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  Nor did she care for it, and she was truly freaked out.

  And turned on.

  Which was really, really humiliating.

  Coming off the door, she went to the oversize chair and sat down, pressing her hand to her forehead. She needed to lie down, think, breathe, or something. Gasping for air, she shook her head as she looked at the ceiling of her apartment. It was beautiful, simply gorgeous, and praise God that she got a discount to live here because she wouldn’t have been able to afford it otherwise.

  The condo was something out of a magazine with its floor-to-ceiling windows, classic white kitchen, and roomy bedrooms. Her bathroom had a spa tub, and she was pretty sure that her other apartment could fit inside of it. It was unbelievable, and she couldn’t wait to bring Rod over. He would love it. That is, if she didn’t kill Vaughn first and end up in jail.

  Jesus, the anger! Where was that coming from?

  Maybe she was sick? That was the only thing that could justify the fact that she had just ripped Vaughn’s balls off and tried to stuff them in his mouth. She was even mean to Jensen! Jensen was supernice, and she was a bitch. God, she was losing it. That had to be it. She had moved all through the night, she was worried sick about Rod and his heart issues, and she was plain tired. So fucking tired.

  And horny. Really horny.

  Jesus, she was the poster child for the hot-mess express.

  Covering her face, she knew she had to apologize. To Jensen. Not Vaughn. Vaughn could suck her ass, that prick. Well, not really, since she hated him and all. But, jeez, how dare he be so mean? Yeah, she was mean, but that’s because he was all narcissistic and acting like he owned the damn building. He didn’t own shit, and she sure as hell didn’t have to answer to him. He was no one to her. And he would never be anything to her.

  And why was her heart racing?

  He was a douche canoe. He stood all cocky and full of himself with his designer jeans and thick pea coat that he had tucked a scarf into because it was colder than Antarctica outside. He was one of those super cleaned-up rich kids, and she hated those kinds of guys. The ones who thought their shit didn’t stink and people like her should pick up said shit and throw it away for them. Hell, he probably expected her to wipe his ass. She shouldn’t find the fact that he looked like a model who had stepped off the cover of GQ, with his shaved up the side dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, erotic or intriguing either. No, his personality ruined his good looks. But if that was the case, then why did she find him the sexiest man she had ever seen?

  Ugh, she was pathetic, and her crush on Vaughn Johansson was borderline sadistic.

  On one hand, she wanted to climb him like a tree, hang off his neck, and hump his chest. On the other hand, she wanted to use her size to her advantage and punch him in the dick. She didn’t like him, but man, she wanted to rock his world. Make him beg her for more and want her, though she knew that wouldn’t happen. They were cut from different cloths and in no way compatible. He also made her feel like she wasn’t stable, and she was. She was successful, she was smart, and she did everything to make sure her brother was loved and taken care of, so why was she lying on her chair in her new apartment questioning her sanity?

  She needed to move.

  But where was she going to find a luxury apartment six minutes from Rod in her price range?

  The answer was nowhere.

  She was stuck.

  With Vaughn Johansson across the hall.

  “Fuck. My. Life.”

  Rubbing her hands down her face, she let out a moan before she yawned loudly. She could legit fall asleep, but she still had so much to bring in and, since she didn’t trust her fuckfaced neighbor, she should probably get up and do that. But the chair was so comfortable, and her love for sleep was a little passionate. It was just so wonderful, though, like being dead without the commitment of death.

  At least, that was how she saw it.

  Alas, she had to get up. Sucking in a breath, she let out a long exhale before slowly standing. She had to let this go. She had to be nice to Jensen and decent to Vaughn. They were her neighbors; she couldn’t go ripping heads off just because she wanted to screw the star hockey player who thought she was a joke. And really, what the hell was up with that? She was an amazing reporter, and it pissed her off that he questioned that. She’d show him.

  Fucking asshole.

  Growling and groaning as she brought her boxes in, she felt her frustration with the Assassins’ star grow and grow. What kind of man didn’t help a woman when she obviously needed it? Though, she should have hired someone. She’d just wanted to save money. It had seemed like a good idea, but at that moment, she was wishing she would have just blown the cash. Shaking her head, she set the last box down in her living room before slamming the door shut and leaning against it.

  Now, she could sleep.

  She was so excited, her heart jumping up in speed, but just as the thought came, her phone started to sound.

  “Why?” she moaned out as she went on the mission of finding her phone. It took a good three rings before she found it in underneath a box and saw it was Rod. “Hey, you,” she said, out of breath, and he laughed.

  “Are you busy?”

  “Moving in, but never too busy to speak to you. What’s up? How’re you feeling?”

  “Good, I am a little out of breath today, but I’m okay.”

  That set her on edge as she scooted to the front of the chair, her fingers going to her mouth as she chewed her nails. “Do I need to call the doctor? Come up there?”

  “Brie, I’m fine,” he said it like she was an idiot, but she wasn’t. He scared her. She couldn’t lose him. She just couldn’t.

  “Fine, what’s up? What are you doing?”

  “Hanging out. Reading.”

  “Reading is good,” she gushed. He had only really gotten into reading a little over a year ago, and he was doing so well. She was so proud since she was an avid reader. “What are you reading?”

  “This pamphlet.”

  “What pamphlet?”

  “The one for NateWay.”

  Brie rolled her eyes; she thought she had taken that. Maybe he’d gotten two. Little bugger. Rod had not stopped talking about this little community for adults with Down syndrome since she left him that morning. She hadn’t had time to look into it, and in all reality, she didn’t want to get his hopes up. It just wouldn’t work. He needed constant care, and she worried that this community wouldn’t offer that. Also, they might promise a scholarship, but that would probably only last a year, and then what? They’d be screwed.

  Nope, she wasn’t going to get his hopes up.

  “Oh, cool. So what do you want for dinner on Christmas?”

  “Chicken,” he answered, and she wasn’t surprised. That was all he ate. “But really, Brie, it’s awesome. I want to do it. Nate said he would work with us and make it to where I can live there.”

  “I haven’t had time to look into it, and I really don’t like that you are talking to someone I don’t even know.”

  “I’m an adult, Brie. I can talk to whoever I want.”

  She didn’t want to get into an argument with him. She was tired, and he was stuck on this NateWay shit. She just needed to let it go. He would forget about it, surely. But she’d be damn sure to call the nurses station tomorrow to make sure they didn’t allow this Nate fellow to come see her brother again.

  “Fine, I’ll look into it.”

  “You’ll really look into it? Do you want his number? He gave me his cell number for you. He wants to talk to you. He has questions.”

  “Questions?”

  “Yeah, he wanted to know why I was at Riverdale and not in a regular home for people like me,” he said, and Brie covered her face. She was already embarrassed that she couldn’t give her brother a better home, and now she had this guy coming around questioning him. Soon Rod would realize that she sucked. It was bad enough that she already knew that. “And I told him it was all you could afford, whi