this goes to trial, so if you have any sordid secrets, you might want to fess up now.” She sets something on the table and pushes it toward me with the end of her pen. I glance down at the tin of mints.
It’s at that moment I realize I’m only a few inches away from her, eyes locked on hers. She grins and exhales, heavily. I feel her breath on my chin. It’s fruity, like she was eating something sweet before I arrived. I wonder what that smart mouth tastes like. I wonder if she kisses like she argues.
“You’re having issues with personal space again, Mr. Hughes.”
I lean back in my chair and run a hand through my hair. I’m typically so much better at keeping myself in check, but this is personal. Between that and Kailyn, my cool seems to go right out the window. I hadn’t exactly forgotten what going head-to-head with Kailyn was like, she was always a force, but this version…I like her even more than I did back then. I wonder if she has any idea how sexy she is. Probably not. Which makes her even hotter. “You always knew how to push my buttons.”
“You’re going to need to learn how to manage those buttons better.” She motions between us. “Think of this as retraining.”
I laugh and she smiles, some of the tension easing. “Look, Kailyn, I wanted to apologize yesterday, but you interrupted me.”
Her smile becomes tight and she leans back in her chair. “That’s because I don’t require an apology. Especially not because you want to butter me up. This is me doing my job.”
I prop my chin on my fist and wait for her to stop. “Can you just humor me for a minute?”
She crosses her arms over her chest, that hot-pink-patterned pen still clenched in her fist. Her blouse is buttoned almost to the top, so the amount of cleavage is disappointingly minimal.
“Staring at my rack isn’t helping win you points, FYI.”
Dammit. I just keep digging a bigger hole. I drag my gaze back up to her face. “I know this situation isn’t ideal for you, but I’d like to clear the air between us.”
Kailyn sweeps her hand out. “I already told you, I won’t let the past interfere with Emme’s best interests.”
I keep pushing, though, because she’s obviously flustered. “Back in school, my friends were assholes and I thought we had a friendly rivalry. I didn’t stop to think you might take it personally.”
She blinks a few times. “That’s what you wanted to apologize for?”
“Yeah. Well, that and getting all up in your space yesterday and being a jerk. I didn’t expect you to be at the school and I was worried about Emme.”
“Right. Of course.” Her gaze shifts away. “Well, we’re both adults now, and I promise not to throw myself at you like a fangirl again.”
I can’t get a gauge on her, so I go with a joke. “I don’t think I’d mind now.”
She huffs a laugh. “Someone needs an ego check.” She sets her pen on the desk, arranging it neatly beside the others. “I’m over it, Dax. Just let it go, so I can, too.”
I feel like I’m missing something. Like the progress my apology should’ve made has somehow done the opposite, and I have no idea why.
In the week that follows, things seems to settle a little. Emme has been toeing the line post-suspension, meeting with her counselor—but only after I assure her their conversations are confidential.
Linda has been unnervingly quiet since the suspension. So much so that it incites paranoia. I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her since she sprang the custody lawsuit on me with no warning. I have a feeling she’s up to something.
If there’s any dirt on Linda, I need to find it so I have ammunition to fight back with, which means digging, and I don’t have a lot of time for that. By the time I get home from work and Emme’s in bed, I’m exhausted. I know I have to tackle my parents’ office at some point, but with everything that’s going on, it’s low on the list of priorities.
It’s a Friday evening—I’m missing drinks with the guys tonight. I told Felix in a few weeks Emme might be up for a sleepover at a friend’s and I’ll be able to join. Sometimes I miss having a life and freedom, and then I feel guilty because my kid sister has to live the rest of her life without parents. If anyone’s getting the shit end of the deal, it’s Emme.