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I fished out my phone and messaged him in case he was still awake.
Luna:
You still conscious?
Auggie:
Having a bath
What’s up?
Instead of typing back, I hit the call button. “We need advice.”
“I love giving advice. It always comes with gossip.”
“I’m trying to figure out how to get back at one of the guys who attacked me.”
“The coworker or the brother-in-law?”
“Brother-in-law.”
“Do you have any blackmail on him?”
“I’m pretty sure I’m the blackmail in this situation.”
Luca’s grip on me tightened, but he stayed quiet, waiting for Auggie to reply.
“And what do you want to get out of the blackmail?” Auggie asked.
“Do you think it’s too much to ask for him to sign over the house to Stella?”
Auggie tutted. “I thought we were getting something for you?”
“My sister and nieces not worrying about their home is for me. If they’re not worrying about that, I’m not worrying about them.”
Auggie sighed dramatically, and though I couldn’t see him, I knew an eye roll accompanied the sound. “You’re the cutest little weirdo. All right, well, I don’t think it’s too much to ask of him. He’s already moved out, so him holding on to the house when that’s where his kids live and Stella has her business would just be a petty thing for him, not anything to do with finances.”
Rodney was nothing if not petty, so that made sense.
“What do you think I would have to do to get him to agree to give Stella full custody? Or even move away? Not having to see that fucker every second weekend would be great.”
“Would the girls be sad about that?” Luca asked.
“Probably a bit, but I don’t like seeing Nova cry about how he treats them. And I know from experience that it’s better to have an absent parent than an abusive one.”
“I think you need to tell your sister about your club job.”
Auggie’s suggestion sent a bolt of panic down my spine.
“Don’t panic,” he said as if he could sense the reaction he’d triggered. “Every story you’ve ever told me about her from your adulthood paints her as a good person. She loves you, and if part of his leverage against you is that you don’t want her to know you do sex work, you can take that power away from him by telling her yourself.”
I spiraled into my own thoughts, afraid that Stella wasn’t the person I thought she was and that she wouldn’t want me around the girls if she found out. The last time I had desperately needed Stella to step up for me, she hadn’t done it. As much as I wanted to be honest with her, I didn’t trust that I could.
“Have some faith,” Luca whispered to me.
“Ugh, fine. Someone start a list of awkward things I have to do after the heat.”
“I’ll make one in my notes app for you,” Auggie said, amusement clear in his voice. “How many confessions do you need to make?”
