Her Reluctant Husband by Erica Marselas (summer beach reads txt) 📗

"Sure, no problem."

"Why don't you get settled into your Aunt's office? I have everything set up in there." He smiles as he pulls out his cell phone from inside his jacket pocket.

"How much stuff could there be to go over? I know we’re going over the will but for dividing assets, I’m the only one to divide into."

"Well, that’s not quite true. Liz had many friends and you knew your Aunt; she never did anything simple. Go sit." He pats my arm before descending the stairs with his phone clenched in his hand.

No, Aunt Liz never did anything easy, but one thing should be easy for sure, this house. It’s going to be mine. It’s my family’s home. It goes back generations, and there’s no way Liz would give it or sell it to anyone else but me. Her only family. The only problem I have is, I know Aunt Liz would kill me from beyond the grave if I sold it in return, so I’ve been thinking I could make this place into a nice rental property or a B&B because I don’t know how long I can last in a place where the memories torment me.

I push open the front door and suddenly feel eight again, remembering the day Aunt Liz brought me and Kathleen home to live with her forever after our parents died. She always made sure this was a warm and happy place for us. She never made us feel like we didn’t belong here. She was a godsend. Yet, I didn't visit her at the end when she needed me. I shake off the nagging voice and walk down the hallway littered with family pictures. Aunt Liz loved surrounding herself in pictures. There are dozens of photos on the wall from every generation, including ones of my mom and dad, my sister Kathleen and me through the years.

Along with pictures of her. 

I hate her, and yet when it rains in the summer, I think of her.

No matter how much I try to forget her, she haunts me and all my memories. She's burned in with the best and the worst of times. I swear I can even smell her now as I walk further down the hall; the unmistakable smell of jasmine with a hint of vanilla. I used to not resist the scent when she was near, but now it makes me sick.

The door to the office is cracked, and I spot a thin figure standing in front of Liz's desk, her bright red hair covering her face. The smell of jasmine gets stronger as I push open the door and step in. As she picks up the gold frame on the desk, the girl pushes her long hair back revealing her pale cheeks and the amber eyes of the girl I hate.

No, it can’t be. I have to be seeing things.

The last time I saw her, she was in the hospital bed with tears streaming down her face as I told her I never wanted to see her again. This girl destroyed me. Took my little sister away from me and everything I knew about love, family, and trust.

Now five years later, she's here standing in my aunt's office. In my home!

I don't think so.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I roar, startling her. She drops the picture frame to the desk, where it lands face down.

She pushes her shoulders back as her shaky hands upright the frame. "I was asked to be here," she says without looking at me.

"There must have been some mistake. You need to leave. Now." She is not welcome in my house. Not now and not ever again.

"I'm not leaving, Alex." She brushes her hands down her floral dress and raises her eyes mine.

"Yes, you are. I don’t care if I have to drag you out of here.”

She has some nerve when she rolls her eyes at me, and it makes my temper flare. "Don't you think it's been long enough? You can drop the attitude. What happened back then wasn't my fault."

“If you have to tell yourself that to sleep better at night, go right ahead, but we both know you are full of shit.”

"You'd think after five years you would have grown up and got the whole story, but again Alex Wilks only hears what he wants. I really shouldn’t have expected any less,” she huffs.

"So, you weren't driving the car that killed Kathleen?" I tilt my head and stare her down. She presses her lips together and her fists clench tightly at her side, all while not denying the truth. "That's what I thought."

"Are we ready to get started?" Mr. Kelley asks as he walks in, moving to the front of the desk.

"I am, but I believe a mistake has been made having Ms. Madison here."

"There's no mistake, Alex. Sit down both of you." Mr. Kelley waves to the leather chairs in front of us. June takes her seat, but I’m not moving till she’s out of my life…again.

"There's no way Aunt Liz left her anything unless it was a burning pile of shit." I stab my finger at June, and she flutters her eyes, not one bit affected by my words. I will break her.

"Alex…" Kelley groans, his forehead wrinkled in frustration. “Enough.”

"Liz didn't hate me or blame me. You're the only one who does Alex," June says boldly, as she crosses her arms over her chest.

I grit my teeth. Yes, Liz might have been one to try and forgive her years ago, but I wasn’t.

"Then why didn't you show up for her funeral,” I growl back. As much as I hadn’t wanted her there, I expected her to show up and show some respect to the woman who helped