Page 29 of The Rebel Billionaire

I knew he meant it. He was sorry. But that wasn't enough. Notthistime.

Trying to make him understand, I said, "Aiden, do you even hear yourself? You have a complex. Seriously.If you'd handled me right in the first place?What does that even mean? You're not God. You can't control everything around you. I'm an adult woman who's made my own choices. Some of them are good and some of them are bad. None of them are your fault or yourresponsibility."

"Charlie, you were a little kid when mom and dad died. Don't tell me I'm not responsibleforyou."

"But you were, Aiden. You were responsible for all of that parent stuff. You took me to doctor appointments, you made sure I had my homework done, applied to college, and got home by curfew. But you aren't responsible for every small decision I make. Not for me, not for any of us. You take everything on your shoulders and you never pay attentiontoyou."

I cut off when my voice cracked and a tear rolled down my cheek. I hadn't realized how much thisbotheredme.

I'll admit—though not to Aiden—that he was probably right in firing me. Not the way he did it, but I was wasting my life at Winters Inc. I was shocked at how easy it was to walk away. I was worried about my projects, but I didn't want to go back. Notreally.

So I'd been wasting my life. But so was he, in a different way. Aiden loved the company and he lovedhisjob.

He didn't need a career change, but he needed to refocus hispriorities.

"We're all grown up now, Aiden. When does your life get to be about you? You deserve better than working all the time and worrying about your family. When was the last time you went onadate?"

"I went out on a date Saturday night, Charlie, not that it's any of your business," Aiden said, giving me the big brotherglare.

"I meant with a woman you're planning to take out on a second date and possibly bring home to Sundaydinner."

"We don't have Sundaydinner."

"Not the point. And maybe we should. I'm aware you have an activesociallife."

I framed the wordssocial lifewith air quotes. I wasn't squeamish, but I couldn't say the wordssex lifeto mybrother.

"But you haven't gone out with anyone seriously since Elizabeth. And I think you only married her because you thought you were making a family. I know you didn'tlikeher."

"This is none of your business,Charlie."

"Oh, so you get to rearrange my life to fit what you think is best for me, but I don't even get to comment when I think you're making a mistake? This is what I mean when I say you have a complex,Aiden."

"I don't have a complex," he interrupted. I wanted to laugh, but I was tooworkedup.

"You think you're the only one capable of being in charge. You think you have the right and the obligation to tell everybody what to do, but the second we try to help you, you shut us down. Well, I'm donelistening."

"Charlie, I'm notthatbad."

Aiden tried for a sheepish expression but it didn't work on his face. His bone structure was too austere, too sharply handsome to pull offsheepish.

"You areexactlythat bad. But I'll make a deal with you. You let me interfere in your life, and I'll movebackhome."

It was a safe bet to make. There was no way in hell Aiden was going to let me, his baby sister, start telling him whattodo.

As expected, he said, "Charlie, berealistic."

"I am being realistic. I'm an adult now. Even you can't argue that. Until you're willing to treat me like an adult, then I'm not coming home and I don't really want to talk to you. I need some time. And if I'm being completely honest, even if you do start treating me like an adult, I doubt I'mcominghome."

Aiden let out a gust of air, deflating a little. My heart squeezed in my chest. I didn't want to hurt my brother's feelings, but he'd been an asshole and I wasn't ready to let him offthehook.

Just because I didn't miss my job didn't mean it was okay that he fired me. I couldn't resist asking, "How's work? How's mydepartment?"

"They're fine. They’re muddling along without you. And every single one of them is pissed at me, which probably makes youhappy."

I wasn't going to deny it. "Yes, yes it does. Tell them Isayhi."

"I will," Aiden said in a tight voice. "So you're really not going to give meatour?"