Page 9 of Pleading Innocence

Chris

Brother.IreflectedonJared’s words as I left his office and made my way over to the elevator, holding up the shirts he gave me, and I grinned. This was definitely a brother type of gift. As I stared at the shirts fondly, I had a realization about Jared’s reaction to Tiffany. This whole brother thing could've been why Jared was so hard on Tiffany, because he’d be the same with his own siblings. In his mind, I guessed, he was trying to toughen her up for the real world. In his mind, he was looking out for her best interests, just as he would for me, his own brothers, and his father. Jared was that type of family member and best friend. The type that loved you but would do what they felt was necessary to prepare you for a world that might not treat you too kindly.

Everyone needed a Jared in their life, although just one Jared was enough. He was an acquired taste—one that me and the guys appreciated, but one that Tiffany seemed to abhor. I just needed to help her see that his methods came from a place of sincerity and genuine care, not from malice. At least, I hoped not. Surely, if he saw me as a brother, he’d see my little sister as his little sister as well, right? I wouldn’t like to think that he hated her when she was nothing but so damn loveable. And he hadn’t said in so many words that he cared for her wellbeing or anything, but he’d said he no longer had a problem with her—which in Jared’s way, in the beginning, was how he showed affection, or at the very least tolerance.

I, on the other hand, was not that type of harsh brother, not unless I had to be. And with Tiffany, who was damn near perfect, there was no need for that type of harshness with her. As I said, in every group and family, it was enough to have one person like Jared. There was a need for the level-headed one, the one who made smart decisions and could see your mistakes from a mile away, yet still loved you enough to grab you into a hug when you’re least expecting it and had that playful side to them that they allowed you to see.

But Tiffany didn’t need me to be Jared. She didn’t need me to point out everything that she could’ve done differently. She already had our parents for that. Tiffany needed affection and understanding. She needed to know that in a family that could sometimes get consumed by what they wanted, how people viewed them, how much money they made and how outstanding they were in society, that there was someone who understood her—someone she could relate to and who shared a similar experience. That was the type of big brother I strived to be for her.

I just wanted to know how I could help, and maybe I could help her feel less attacked by Jared by showing her these goofy t-shirts he gave me to break the ice. But if she didn’t want to work alongside him ever again in her life, she didn’t have to. I was not stingy with my connections, and I was willing to share them to help her find another job. My greatest concern at the moment, however, was her mental health, since walking away from something she wanted and was trying so hard to have must have been difficult.

I was just making up for lost time between us, honestly. I didn’t get the chance to be her big brother for most of her life and I wanted every opportunity to do so now.

The phone went to voicemail yet again and I removed it from my ear to press the call button once more. I wanted to let her know that I was on my way over to see how she was doing. Even though I’d bought the apartment for her, I didn’t want to just pop up at her place. The whole reason I got the apartment for her was so that she could have her privacy and not be constantly hovered over by our parents. So it wouldn’t make me comfortable to do the same thing to her, showing up unannounced and walking in like I owned the place—even if technically, I did. That’s why I didn’t get an extra key. I wanted to give her the chance to experience the freedom of adulthood while she built up her own income.

As I was walking through the lobby at Crawford & Beam and made my way across the large gray tiles, leading toward the exit, I wasn’t paying attention to the black walls with hanging art and pictures of Jared’s late father or the people hanging out chatting. I was focused on the lack of ringing in my ear as I waited to speak to Tiffany. I wondered why she wasn’t picking up. I kinda wanted to gauge where she was before showing up, just in case I needed to bring anything with me, like that Sauternes she liked or a dessert of some kind. Something to lift her mood.

Then again, there was the possibility that she wasn’t even home, but the fact that the phone kept going to voicemail started to worry me. It wouldn’t ring at all, which at first I thought was probably because she was being flooded with calls all day, which would cause the phone to just give up on ringing. But maybe she wanted to avoid talking with anyone today, especially if Mom and Dad had already been calling her phone like crazy. And that wasn’t a problem. However, since I couldn’t speak to her, I just wanted to make sure she was okay and that she didn’t take it harder than I thought by seeing her in person.

I braced my shoulder against the glass of the exit door and placed my hand on the handle to push against it when a familiar voice came up behind me, followed by two hands landing on my shoulder, shaking me and frightening me out of my wits. “No way, man! Did you come here to drop off your resume? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of becoming a lawyer again?”

I turned around with my heart going off like a sputtering engine as I gasped. It was just Anthony, grinning.

“Dude!” I said, shoving him on the shoulder before I put my phone in my pocket and smiled in return. “Hey, buddy, if I EVER decide to ‘return to law’ one day, hit me over the head with something, will you?” I responded.

He laughed. “So what are you doing here?”

“Oh, I just thought I’d swing by to see Jared,” I said. I didn’t want to start talking with him about Tiffany. I didn’t want to give his brain a chance to go there—not after catching him when he was ogling her and pretending he wasn’t. Anthony would definitely not consider my little sister his little sister, and he didn’t have to. He just had to make sure he stayed the hell away from her and our friendship wouldn’t suffer.

“Just at random? And you didn’t come to see me? What, you mad at me or something?” he asked.

“Do I have a reason to be mad?” I asked him.

“What do you mean?” he asked as I walked outside with him following me.

I studied him without speaking.

“Come on, Chris, don’t tell me you’re talking about Tiffany,” he said.

My eyes widened at him.

“Bro, I told you I wouldn’t do that to you, and I won’t,” he said.

“Again,” I reminded him.

“That wasn’t your sister,” he said.

I wasn’t amused, and I was defensive since I came here about Tiffany and couldn’t reach her on the phone. Around Anthony, however, I didn’t want to mention her, and it was putting me on edge with him bringing her up. But I was going to try to take his word for it—for now.

“I apologize for the attitude. I’m just a bit stressed,” I said, patting him on the shoulder.

“You know, I was just about to go grab some drinks. I could use the company of my best friend—that is, if we’re still best friends. Judging by the way you’re giving me the cold shoulder, I’m starting to wonder,” he said.

My stomach rumbled with guilt. I was giving him a bit of a hard time, and I wanted to believe that he wouldn’t betray me a second time. He was forgiven for the time he hooked up with my ex, and I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt this time around. Perhaps there was a moral code he wouldn’t break after all.

I grabbed him by the neck and scuffled his curls. “And judging by the way you forgot to congratulate me on becoming a dad again for the second time, and the fact that you forgot to give me a gift, I might agree with you. And you wonder why I came to see Jared.” I grinned and held up the shirts I just got.

“Dude, I don’t know what to get a dad,” he said as he grabbed one of the shirts and looked at it while I held up the other one. He burst out laughing. “Okay, that’s pretty clever and uncanny, which is why I know you’re not going to say no to having a drink or two with me for lunch,” he said.