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“No, I don’t think I can,” I admit. The mere thought of sleeping after everything Tristan just told me is impossible to comprehend, as well. “I wanted to know what you were doing tomorrow, though.”
“I have to go to the downtown building most of the day. Seems that’s the hot-button issue with everyone. I haven’t been making my presence known at all places, at all times. I’m spread so thin with everything that it’s not easy trying to show up at every project. Still, it would appease the Nicolas situation, so I should start there.”
“The election, the Lacey thing, the Frances problem. It’s a lot, Carter. You’ve been doing really well juggling it all.”
He shrugs, his arms around my back, squeezing me to his chest tighter. “I guess so. Just do me a favor, okay?”
“Anything to help.”
“Don’t take it personally when I’m not home as often. I will try, dove. But it’s not looking good. I have a lot of work coming up this week and more people to keep an eye on that could shatter this family in a second. I have an obligation to protect everyone and be everywhere just in case.”
I should tell him about meeting with Sam, but I don’t want to add stress to his situation. It’s an easy thing to go get coffee downtown and meet with my best friend. I shouldn’t have to make a big deal about it when Carter is literally holding the foundation of his family on his shoulders.
I do what I should do in this moment and let it rest. I kiss his cheek and let him know I’m here for him when he needs me to be. I don’t want to make things worse, so I simply just let things be.
Chapter Fourteen
Isabella
I turn the coffee cup around in my hands constantly, my palms warmed from the paper cup that never ceases to spin. It’s hard not to feel anxious, like I’m waiting for a blind date to show up, but the longer the morning passes, the more I think Sam plans to blow me off. I don’t blame her; she’s worried about me and not a fan of Carter in the slightest, but it’s not like he’s here breathing down my neck.
In fact, he doesn’t know I’m here at all. He went to work after his long overnight meeting with the family, and he won’t be back until the late afternoon. I grabbed my laptop on the way out of the house, borrowed Anita’s car on the sworn secrecy of me leaving the house, and have been waiting here ever since.
Aunt Anita was kind enough to lend the car to Carter and me for practice, and while driving through the city is terrifying, it does offer a smidge of freedom.
Carter took my cherry red sports car after the Lacey incident. Driving alone isn’t allowed anymore, not until thingscool down, but I know that may never happen.
It’s raining in Manhattan, the hospital eyeing me from across the street. My father is probably in bed, watching the water trickle down his window. I need to go check on him, but it won’t make much of a difference to him. He’s always sleepier on rainy days, which means the confusion is more severe than normal.
I would only upset myself if I visited him today.
But it might be better than nothing.
Eventually, I push my screen down on my laptop, tired of browsing through the news articles that are trending through the city today. I haven’t read anything too terrible yet. Most of the news about the election is starting to veer into Killian Hughes and his band of campaign brothers, but even then, it’s nothing that would shock anyone.
The news about Carter isn’t great, but I have yet to see anything truly damning.
Whatever Tristan was worried about might just turn out to be nothing.
“Hey, familiar face,” a voice hums from beside my table. I didn’t even notice them before, but looking up now, I see Rich Donahue standing by my chair, a coffee clutched in his hand. “You like the coffee here, too?”
“Oh, yeah, I guess so. It’s next to the hospital where my dad is, so I always just come here. What are you doing downtown?”
He shrugs, pointing to the chair across the table from me. “Mind if I sit?”
“Go ahead.”
Once he’s settled in and done taking a long drink of his warm coffee, he rests his elbows on the table casually. “I was going to the docks to check on the building. They can’t do too much in the rain; it’s a lightning risk right now, but I like to keep an eye on it. Seems like Carter’s family is doing the same.”
I shiver slightly. “Yeah, he has been having his guys go look at it every so often. Tristan went last night, but I don’t know what for.” I have the sudden urge to stop talking, my mind hazy with the idea that maybe I shouldn’t share this with Rich. But he doesn’t seem to care, his focus more on the coffee than it is on the looming eyes of Carter’s family. “How is that place, by the way? I haven’t been there since…”
He gives me a knowing look. “Yeah, it’s alright. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I know the history involved. I do want to apologize for it, though.”
“It’s not your fault. You weren’t even associated with your brother at the time.”
“True, but it doesn’t mean I can’t feel bad about it. My family has always been a tough subject for me to talk about. I’m sure it’s been worse for you to have to live through it all. It sounded horrific.”
“It was hard,” I mutter. “I didn’t know if I would make it out alive or not. Carter saved me, he really did.”
