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Robin’s body tenses, but to her credit, she doesn’t show her irritation. “I’m an employee at the funeral home. Darlene hired me to plan the funeral, and your son has agreed to help me since he’s so close to her.”

“You work at the funeral home? How unusual,” my dad says, the corners of his mouth lifting into an arrogant smile. “And Hayden is assisting you?”

“Yes, he’s been great. It’s been a big help,” Robin says quickly, clearly trying to hype me up in front of my family, but I know there’s no point in trying.

The fact that I came to town for Darlene, and for her funeral specifically, is clearly a personal insult to my dad. If it were up to him, I’d either stay away forever, or I’d come back to grovel at his feet and beg to be part of the family empire.

“So, you work for her,” he says smugly, looking me directly in the eye and then at my hand that’s possessively wrapped around Robin’s waist.

My insides freeze at the insinuation, and I grit my teeth so hard it hurts. “No,” I growl, feeling Robin startle slightly at my tone. “We’re planning a party together. I am not a hired assistant.”

My mom’s eyes widen as if she just realized something.

The air between me and my dad grows thick, and I can tell that Robin is picking up on the tension.

“Well, I wish you both the best of luck with your little party,” my father says in a patronizing tone. “I have some other people to attend to––”

“Wait,” I blurt out. “I actually wanted to discuss something with you.”

My father looks at me expectantly, and I swallow. This is it. My one chance to ask him to reconsider Robin’s pending eviction. I know the odds are stacked against us, and I definitely didn’t do a good job buttering him up for this. I should’ve gone straight for it before we talked about anything else. But I wanted to pretend, in good faith, that I cared to reconnect.

“Well,” my father says impatiently when I don’t speak.

Christopher chimes in, sounding important. “Mr. Steinberger finally arrived. I’ll go greet him.” He stalks across the room without a second glance at us.

I take a deep breath and look my father directly in the eye. “I want to talk to you about one of your new developments.”

He looks at me with interest now, momentarily forgetting his disdain toward me.

“The one on Mountainview Drive. I think you’re planning on building an apartment building? But, well, there’s a beautiful and charming house that currently sits on that property. It has a lot of character, and it would be a shame to tear it down. And Robin is currently renting it, and she’s really happy there––”

“What are you asking?” my father interrupts, his forehead furrowed.

“I’m asking,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady, but my insides feel like they’re getting ready for a battle, “I’m asking if you could consider choosing a different plot of land that is empty. I’m more than happy to help––”

My father lets out a vicious chuckle, his eyes cold and full of venom. “Let me get this straight. Not only do you disappear for a decade after years of bad behavior, but now you show up out of the blue and ask us to stop one of our developments? You’re here to sabotage our business for your most recent conquest?”

“Robin is not a conquest. And I don’t want to sabotage anything,” I bite back, my voice low and laced with frustration and anger. “It’s not that I don’t want it to be built. I just think there could be better places––”

“We’re not changing the plans because you’re sleeping with the current tenant. You can disappear another ten years for all I care.”

“Hayden, it’s okay. Let’s just go,” Robin whispers beside me, but I ignore her.

“Should we talk to Mom about why I disappeared ten years ago? What preceded that event?”

It’s not a topic I ever wanted to bring up, but it’s the only thing that might gain me the upper hand. I don’t want to disappoint Robin, and although we knew our chances were low, I can’t accept failure yet. Not when my father is standing in front of me, sneering at me and insulting her.

I should’ve had this talk with him alone. I should’ve told Robin to get another drink at the bar, or wait for me in the car, or be literally anywhere else but here right now. It pains me that she got caught in this crossfire, and I can’t say I’m particularly happy that she keeps witnessing my family members putting me down. I so desperately want her to see me as a good person, as someone who is worthy of being around her, and not the deadbeat my family paints me as.

“Oh, Hayden. I know,” my mom says next to me.

I stare at her, searching her eyes for an explanation, because no, she does not know why I left. But I see the answer––and the defeat––in her eyes, and something inside me breaks.

She knows about everything.

“Since when?”

“I knew back then,” she admits.