“I can only imagine what about,” Brady says, rolling his eyes.

“It would have been a lot more if I would have known she was the infamous Sadie,” Maura answers and takes the bike on the other side of me.

“Just keep the stories to yourself,” Brady tells her seriously, giving Maura a look.

“So, Sadie. Tell me about yourself.” She turns my way, ignoring Brady.

“Um…” I stutter. Then the instructor interrupts us, starting the class. I can’t help the feeling of relief that flows through me. How do you tell your boyfriend’s sister you just got disowned by your parents?

“Pst…Brady,” she loudly whispers.

“What?” Brady answers with annoyance in his voice.

“I need to talk to you after class, something about...” Brady nods his head before she finishes, and then she looks over at me and gives me a small smile before facing forward to concentrate on the class.

I have to admit, watching my amazing boyfriend do a spin class leaves me breathless in more than one way. I want to grab him and run into the locker room to have my way with him in the shower. His silence throughout the class surprises me. Night and day to him in the bedroom. He makes no grunts or noises, just steadily completing the work out. If it wasn’t for his drenched shirt and body, you would have thought the spin class was nothing to him.

After the class, I grab my towel and rub the sweat off me. Sipping out of my water bottle, I notice the playful Brady is gone, replaced by a very serious one. He makes no jokes about my shirt clinging to me, outlining my body. Quietly, he sips his water and stares at Maura. They seem to be having a conversation with no words. Theo and I could do that; I had always thought it was a twin thing but I guess it’s a sibling thing. Before I can ask any questions, Maura says, “It was nice meeting you, Sadie. Brady should bring you over to the house so you can meet the kids and hubby.” She embraces me into a sweaty hug and turns to Brady, doing the same before leaving.

“Sorry about that,” Brady apologizes.

“Why would you be sorry? What a coincidence that I met your sister last week,” I remark, following Brady out the doors.

“She’s a little…excitable.” He stands to the side of the door, allowing me to go first. When we get out to the hallway, I see Kara talking with Maura and I know my shoulders slump and I let out an exasperated breath.

“Oh, look who it is.” I roll my eyes in annoyance. “She knows your sister?”

“Yeah, well…remember I told you, she’s a family friend,” Brady answers and walks us over to the last place I want to go.

“Brady!” she exclaims, swiftly making her way over to us, embracing him. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

He slowly removes her arms from his neck and says, “You remember Sadie, my girlfriend?” He reaches his arm around my waist. One of the things I love about Brady is that he’s always forthcoming to people that we are a couple.

“Hi, Sadie,” she leers my way and gives me a once-over before her eyes land back on him.

“So I hear you are playing Grant’s frat party this weekend?” she asks and my head shoots up to him as he glances down at me.

“Oh, how is Grant?” Maura questions Brady.

“I’m only playing it because of the money. Rob booked it. If it was up to me, I wouldn’t play for those fucking douches.” Brady’s voice is full of hostility.

“You really need to let it go, Brady,” Maura says sympathetically and Brady gives her the same shut-your-mouth look that he did earlier.

“Anyway,” she says, clearly irritated. “I need to get back to the kiddos. I swear girls, when you become a mother you will wonder what you did with all that time before them,” she jokes, waving good-bye.

“Bye, Maura,” all three of us say in unison.

“So, can I come to the party?” Kara eagerly asks, and I wonder why she’s asking Brady’s permission.

“Call Grant, I’m sure he’ll let you in,” Brady says with no emotion.

“But I could just come with you and the band,” she whines and it dawns on me that she is asking Brady to bring her to the party. Um…no.

“Kara, you can ask one of the guys if you want. Sadie and I will only be there to play and then we are leaving right after,” he reveals and I look up at him, surprised for the second time in this short conversation. Not only did I just find out I’m going to a frat party, but Brady has already decided how long I’ll be staying as well.

“You used to always take me. Remember, Brady? It was always you and me.” She glares at me.

“Well, now it’s me and Brady. I’m sorry Kara, but we have to get going.” I loop my arm through Brady’s, walking us forward. “See you later.”

We get down the hall and Brady leans into my ear, “I like this jealous side of you.”

“There’s something about her Brady I don’t like,” I admit.

“She’s just a young girl, trying to be something she’s not,” he says. He is blind to her infatuation. “Come home with me and show me how much I’m yours,” he requests.

“Gladly,” I say and stop outside the doors to kiss him.

Chapter 23

I finally pick up my phone when my mom calls me for the millionth time. It’s Wednesday and I have punished her unfairly for too long. She’s not the one I have a problem with.

“Hi, Mom,” I answer.

“Sadie,” she sighs and releases a breath. “Finally.”

“I’m sorry, Mom, I should have called you,” I apologize.

“You should have or at least answered your phone. But now that I have you, I don’t care. How are you?” she asks.

“Okay.” I respond, letting her have her say so I can get off the phone.

“I put money into your account today,” she reveals.

“You didn’t have to. I will manage but… thank you,” I quietly express my appreciation.

“Yes, I did. Listen sweetie, I’m coming out this weekend. Don’t try to talk me out of it. I have some things to talk to you about. I won’t be there until Saturday afternoon. I’m only staying one night and then coming back. Your dad thinks I’m going with Audrey to the city for the night.”

“Mom, really, it isn’t necessary. I’m going to get a job…”

“Sadie, I’m coming. You will not talk me out of this. Please be at your dorm around two o’clock,” she interrupts me.

“Okay, Mom,” I grudgingly agree.

“Great, see you then. Love you, Sadie,” she says.

“Bye, Mom,” I reply.

The whole conversation is short and weird, and I can’t imagine what she possibly has to talk to me about. My whole life has been her fulfilling my dad’s wishes. He is the alpha male and head of our household. You don’t dare cross him and I did just that. He holds the checkbook and doles out the money to what and whom he sees fit. My mom has always been given an allowance every month and nothing more. I remember Theo and I sitting at the top of the stairs when we were little, hearing my parents fight over what she spent.

My mom had grown up with money. She was the heir to a multi-million dollar real estate company. But when her father got sick, he had to assign the responsibilities to someone and ultimately signed the company over. Since her mother had died during childbirth and my mom was an only child, there was no one else to leave it to. My grandpa chose my dad, assuming he would be a better fit than his own daughter. That was ten years ago and my dad has reaped the rewards ever since. Obviously, my dad was an educated, wealthy man but after grandpa left him the already established company, he turned filthy rich and instantly changed into someone I didn’t recognize.

Regardless of my dad’s personality shift, my mom has remained on his arm, always smiling and laughing at his jokes while following his directives as though she was his employee. They would go on vacations, leaving Theo and me with our grandma on holidays, always buying us anything we wanted to make up for abandoning us. So I’m curious to why now she is so concerned about me.