Sighing, I did the math. It would be late at night in Finland, but my cousin was nothing if not a night owl.
The phone rang for only a while, before I heard a surprised, yet pleased, “Ville? Mitä kuuluu?”
I chuckled immediately. He was one of the people who asked me how I was doing and never made me feel annoyed about it.
“Ihan ok,” I lied. Then made a face at myself and switched to English, because it was easier for me. “Actually, not really. My mom wants me to come over there to help her with the cottage.”
Janne hummed. “I can do that for you next week, whether she’s there or not. Hell, I’ll take the kids and they can swim while I do the chores.”
I slumped forward, elbows on knees as relief swamped me momentarily. “Kiitos.”
“Hey, I know why you don’t want to come. Don’t forget that. There’s no need to thank me. I’m only doing it as a favor to you and because my mom would want me to help her out.”
Janne had been one of the only people in our extended family who’d ever seen my dad hit me, and how my mother had done absolutely nothing but turn her back to us both to avoid doing anything about it.
“Yeah, but I’m still thankful.”
“You should come visit us though. Not your mom but like us, all the cousins. Sanna started to listen to country because of Wren. I blame you.”
I laughed at the distaste in his tone. Finland wasn’t a place where country music was popular.
“No, you blame Wren. Maybe one day I can bring him over and you can push him into the lake or something.” It had been our cousin group’s favorite way of messing with one another during the summers at a number of summer cottages.
Janne laughed. “Fine. I’ll forgiveyoufor corrupting my sister, but I won’t forgive Wren.”
“Deal.” I smiled. “But honestly, man. Thank you.”
“All you had to do was ask. I’ll let you know if there’s anything I need your input on.”
“Thanks. Talk to you later.”
“Moi.”
“Bye.”
I ended the call and put my phone on the coffee table.
There was a sudden, hesitant knock at the door.
“It’s open,” I called out, too wiped out from all the emotional upheaval to get off the couch.
Emery peered in. “Hey.” He looked like he’d just woken up. “You okay?”
I shrugged. “Are you?”
He closed the door and came to sit next to me. “I was napping when I got a text to come check up on you.”
I hung my head. Wren. Of course. “You didn’t need to do that.”
“I know. But I wanted to.” He leaned into my side and I lifted my arm for him to come closer. “Before I left the house, Carter told me what happened, too.”
I snorted softly.
“I think you forgot to adjust your expectations,” he said after a while.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re used to being in charge. Sure, you have to collaborate with the label, but you run the whole operation that’s Wren’s security.” He took my hand and began to play with my fingers. “They weren’t trying to be disrespectful, Ville. They’re just doing things like they’ll do them after you and Wren leave. Nick called the number at the gate and someone answered before letting him in. They weren’t being unsafe.”
