good landlord. Not everyone is like me. When you were late with the money I said, "sure no problems, you

l her anything but little, but she knows what he mean

il the end of the we

the end of the week?" Martin

y hope so",

h other in the air in front of him in an act of exhaustin

ash says. "I won't let

us, while Sash closes the door, kicks of

had been a complete and

ng to hear back from companies she had no interest in working for, and wh

oment she walked into the room, based on the atmosphere alone, that

alified in the wrong way, or she was too pretty, or not pretty enoug

ng to work in a college library putting books back on shelves. She looked the inte

y debts, bills stacking up, behind on rent and nothing but a jar of cents to her name was

t to admit to it. Seeing him was such a last resort,

ew she'd already exhaus

says, "They tend to be rather aggressiv

Sash says, straighten

ape with her thick, perfectly painted lips. "My mistake.

think he thinks it's cute calling me it.

ke recently pumped oil, and stands over six foot tall, t

now he had a sis

, reminding her o

her face curling up into

of tropical fish that dominates the room, "maybe there'

pped, polite and expedient. There are huge paintings that fill the vast wall space around them, a floor to ceiling window of glass that frames the ever

world they have only just realized they are inhabiting, she sits there in awe of her surroundings. She turns expensive fashion magazines over in her hands, unable to concen

d in a never ending circuit of unhappiness, broken only by the inability to remember it for more than fifteen seconds a

which point Sash is about to give up completely

nd she's here. The time to leave has already gone. The decision has already been made. Approaching the huge wooden doors that stands in the way of her and her past, she feels her

usled hair a little bit longer than she remembers it, his chest even more ro

he's had reason to say it out loud. Sash lets herself be taken, pressing herself close to her step

f away from him to stand a foot away, her arms by h

lder", he s

stealing a look into his eyes that l

ks to her feet and then back up to her gorgeous stepbrother. Three years and

iously, knowing exactly

ther the meaning of their relationship now, desperate to show herself really, how much she has matured over the

change the subject. She brushes past her brother, their shoulders rubbing togeth