"You haven't even heard what it is."
"I don't need to hear it. The answer is no."
Xavier laughed. "Come on, Seb. It's nothing major. I just need you to put in a good word with Grandmother. She's threatening to cut my allowance again."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "You're twenty-eight years old. You shouldn't have an allowance."
"And yet I do, which means I need it to continue. Just tell her I've been... I don't know, mentoring underprivileged youth or something. She loves that stuff."
"You want me to lie to Grandmother."
"I prefer 'creative truth-telling.' Besides, you're already lying to her about Evie missing the dinner. Don't think I haven't heard."
I closed my eyes. Isabelle. Of course, Evie had told her.
"That's different."
"How?"
"Evie deserves protection. You’re way too old to be under my care."
"Harsh." Xavier didn't sound offended. He never did. "Fine, don't help me. I'll figure something out. I always do."
"That's what worries me."
"Love you too, brother." He hung up.
I sat in the silence of the car. Through the windshield, I could see a woman in the foundation's main room, directing volunteers. Dark hair. Confident posture. Not Aria. Someone else. I should wait in the car.
I got out of the car.
The front door stuck slightly when I pushed it. The main room smelled like coffee and sugar. Someone had brought pastries, boxes of them stacked on a side table. Volunteers milled around, sorting flyers, inflating balloons.
My eyes instantly searched for Aria Kealoha. They didn’t find her.
Priya spotted me from across the room. She crossed toward me with the particular stride of someone who had dealt with enough difficult people and about to handle one more.
"Mr. Dubois. You're early."
"Traffic was light." I wanted to smack myself. I really needed to get a better line. That one was old and they probably all knew it was a lie.
"Mm." She clearly didn't believe me. "Evie's in the back. They're finishing up a project."
"I'll wait here."
"Suit yourself." She started to turn away, then paused. "Actually, you might want to check on them. There was some kind of... situation."
"What kind of situation?"
"Nothing major. Just a visitor who got a little intense. Aria handled it, but…" She shrugged. "Evie seemed shaken."
I was moving before she finished the sentence.
The hallway to the conference room was narrow, lined with bulletin boards covered in photos and thank-you letters. I didn't see any of it. The door at the end was closed, and I pushed through it without knocking.
Evie was sitting at the conference table with a poster board spread out in front of her. Her shoulders were up near her ears. Aria was beside her, not touching her, but close.
They both looked up when I came in.