Chapter 48 Brotherly Concern

No one would dare pick Sabrina's lies apart other than her own brother, but still… did he really have to say it aloud like that? "Tell me the truth, sis. Did you lose your job or what?" Barry asked. It was a wild guess on his part, and yet he found Sabrina looking a little sullen. That made him purse his lips in disbelief. Sabrina had not expected her brother to get it that close to the truth. "It's… not as bad as you make it sound." "Really? Because it really felt like it was something big. You wouldn't suddenly show up here during office hours otherwise. So what happened? Someone giving you trouble at work?" Sabrina's silence made Victor and Marcus exchange glances. Holy shit, Sabrina's brother was on a guessing streak! "Can you just stop already, Barry? I'd love to have some semblance of secrecy and privacy to my thoughts here!" That was not a promising response. It meant Barry was right more than he was wrong—and honestly, he wished he was wrong. "Sabrina, tell me what happened. Bottling it up like that will only make me worry even more. You don't want me to be worried sick about you, right? And what about Grandpa? You want him to be worried about you while he's still in a coma?" Sabrina had to admit that while her brother could be a boneheaded jerk sometimes, he had a point. "It's not a big deal or anything. Just some minor workplace… conflict, if you can even call it that. I've been given a few day's break while it gets resolved, and then I'll be back at work." "Sabrina, I know I got my living daylight socked out a few days ago, but my brain damage isn't so bad that I can't think straight. If it were that simple, why are you here?" He turned to Curtis. Well, what the hell did he have a brother-in-law for if he was not going to help Sabrina? Worse, Curtis looked like he had zero idea about whatever the hell Sabrina was going through. It was a bit infuriating. Yes, these two had a shotgun wedding, but a husband was still a husband. "Do you know anything about this, Curtis? I mean, you're her husband," Barry said. "If you're just gonna sit on your hands when my sister's facing some trouble, then excuse me… I think the two of you should just go on your own separate ways." Curtis was a little taken aback. He did not expect himself to be part of the conversation. Sabrina was embarrassed. Who gave Barry the authority to get into their relationship? Besides, how was Curtis supposed to help? It was a job-related incident! "Can you not? This is about work. It's not my private life or anything. How is Curtis gonna help me even if he wants to? We don't even work in the same department!" she protested. "What do you propose he does? Flip a table in the office and actually get me fired for good?" "Jesus, do you really have to go all up-in-arms against your brother over him? We're family. I care about you!" Barry retorted. Sabrina was a little amused. Yes, Barry had a point… if she and Curtis were an actual loving couple, that was. She grabbed his arm. He snorted like a child and looked away, but he did not retract his hand. "I know you're worried about me, Barry, but I'm not a kid anymore. I can take care of myself," she said, softening her tone. Barry snorted again with a glare—before his expression melted. "I know, I know. I just can't help my brotherly instinct. If you're unhappy, Grandpa and I will be unhappy. That's how this family works," he said. "If there's ever anything troubling you, you have to speak out, you hear me?" Sabrina's smile widened. Her brother's very outward expression of love and care really banished much of her gloom. They talked a little more before Annie, the caregiver, came to deliver Barry's lunch. As typical of hospital meals, Barry had to force himself to finish a meal he would describe as "basically tasteless." Sabrina patted him comfortingly on his shoulder and left the hospital. It was her turn to have lunch with Curtis… and his two best friends. When they arrived at an expensive eatery, though, she was shocked. Curtis was going to foot the bill, she knew, but judging from how much a normal meal here cost, she wondered if he could even afford it. "Hey, uh… Isn't this place a little, uh, expensive?" she whispered to him, trying to hide the conversation from the other two. It was useless, unfortunately—the table was hardly large enough for Victor and Marcus to miss it. They at least put on a show of being mute, though. Curtis fell silent. Well, crap. How was he supposed to wriggle out of this one? "I can afford it. This place looks expensive, but it's really not. It's a… marketing ploy. The whole point is to make the place look high-class to attract customers," he fibbed. "See? Everyone who passes by can't help but look inside. That's what the whole design is for." Sabrina followed his gaze. He was right. At the same time, though, she noticed how few people eventually entered the restaurant. Maybe they were all intimidated by how classy it looked. "Here, this is for you."