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That’s an answer we’re going to have to find out the hard way. And that means…letting Mom back in.
“Girls,” Dad suddenly speaks. His eyes are rimmed with red as he leans forward in our direction. I can’t imagine how painful this must be. I know his love for her has never faded. Or should I say the love he had for the woman he thought she was? “I know this hurts. I know it does. But can we…” He puts his hand on his chest. “Can we just try to hear her out?”
What he doesn’t say is, “Can you do it for me?” I hear it anyway, though. And my actions in the past month and change might not indicate it, but I would do anything for my dad.
Except resist his best friend, apparently.
I look between my parents, one of whom I love with everything I have in me and the other I wish would go back to where she came from. And I decide in that moment that everything with Grant has to go away. He will only be a part of my life insofar as my father brings him around.
There is no way I am going to be a traitor to my father like my mother was. I’m not going to let him lose another friend.
The baby will be mine and mine alone. And we will both be better off for it. After all, it’s quite obvious to me looking at my parents, who I thought were the perfect couple up until the very night my life completely changed, that all love is a lie. You can’t count on it.
My baby will be able to count on my love. And my love alone.
I guarantee it.
Amy looks at me, waiting for me to speak. We might be the two youngest Solace girls, but I’m the older one of the two. It’s my job to protect her. “I think before we do anything else, we need to get Gillian, Kira, and Dana here as soon as possible.” I turn my attention back to my mother, zeroing my amber eyes into hers. “Then we can talk.”
She manages to smile elegantly in return. Not in thanks.
But in victory.
18
GRANT
Ihaven’t had a moment’s rest since Malcolm called me.
After I hung up the phone, I cut my lunch short with Victoria and headed straight to the office to meet with my lawyers. Malcolm’s lawyers beat me to the punch. Damage control was already underway.
I didn’t leave the office until two in the morning.
Now, I’m lying in bed running through everything in my head.
It’s true, he did give me money to start Infinium. I’d just had a failed business venture that came crashing down right around the time Netflix took root as a digital platform, completely making physical media obsolete.
I was broken, bereft, tired of asking strangers to believe in me when I didn’t believe in myself.
And that’s when my friend, or a man I thought was my friend, gave me the courage I needed to start again. Malcolm’s own investments were thriving. He had an expendable income andthensome. Out of the three of us, he was living a life of luxury. Didn’t know what to do with all his money.
“Just a token of my gratitude for our years of friendship,” he’d said with a wink.
Now, he’s gone and changed the narrative.
I guess I should have known that his money came at a price. Why was I so naïve?
Ever since our phone call, things have spiraled. Malcolm is coming for me.
He’s coming for Infinium. The only thing I have. The thing I’ve slaved over for all these years, foregone so many of my personal relationships to build. Maybe I could have fallen in love and started a family instead of lusting after Harley.
Who am I kidding? That wouldn’t have happened regardless. I’m too…fucked up for that.
My tossing and turning is cut short when my phone buzzes on the nightstand.
Aileen came home.
Fuck. I should have warned him. But I was too caught up with Infinium…I’m a shit friend if that weren’t already clear.
