His nostrils flared slightly. “I don’t know, Olivia. Maybe you sleeping with our investor?”
Blood rushed to my cheeks. I wasn’t in the habit of talking relationships or sharing any of the dirty details of my personal life with my brothers. I’d be content if they just assumed I was a virgin for the rest of my life, and I guessed they probably would be content with that lie too.
“Do you think you might be jumping to conclusions a little bit?”
He whipped the towel off his shoulders and began wiping down the counter. “I wasn’t born yesterday. And the way Maya keeps prying, seems like she’s got the right idea too.”
“Why is this anyone’s business?”
He paused to level another hard stare my way. “Because it is business, Liv. You shouldn’t be complicating it with personal shit like this. Whatever you’ve got going on with him, I don’t like it.”
My embarrassment quickly morphed into indignation. “I hate to burst your bubble, Cam, but whatever I have ‘going on’ with Will is really none of your concern. Kindly butt out.”
He leaned in a fraction. “As long as we have a working relationship with him, I think it is my concern. I don’t want you getting involved with him.”
I brought my hands to my hips and worked my jaw. He could be so pigheaded sometimes. I silently prayed that my nephew showed up soon so both he and Maya would get off my case. I was having a hard enough time figuring out what the hell was going on with Will without the added complications.
“You don’t want me getting involved because he’s an investor. Is that your only reason?”
“He’s mixed up in things that you don’t need to be dealing with.”
“Is this about his dad? Will has nothing to do with that.”
He scowled. “How do you know? You believe everything people tell you now?”
I was the one to lean in this time. “Oh, so his money’s green enough to fund our project, but because his dad’s in trouble, I can’t have anything to do with him? I mean seriously, Cam, do you just make these rules up as you go?”
“He’s not good for you.”
“Who is?” My voice had dropped to a whisper. “Was Maya good enough for you? Was Vanessa good enough for Darren? What do you think Mom would say? No one’s ever going to be good enough, and you know it.”
“We’re not going down that road again, I swear to Christ, Liv.”
I held up a hand, silencing him. “I love Maya, okay? I pushed her away and I judged her when I should have given her a chance. I was stupid because I didn’t understand that your happiness was at stake.”
He was silent for the first time.
“I don’t know if this thing with Will is going anywhere, but I can’t deal with you guys hovering. I need to be my own person. I need to make mistakes and figure things out as I go. I don’t want to be led around by the nose anymore. That’s why I came here, remember? For a chance to start over and be me, not the person everyone else wants me to be.”
He drew his hand over his face and sighed. “I’m never going to stop being your big brother, Liv. All my instincts tell me this is wrong.”
I wilted, drained from the whole exchange. “Save your instincts for your baby, Cam. I’m a big girl. I can cross the street on my own now.”
“This can’t affect the build-out or the business.”
“It won’t.” I hoped I could absolutely keep that promise.
“And he better not hurt you…” His hand turned into a fist.
“I’m going to be fine,” I said, wanting to believe that, too.
Cam turned away after a long moment. We finished cleaning the kitchen in silence. His concerns tumbled through my head. I wanted to be indignant, but I knew his words, even if gruffly and pigheadedly delivered, came from his heart.
Cam had always been there for me when I was little. When Darren would pick on me endlessly, Cameron was always the compassionate one who would play with me and keep me entertained when no one else would. He was the ultimate big brother, always making me feel safe and protected. When he was deployed and I was in college, he wrote me letters, brief but heartfelt. The smallest gesture was enough to remind me that he cared, that our bond was still as strong as ever, even if he was battling his own demons overseas.
I was grateful for Cam, and I always would be. But if I was going to carve out my own path here in the city and in this new life, I had to do it on my own. I had to make my own decisions and own my mistakes. Otherwise, the risk was worth nothing.
The night ended early. Maya was tired, understandably so, and Darren had a look in his eyes like he wanted to hurry home and talk Vanessa into making a baby. After a nearly sleepless night in Will’s bed, I was ready to put the day behind me too.