Off Limits, Brother's Best Friend Chapter 117

Chapter 117: He Is A Jerk 

Brianna

As the tiny car with the large London man came rolling to a stop in front of the building, we had a minute to spare. I ushered them out of the car and thanked the man one hundred times. When I turned for the door of the building, I paused. Standing just on the other side of the glass door was Janet, my boss. I saw her eyes shift between all of us, the random car I just pulled them out of and then back to me again. Slowly she opened the door and held it open for her to walk through. I flinched down, expecting to he yelled at instead she raised a thin well kept brow and leaned into me.

“I don't care how you got her here, just that you did get her here.” She said and walked right through the door.

My mind went to Callan and how he would chuckle at this chaotic story. I pictured that sexy face of his, maybe I should call him.

I survived the actress but not without incident, after the fitting she tried sneaking off. If I could track this woman,. I would. I stood behind her like I was a bouncer, I didn't let her out of my sight for more than a second to blink my eyes. She complained all the way to the interview and by the time we got to the photoshoot, I must have looked ragged because the photographer chuckled. He came to my side while they did her makeup and asked if I was okay. I was out of breath with sore feet and wild eyes.

“I am alive but barely. She is a crazy woman.” I whispered to him, he laughed and told me he had worked with her before and that he knew she was a handful.

I did it though, I got her to all three places and then her and her strange dog who doesn't bark or really focus on anything were finally back to being Edith's problem again.

When I finally got back home, I dropped on the sofa and told Jane I needed food or I would pass out. I told her how the day went and if I wasn't so wrapped up in that chaos, I would have noticed sooner how off she looked. I paused at the end of my rant and asked what was wrong, she doesn't look upset very often if ever at all, so I knew something was up. She fidgeted with her fingers and turned to better face me.

“Brianna, we need to talk. I need to tell you something but I don't know how you will feel about it.” She began, it formed a pit in my stomach and  I have no idea what it could be. Now I looked nervous and she had this indiscernible expression I was trying to better read.

“Just tell me,” I said quickly and painlessly.

“Are you and Callan exclusive?” She asked, the pit in my stomach formed even deeper and my gut tightened just to keep it from expanding any further. I took a breath.

“We never spelled it out, but you know how it has been going with us. It is more serious than it was.” I said to her, she sighed and the pit was growing.

“I have my cousin Jace on Facebook and he posted a few stories late last night. I saw my brother in the background with a woman. She got straight to the punchline and that was what it felt like. A punch to the gut.

“Doing what?” I asked, my voice came out small and weak.

“Do you want to see for yourself?” She asked, I wasn't sure if I even did but I nodded yes anyway.

I watched her unlock her phone and pull up her account. The ticking time clock I had felt earlier to complete my job was nothing in comparison to this countdown of total oblivion. She handed me her phone, rubbing my knees for support as I clicked on the story. I assume the guy who is the main focus is her cousin but I wasn't looking at him. My eyes scanned behind him and the pit grew bigger. This black hole of nerves and hurt and confusion and anger. Callan was in his sexy button down with the sleeve bunched up, dark slacks too and he was sitting down with a woman on his lap and his hand on her ass. In the second picture, I could just barely see them, but in the third one, I got a good glimpse of him shoving his tongue down her throat and the black hole swallowed me. I watched and rewatched the video, looking for clues or maybe to believe what I was seeing. I hadn't let myself think too much about it but when he started telling me not to date any man here in London and we started our long distance relationship or whatever this is, I stupidly assumed he wasn't with other women anymore. Wishful thinking really.

When she took her phone out of my hand, she tipped her head down a bit to better see my face. I would still have been staring at my empty hands.

“He has been doing this all along, I knew it was probably true but I wouldn't let myself think about it. I built up this fantasy of me meaning more to him than just the physical.” I snorted sardonically.

“Hey, I was right here with you, Callan seemed to have…I figured with the big gesture….” She couldn't find a way to finish her sentence. I looked up at her and I hated myself for feeling the burning in my eyes with the threat of tears.

“We never said we were exclusive.” I gave her an excuse.

“Didn't he tell you not to hook up with anyone? Brianna, if he wants that from you, he should have given you the same courtesy and done the same.” She didn't let me dismiss this.

“I know he is your brother but…” she didn't let me finish, she pulled me into her for a supportive hug that I really needed right now and let me sniff.

“He is my brother but he is an asshole. You are my best friend and I always tell you the truth.”

I really hugged her back and thanked her for even telling me, She could have defended her brother easily and I would be none the wiser if not for her showing me this.

“He was supposed to call me in a bit, I can't even face this right now with him.” I shook my head and wiped my cheek.

“Don't pick,” she muttered, I kicked off my shoes and stretched the balls of my feet.

“Come on, I will make something for you to eat.” She said and pulled me up but I had lost my appetite.

I just went to bed after that and silenced my phone when his name lit my screen. My mind kept wandering to him. Do I have a right to be upset with him? We didn't say we were exclusive but why fly to another country for a girl he didn't even give a shit about enough to stop sticking his dick in every woman that walked by it. My mind was cruel and images of him kept surfacing while I tried to crawl back into the void of the black hole I had fallen through. Him with his thumb rubbing across my bottom lip, me kissing him all over and us with our heads pressed together while I straddled his lap and rode him passionately. Do I have a right to be upset? Why call me every day to speak to me? What does he want from me? He wants my loyalty but won't give me his…No.

Jane was right, I deserve better than that, he should have been exclusively having sex with me or making it clear that he didn't want that. That we could both see other people, I wiped a few silent tears and fell quietly into the void.

***

I would be working with Elizabeth three days in a row when she got the clothing collections I needed to put into inventory. Now I was working a few days at vogue, though I usually alternate. The office was buzzing, but it often does that and I just walked to the corner I usually work in with a heavy weight on my chest from feeling heartbroken last night. I shouldn't care much but I did. I saw a sticky note waiting for me on my desk that read.

'See Janet when you get in.’ I had only just plopped into my seat but I had to roll back out and head over to her unnaturally clean office.

Janet was already behind her desk, but her desk chair spun around, facing opposite the door. I knocked lightly and watched her hand through the glass door as she raised it to signify that I could come in. I realized she was on the phone when I heard her speaking. Her whole desk is glass but there isn't a smear on it. How does she manage it? She finally spun around once she hung up the call and she quickly fixed herself to sit straight before addressing me.