Page 28 of Fighting My Demons

I scramble to my feet. They have no idea the shit storm that will come for me if they meddle with my brother.

“Xavier!” I shriek.

“Stay away from your sister! She doesn’t want you in her life, and you have no right to torment her the way you do!”

I hear my brother yelling at him as I reach for my phone, but Xavier pulls it away.

“Bella, enough!” Xavier snaps when I try to snatch my phone from his grip.

“If we catch you near her apartment again, there will be hell to pay,” Xavier snaps at him before hanging up.

I snatch my phone from his grip, my fingers fumbling as I try to unlock it and ring my brother back. Xavier grips my arms, and I jerk away from him.

“You had no right!” I scream at him, my entire body trembling with anger and fear.

“Bella, calm down. We will handle it,” Xavier says.

My hand connects with the side of his face. Xavier looks at me, shocked; his jaw clenches, and my handprint burns into his cheek.

Chapter Seventeen

“Fuck off! How dare you meddle in my personal life? Meddle with my brother when you have no idea what is going on? The drama you are causing me?” I scream at him.

I am at the end of my tether, everyone pushing and pulling at me from every direction. Always taking, always interfering.

“Bella?” Xavier says softly and reaches for me.

“Leave me alone! Don’t fucking touch me, just stay the fuck away, Xavier!” I snap at him before snatching my things off the table and dumping them in my handbag.

“We can help. Why won’t you let us help you?”

“You can’t help. I don’t want your help. Now get out of my way,” I tell him as he blocks the only door in here.

“If you tell us we can, what’s he got over you?”

“Move, please,” I tell him, ignoring his question.

He doesn’t move, and I am on the verge of losing it.

What is it with them? I am not some damsel in distress, and they are not my knights in shining armor.

I’ve done this. This is all because of my actions. One thing and this is my sentence for it. I don’t need anyone else getting hurt because of me. I don’t need anyone trying to save me. God knows I don’t deserve it.

“Xavier, please move out of the way,” I tell him when the door opens and Latham steps in.

“Let her out,” Latham says, and Xavier sighs but steps aside.

How does he even know we are here? I don’t have time to ponder. I need to get a hold of my brother and fix this before he goes on a rampage.

I rushed out, heading for the elevators while texting Addie to tell her I am sick and need to get home. Stepping into the elevator, I see Xavier walk into our office, the door shutting when Latham steps in, pressing the button to close the doors and blocking me from using the other elevator. The doors close behind him.

“Latham, don’t you start to… Please just leave it,” I tell him, already exhausted and over this day.

“Not until you tell me something,” he says, and I laugh.

This is ridiculous. They barely know me, and all three of them have been relentlessly interfering.

“I don’t have to tell you anything. We are not in a relationship. We are work colleagues. That is all,” I tell him, shaking my head and looking at the ceiling.