There was never a time in my life when I had to worry about my finances; anything I wanted, appeared as soon as I thought about it, and all I had to do was the exhausting effort of ordering it.

But just as they say, money cannot buy everything; and it certainly cannot.

Money bought me everything I desired; a lavish lifestyle, fame, friends, branded clothes, you name it, but one thing it could never give me was my parent's time and my father's love.

Whatever transpired between us is between us. And I'm not sure what I did wrong for him to neglect me like this; isn't it meant to be the other way around?

In his eyes, no matter how hard I try, I will always be a failure and a brat.

The fading sunlight flooded out in the sky, turning it pink, orange, and crimson. I turned off the computer and sipped the ice-cold coffee that had been sparkling hot for a while. My back began to ache from sitting in the same posture for an extended period of time. I stood up and yawned as I stretched from my seat.

I stood in front of a huge glass wall window that showed the entire spectacular New York City. The sky's hues were disappearing, and the blue tint was becoming deeper.

My thoughts returned to the girl who has been consuming my thoughts for the past few days. It was vexing how much more control she had over my mind than I had.

Ex.

She is Luke's ex.

And just like a fucking joke my life was, my phone rang with the caller id of someone I didn't want to talk to right now. He's my best friend, and yet I couldn't do the only thing he'd ever asked me to do.

''Don't do anything funny with my sister''

His words rang in my ears like fucking bells.

I rubbed my eyes and held the phone in my ears after answering it.

''Hey brother'' Jake's jovial husky voice greeted me.

'' Hey dude what's up?''

''Nothing special. What about you? How's the office?''

'' It's alright, there's just lots of fucking work''

''Yeah, and I am sure you're taking them out by fucking your sexy little assistant'' He laughed.

Jerk.

''More like a douche dick," I chuckled.

"Don't tell me! It's a guy?! " He shouted over the phone and let out a roar of laughter.

''Yeah,'' I sighed and rolled my eyes.

''Dude, your father is a jackass."

"Tell me about it."

After that, we talked about him and how long he had been there; there was something wrong, I could sense the stress in his voice, and being Jake, he dismissed it, claiming it was nothing. We talked long enough for me to sigh with relief that he didn't bring up Ella's topic.

''Oh yeah, how's Ells?''

Spoke too soon.

"She's alright," I said quietly. She's fine, she was fine when she was ready to kiss her unfaithful ex. She was perfectly happy befriending a stranger and conversing politely with everyone. She's just not fine when she's with me, when she's talking to me, and when she looks at me. And no matter how hard I try to avoid it, it stings, it stings so badly.

It hurts that she perceives me as the callous and fucking douchebag that I am.

And it hurts so badly that the one woman who ever made my heart race is off-limits and as if I needed another fucking reminder; now I have to see her every now and then.

On her beautiful, voluptuous figure, her doe-like brown eyes appear sinfully innocent. She's off-limits, which makes her much more sinful. I'm curious about her lips, those sinful lips that tasted like nectar when they synchronized with mine. My thoughts immediately moved to how they would look on my dick, which instantly turned me hard. I wonder-

''Hello- Seb you there?-Hello?''

Another fucking reminder.

''Fuck'' I cussed.

''What happened?'' He asked.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Nothing just dreaming about your sister's lips on my dick.

''Ah-nothing, I split my coffee on the table,'' I replied while he snickered.

''Still clumsy huh?''

''Still clumsy''

''Okay I guess you're busy, I will talk to you later-''

''Wait'' I interjected.

''What?''

''Is everything fine with Olivia?'' I asked curiously.

"Yeah, why?" He swallowed and cleared his throat.

"Nothing, just haven't seen her upload any pictures in a while." My page is always flooded with her photos, and she has suddenly stopped posting them."

''Aww, Seb, you miss my pictures." A female voice, one I recognized, yelled.

''Jake, you should have informed me you were on the loudspeaker, what if I blurted about your little dick?" I rolled my eyes.

"Liv knows how little it is." I could see the smirk on that fucker's face right now.

''Yeah, and let me tell you, it isn't small, it is tiny!" She exclaimed and burst into laughter. I shook my head and chuckled.

"Oh, I'll show you how big— Babe, babe!" Jake abruptly yelled, and I heard some noises coming from the phone.

''What happened?" I said, my brow furrowed.

''Wait for a second, let me just check on her."

''You shouldn't have leaped that high; you could have twisted your ankles," Jake grumbled, and there was a brief moment of stillness before I heard some smooching.

Great.

I knew they were about to have sex, and I had no fucking desire to hear their moans.

''All right, I'll call you back, you guys take care," I said.

"Yeah, fine," Jake answered as he hung up the phone.

So they'd already begun.

Fucking amazing.

I didn't waste another and got back to reviewing some last-minute files, but my mind wasn't there. It was revolving around the scene I had witnessed today.

Was she really going to kiss him?

I didn't know.

I know, I'd been a jerk ever since I found out she was Luke's ex; well, I'd always been a jerk. . But that's something I am, I am a dick, an asshole and I have never felt these tingling feelings in my heart or the butterflies that erupt simply by looking at her from afar.

Now, I sound like a fucking girl.

Great.

These emotions are just too powerful for me. That's why I detached myself from her in the first place, but the minute I considered giving it a go in that event, everything fell apart when Luke revealed, she was his ex.

Off-limits.

She was not just my best friend's little sister, but also my brother's ex. If this doesn't put me off, I don't know what would.

That's why I brought all those hookups home; I know I'm a jackass, but I wanted her to feel something, to be envious. She, however, was not.

Why?

Because I am just not worth it and she doesn't deserve me.

She didn't deserve to be cheated on, either. I didn't know what occurred between them until I found out, and to say I felt like a huge boulder dropped on me would be an understatement.

She didn't fucking deserve it.

And that was why I did what I did, I punched Luke on his cheek. My veins swelled with rage; she didn't fucking deserve it! I couldn't picture her traveling alone in the middle of that night. I felt a surge of protectiveness within me. I simply wanted to go up to her, hold her, and shield her from the world's cruelty and wickedness.

''She didn't deserve it! Fuck! No one does Luke!'' I yelled, my chest rising and sinking as I breathed heavily.

''I know! I know!'' He roared, ''do you think I don't fucking know that! Fuck you, Seb, she was flawless. She was all I wished for, yet I damaged her." he whispered looking down. Sadness glowed in his eyes, but I couldn't care less. He hurt her.

How can someone hurt her like that?

You did.

Yes, I did. I know I fucked up. I couldn't bear the notion of her with another guy, and when Luke revealed she was his ex, I lost it. All of my emotions surged to the surface and exploded like a volcano. I may have hurt her in the same way that Luke did.

I called her a fucking whore, when she was nothing like that.

I had forgotten that it was my heart that beats for her, my heart that longs for her, not hers. My rage has always destroyed things for me, and it has done it again.

She must despise me now.

And I fucking deserve it.

There were nights in which my restless heart would only calm down when it would hear the front door close and some little footfall die in the opposite door. There was also a night when she was late and I wanted to get in my car and go to her office, but just as I was about to leave the apartment, the sound of her laughter greeted me; I remained there for a while and imprinted that sound in my head; it's not something I always hear.

And that's when I heard Maver's voice. That scoundrel came to drop her. I returned to my room on tiptoe and called one of my flings.

I'm messed up, and it's probably for the best if she doesn't become embroiled in my mess.

''Why did you do it?'' I had asked Luke, clenching my jaw.

But he didn't respond; instead, he lifted his flaming red eyes, glared at me, and exited the room.

I didn't stay long either.

The buzzing of my phone jolted me out of my reverie; I thought it was Jake, but it was Jace.

''What's up?'' I greeted,

''Heading to the nightclub, want to join?''

''Nah, I'll pass''

''Jen, Luke, Mave, and Ella will also be there. You sure you don't want to join?" I could detect a smirk in his tone of speaking.

Fucker.

And there's the same intense feeling there, the caveman who wanted to come out and butterflies which were fluttering gleefully at the prospect of seeing her again.

"I'll be there."