But before we can move, he catches my arm. “Thanks,” he says before pulling me into a hug. “For talking me down. Without you and Ella in this house the last few months, I think I would have lost my sanity.”
Tears of disbelief start to well in my eyes. “You can’t be serious? Thankyou, Z. You’ve always been there for me when you didn’t have to be. You’ve been my best friend for years, and I’m so lucky to be able to call you my cousin.”
“Ditto, T.”
We head back to the living room, where Ella's abandoned her blocks entirely and is now showing Reese how to properly arrange her stuffed animals for a tea party.
“Mommy!” She looks up when she sees me, her face lighting up. “Where's Jamie? I want to show him my new drawing!”
She holds up a piece of paper covered in crayon.
My throat tightens.
“He had to go on a trip, baby,” I say, kneeling down beside her. “But he'll be back soon.”
“How soon?”
“I don't know.” I pull her into my lap, holding her a little tighter than necessary. “But I know he misses you very much.”
“I miss him too,” she says, then wiggles out of my arms to add more details to her drawing.
I watch her, this perfect little girl who has no idea her entire world could be hanging in the balance.
I just hope he comes back soon, because I don't know how to do this without him.
Withoutthem.
Chapter 28
“So,” Asher starts, clapping his hands together and rubbing his palms. “Do you guys want me to go in there with you? I could dazzle them with my alarmingly straight teeth and perfectly coiffed hair.” He runs his tongue along the front of his teeth, grinning.
“No,” Honey and I say simultaneously as we stand outside of the Sanderson and Nicks head office. Both our chins are tipped up, staring at the glass house that’s confined us since we were born. With one hundred floors, thousands of lawyers work here, all practicing in every type of law that will make the firm money. The place has held so many plans, and our fathers' hopes for us, it almost feels wrong that we're planning on metaphorically burning it down.
“This is something we need to face together,” I say.
Asher’s face drops as he holds onto his suit jacket. “Okay. Okay. I get it. My sculpted hockey shoulders in this suit would be a distraction. That’s cool.” He leans back against his chauffeured car, kicking one leg over the other. “I’ll just wait out here and be your getaway car.”
“Thanks,” I mumble, still not moving.
Honey rolls her head toward me. “You ready for this?” she asks. Her eyes are dark, her face drawn. She feels like a different person now. Gone is the girl who believed love would conquer all. Left in her place is a woman tired of our parents’ shit.
“No,” I laugh bitterly, taking her hand. “You?”
She links our fingers and takes a deep breath.
“No,” she says softly. “But I’m done letting them decide things for me. So… ready or not, here we come.”
She steps forward first, pulling me with her toward the doors. Her shoulders are squared, and she stands tall even if her fingers are still trembling in mine.
I follow behind her, walk through the glass doors, and give the receptionist, Becca, a nod. She gives me a coy smile, but I don’t dwell on it. She’s one of the many girls I cheated on Honey with to let the time pass quicker in this hellhole.
I’m not that person anymore. I never want to go back to it.
Honey heads to the employee entrance and presses her key card to the gate, opening it. I follow behind her quick enough to get through too.
When we’re at the elevators, there are a couple of associates whispering and looking at us. Honey doesn’t flinch. Of course she doesn’t. She’s used to this shit. She’s so fucking strong, but gives herself no credit for it.
As we step into the elevator, it’s just us. Still holding hands and silently counting the floors as we travel to the top.