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I grab his hand. “God, Maddox. That’s horrible. I’m so sorry you went through that.”
“My dad got full custody of me after that, and it tore my mom to shreds. Obviously, the intruder wasn’t mom’s fault, but Dad could never forgive her for leaving me alone. She kept saying she was sorry, but Dad knew her too well. It would happen again. When she couldn’t see me, she decided she had to get away, so she went on tour where she got with her manager, as you and the rest of the world know. What no one knows is she was cut off from me, and I know she acted irresponsibly, but it wasn’t entirely fair. As a kid, I couldn’t understand her leaving. But as an adult, I can see it. Somewhat. Her desperation to get away from the heartbreak.”
“I see that. Sort of.” I nod. “What I don’t totally see is why she stayed away.”
“Right. Well, that’s because her career started taking off. So, it was just Dad and me, except in the summers when he went on tour. I’d stay at my Aunt Lydia and Uncle Henry’s. Eric and Emily became like a brother and a sister to me. It was fine that Dad left because I loved going there. It was tough when my uncle passed, but we all got through it together.”
“You do know that it was partially her fault? And the guy who attacked you? None of it was yours.”
“I know that, logically. I’m trying to know that emotionally, too, working on it every day. But my subconscious won’t let me forget.” His voice cracks around his words. “I’ve gotten therapy.”
“Good.” My heart splinters.
“So, that’s why the bedroom thing is tough for me.” His admission hangs thick in the air.
“I understand.”
“So if I yell out or thrash in my sleep, I wanted you to know why.”
“Should I wake you if you do?”
“Yes, please.” He looks at me intently, and I can see how much this haunts him. “Wake me up as soon as you can.” Andthen, as though it’s as much as he can take, a corner of his lip ticks up when he says, “That’s also why I started doing origami. It relaxes me when I get tense and have flashbacks.”
“I’m grateful you found ways to cope.” I run a finger over his face. “And that you make beautiful origami.”
“That’s also why things are so complicated with my mom. Yes. She left me, but it was a messed up situation. That’s why I’m not sure whether or not to give her another chance.”
“That’s understandable. You don’t have to decide right away. Do nothing until you’re sure.” I put my arm around him.
“Right.” He rests his head on my shoulder. “So, that’s the story. And I’m exhausted from talking about it.”
“You don’t have to talk about it anymore. Never again, unless you want or need to. Deal?”
“Deal.”
Then we hold each other as we drift off together to a peaceful sleep that feels like home.
20
A Good Deed
Shooting today went smoothly. Maddox has landed us a critical meeting with the Bingeflix executives aboutLords of Laire. It helps that he’s on the board.
Together, he and I walk into the empty conference room that has a wall of windows overlooking downtown Buckhead. The table is long, intimidating, and nerves are bundling tighter in my stomach with each passing second.
I take my seat, and Maddox puts his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t be nervous. They’re going to be begging us for this script, trust me.”
I want to believe him, but I’m doubting things because the story’s ending is unknown. Maddox and I dug through Grams’s laptop and searched through her research, but we couldn’t even speculate what might’ve happened. Everyone ended up dead, so who was the father of the king, Edward Galloway, the ruler of the throne sixty years after the coup? There are no records anywhere. It’s like this guy appeared out of thin air.
I turn and meet Maddox’s warm gaze. “You think?”
“I know.” He takes the seat beside me, and we wait as the Bingeflix executives fill the room, one by one.
I get that Maddox is confident, and his opinion carries weight, but it won’t work unless they see the potential in this like we do.
Within minutes, me, Maddox, Smith, and four Bingeflix executives sit at the table, and I present my idea forLords of Laire,a movie based on the scandalous true story of the Scotland royals. I fight back the shivers—from nerves, but also because the air conditioning is blasting in this room.
When I finish, Smith says, “Great idea. Who’s going to fund this?”
