him and as she closed it he told her.
“Five minutes.” And he walked passed her and into her living room without waiting for the invite.
Reluctantly she followed him into the small room. His presence filled it making it feel even smaller than it already was. The room now felt claustrophobic.
“Two minutes.” She said folding her arms across her chest.
“Be careful I might put it back up to ten minutes.” He said.
“You can start your… two minutes… by telling me how you found me so quickly?” that was a stupid question Amanda knew that but she could not think of anything else to say.
“I have my ways.” He shrugged at her.
“Meaning, you followed me from the hotel.” She corrected him.
“Yes when I drove away I thought it would be prudent to park just around the corner and wait. I had hoped that I was wrong. But then I saw you running back out of the hotel moments later and I knew I wasn’t.” was that sadness staining his husky voice?
“Why Jake. Why did you follow me?”
“I wanted to know if I was right.” He told her simply.
“And what has that achieved exactly?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Now I know.”
“You know that I lied to you.”
“Yes.” Amanda watched him clench his jaw.
“And that’s it? That somehow makes you happy to know that I lied to you.” She asked him
“It doesn’t make me happy Amanda, far from it.” He told her grimly.
“Then I don’t understand why you did it. You should have left well enough alone.” She told him.
“I am not about to give up on you… even though it looks as though you have given up on yourself.” Jake look disdain-fully around the room and then back to her.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean Jake?” she deman-ded hotly.
“Well look at this place.” He swept an impatient hand round the very small room with its limited amount of furniture, and it really was limited. A two seater sofa, one small table. A bookshelf and some sort of cupboard thing in the corner. She didn’t even possess a television.
And they had all been bought second hand. Not in a really up market second had shop either. They all had seen far better days.
Amanda knew that it wasn’t much but she lived alone and spent most of her time at work so she really did not need much. Just a place to eat and sleep.
“If you are going to insult my décor then you can leave.” She knew that that was not what he had meant but she pleaded ignorance anyway.
“Amanda… I just want to look out for you. Make sure you are okay. Like brothers are supposed to.”
“I do not need anyone to look out for me.”
“Really?” he raised a questioning eyebrow.
“I have managed just fine all by myself.”
“Yes, I can see that.” Jake drawled as he cast a disdainful eye over the room. His eyes picking up the patch of damp in the corner of the room. Of course he would notice that.
“And you are not my brother.” She told him crossly.
“You’re right. I’m not.” He clenched his jaw tightly together.
“Look, we both lead very different lives now. Whatever happened between us in the past we should leave it there? That’s where it belongs.” Tiredness had begun to take over and Amanda put a hand up to rub her sore eyes. She just wanted to sleep.
“What is it that happened between us?” Jake asked her. That was a conversation she was not willing to have with him. Not in the privacy of her living room, with no witnesses, anyway.
“Nothing happened between us.” She told him firmly.
“Are you sure?”
“Nothing happened.” She repeated.
“And yet you keep trying to convince me that nothing happened.” He told her.
“That’s because nothing did.”
“Then why keep mentioning that fact?”
“Jake…” She huffed. “Look, you owe me nothing Jake and I owe you nothing.” Jake snorted in disgust.
“We are a family.”
“Stop saying that. We are not a family.” She told him, her voice rising angrily.
“We lived
“Five minutes.” And he walked passed her and into her living room without waiting for the invite.
Reluctantly she followed him into the small room. His presence filled it making it feel even smaller than it already was. The room now felt claustrophobic.
“Two minutes.” She said folding her arms across her chest.
“Be careful I might put it back up to ten minutes.” He said.
“You can start your… two minutes… by telling me how you found me so quickly?” that was a stupid question Amanda knew that but she could not think of anything else to say.
“I have my ways.” He shrugged at her.
“Meaning, you followed me from the hotel.” She corrected him.
“Yes when I drove away I thought it would be prudent to park just around the corner and wait. I had hoped that I was wrong. But then I saw you running back out of the hotel moments later and I knew I wasn’t.” was that sadness staining his husky voice?
“Why Jake. Why did you follow me?”
“I wanted to know if I was right.” He told her simply.
“And what has that achieved exactly?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Now I know.”
“You know that I lied to you.”
“Yes.” Amanda watched him clench his jaw.
“And that’s it? That somehow makes you happy to know that I lied to you.” She asked him
“It doesn’t make me happy Amanda, far from it.” He told her grimly.
“Then I don’t understand why you did it. You should have left well enough alone.” She told him.
“I am not about to give up on you… even though it looks as though you have given up on yourself.” Jake look disdain-fully around the room and then back to her.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean Jake?” she deman-ded hotly.
“Well look at this place.” He swept an impatient hand round the very small room with its limited amount of furniture, and it really was limited. A two seater sofa, one small table. A bookshelf and some sort of cupboard thing in the corner. She didn’t even possess a television.
And they had all been bought second hand. Not in a really up market second had shop either. They all had seen far better days.
Amanda knew that it wasn’t much but she lived alone and spent most of her time at work so she really did not need much. Just a place to eat and sleep.
“If you are going to insult my décor then you can leave.” She knew that that was not what he had meant but she pleaded ignorance anyway.
“Amanda… I just want to look out for you. Make sure you are okay. Like brothers are supposed to.”
“I do not need anyone to look out for me.”
“Really?” he raised a questioning eyebrow.
“I have managed just fine all by myself.”
“Yes, I can see that.” Jake drawled as he cast a disdainful eye over the room. His eyes picking up the patch of damp in the corner of the room. Of course he would notice that.
“And you are not my brother.” She told him crossly.
“You’re right. I’m not.” He clenched his jaw tightly together.
“Look, we both lead very different lives now. Whatever happened between us in the past we should leave it there? That’s where it belongs.” Tiredness had begun to take over and Amanda put a hand up to rub her sore eyes. She just wanted to sleep.
“What is it that happened between us?” Jake asked her. That was a conversation she was not willing to have with him. Not in the privacy of her living room, with no witnesses, anyway.
“Nothing happened between us.” She told him firmly.
“Are you sure?”
“Nothing happened.” She repeated.
“And yet you keep trying to convince me that nothing happened.” He told her.
“That’s because nothing did.”
“Then why keep mentioning that fact?”
“Jake…” She huffed. “Look, you owe me nothing Jake and I owe you nothing.” Jake snorted in disgust.
“We are a family.”
“Stop saying that. We are not a family.” She told him, her voice rising angrily.
“We lived
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