“Would that have been so terrible?”
I look back at the television. “I didn’t want my dad and aunt to know I’d failed,” I admit. “I never told them I lost the publishing job. I just lived off the money Mum left me and hoped I’d replace it before anyone noticed.”
Anika is quiet for a moment. “Well,” she says eventually, “you’re here now. You could invite your friends to visit.”
I laugh softly. “Ray gave me rules, remember? No men staying over. And I get the feeling he’d hate guests in general. He seems . . . very private.”
Her frown deepens. “He said that?”
I nod. She looks deeply unimpressed. “When he next goes away for a couple nights, invite them,” she says. “I won’t tell him.”
I stare at her. “Your brother-in-all-but-blood terrifies me, and his first rule was no lies.”
“It’s not a lie unless he asks,” she says with a grin. “And he won’t.”
Before I can argue, the bedroom door opens and Ray walks in. The shift in the room is instant.
He leans down and kisses the top of Anika’s head. “How are you?”
“You didn’t come to see me last night,” she says, eyeing him suspiciously. “Were you occupied?” She winks.
He shakes his head, unimpressed, then places the back of his hand against her forehead. “You’re warm.”
“I’m fine,” she says. “Stop fussing. Did you hear from the lawyer?”
His eyes flick to me, just for a second.He doesn’t want to have this conversation in front of me.Anika notices too and lets out a small sigh. “You can tell me while she’s here,” she says.
Heat creeps up my neck. I fix my eyes on the television, pretending I’m not listening at all.
“Sunday to Wednesday.”
Anika lets out a sharp, disbelieving laugh. “An equal split?” She scoffs. “A fucking split? I thought we were pushing for weekends.”
“We did,” Ray says, his voice tight. “I tried. And trust me, I made it very clear to Borne I wasn’t happy. But he said we were lucky not to lose more.”
Her face crumples. “Lucky?” she chokes out. “Like I should lose my son because of this?”
“Anika—”
“Because of what happened to me?” she snaps. “Because I’m in this bed?”
“Wynter, could you—” Ray starts.
“No. She’s staying,” Anika cuts in sharply.
I glance at him and offer a weak, apologetic smile, but his attention is already back on her.
“He didn’t say that was why,” Ray says carefully. “Luke made a point of framing it differently. He told the court that letting you and Sebastian stay here with me was some kind of noble gesture.”
Anika lets out a bitter laugh. “God, he is such a piece of work.”
I stay quiet, keeping my eyes on the edge of the blanket, trying to be invisible.
“We can appeal,” Ray says. “I’ll sort it.”
“What’s the point?” she mutters. “He’ll drag it out for as long as he can.” Then she looks up at him. “Maybe I should talk to him.” Ray goes still. “I could see Luke,” she says. “Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe if I just speak to him—”
“No.” The word comes out sharp, and I wince.