Free All Good Things Absolved by Alannah Carbonneau Page B

heavy.
    "Andrew?" I spoke his name on a shaky breath. "Why are you calling me?"
    "I'm your brother, Olivia." He sounded annoyed. "Why shouldn't I call you?"
    "You haven't called me in a year, Andrew." I reminded. I tried to keep my tone gentle but it was hard. I was annoyed. Why the hell was he calling me?
    "I know." Nothing followed. He said nothing else. Just 'I know'. What the hell was that even supposed to mean? My beautiful morning just spiraled. Thanks to my idiotic brother.
    "So why are you calling me now?"
    "I'm in New York." He said bluntly. "I'd like to meet you."
    "Andrew, I'm,"
    "Please don't make excuses, Olivia." He barked tiredly.
    "Don't tell me what to do, Andrew." I snapped. After years of following his orders and hoping for some semblance of a relationship like the one we had before I dated Bryce, I was so not going to start doing it again. "If you want to meet me, you can meet me in central part in one hour. If you're not there when I get there, then I'll leave. You've got one shot."
    "I'll be there."
    "Bye." I snapped as I hung up my phone. I thought once about throwing my phone before I cast the desire away. That would accomplish nothing.
    Feeling heavy and not nearly as elated as before, I dragged my butt from the bed to the shower.
    ***
    An hour later, I was standing in Central Park waiting for my brother. The fall air was comfortably warm and I only wore a light black blazer over a long sleeved cream-colored shirt. I wore dark jeans and black suede boots. I chewed my bottom lip in annoyance as I thought about my family and how I had wanted more than anything to leave them behind. But here my brother was, appearing in my new life and making demands. It shouldn't have surprised me, but it did. I knew it was bound to happen at some point in time - especially now that I was dating Jace, but I hadn't expected to see him a week before my wedding.
    I could see Gabe watching me from the road where he'd parked. That was the deal - if he drove me here instead of to Jace's office, I had to remain within eyesight. I didn't mind though. Because I didn't trust my brother.
    "Olivia," Andrew said from behind me.
    I spun around with a scowl painted on my face. "You're late."
    He handed me a Starbucks cup. "Don't act so thrilled. I got you your favorite."
    I scowled down at the cup. "You know I own a café bookstore now right?"
    He shrugged. "I'd heard. But I still like Starbucks."
    The jackass! He was trying to offend me even now. Had I accomplished nothing since getting out from beneath my father's iron fist? "What are you doing in New York?"
    He stared at me with brown eyes that were so similar to my own. "I'm visiting my sister. Is that so difficult to believe?"
    I laughed. "Yeah, it is actually."
    "Why?"
    I sighed. He was seriously playing this game with me? I was a LeRoux too. Just because I tried to cut all ties didn't mean I didn't know with full understanding how my family worked. "Don't play with me Andrew. I lived in our family. We don't do anything without an ulterior motif."
    His brow raised. "What's the motif for catching Jace Rush?"
    I bristled. The thought of my palm contacting with the side of his face was a sweet thought. It was nearly impossible to pass up, but somehow I managed. "There is no motif there, Andrew. I ditched the family ways when I left Toronto."
    "You're just like the rest of us, Olivia. Don't kid yourself." Andrew looked annoyed. His scowl was almost violent and it took everything within me not to cringe. "You're the most manipulative of us all. How do you think you got grandfathers money? How do you think you were able to run away and start something here?"
    "Shut up, Andrew." I spoke the words between clenched teeth and his brown eyes glimmered in satisfaction. If he could, he would have purred, I was certain.
    "I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, Olivia."
    "Really?" I asked in a tone of disbelief. "What are you doing?"
    He didn't acknowledge my question. Instead, he asked one