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This was a mistake. What had I done?
“Gabriel did it. He hired me to help, but it was all him,” Layana said.
“Ooh, juicy. Whatexactlydid he hire you to do for him?” Esme asked.
“Social posting,” Layana said. “We’re changing his image for the merger he’s been working toward.”
“Right, the go more global plan. I get why he thinks it’s a good idea, but it’s so not him to work with a big company like that. Did he tell you he’s going to have to give up control if it works out?”
“No,” Layana said. “Helovescontrol.”
I sighed. “I’m trying to do good.”
“I know,” Esme said. “He thinks he has to fix everyone’s problems all the time, be some big protective hero, when all anyone who cares about him wants is for him to stop being so hard on himself and let himself be happy.”
“He is strict with himself,” Layana said.
“It started after Dad died. He thinks he needs to take over that role and micromanage things or they’ll go wrong.”
“It’s because he has a good heart.”
Layana really thought that about me? I watched her smiling at my sister. It wasn’t the public persona she put on for fans. It was the private smile she wore with her friends, the one she showed to me.
“Where are you? Do I hear the ocean?” Layana asked.
“I was doing this whole travel the Caribbean thing, but I’ve settled in for a bit, in a cabinon the beach.It’s a little island called Calypso Caribella. I’ve got a sweet gig bartending that pays for the rental and everything I need.”
“That sounds amazing.”
“Why put off your dreams, you know? Something could come along that weighs you down, and then you miss out forever.”
Something was off about what she was saying. What would weigh her down? A real job? Security?
“You never mentioned wanting to go to the Caribbean before you jetted off,” I said.
“I don’t have to tell my big brother everything,” Esme said.
“I think it’s brave and awesome that you’re living your dream,” Layana said.
“What about you?” Esme asked. “Tell me everything about the woman who makes my big bro step out of his comfort zone.”
“My dream was to come to Epiphany and be on reality TV,” Layana said. “I did that, so now I’m working on what comes next. After the glitz, my real passion is writing.”
“Congrats on making your dreams come true,” Esme said. “Have you written anything I might have read?”
Layana’s face went red. It wasn’t like her to be embarrassed about anything ever, so maybe I was misreading her.
“I have a blog,” she said.“Confessions of a Serial Mood Killer,but I haven’t posted anything new recently.”
That was strange. She kept telling me her writing was going well. Perhaps she had been making strong progress toward future posts.
“I’ll check it out,” Esme said.
“We should go,” I told them both. “We need to eat.”
“It was great to meet you, Layana,” Esme said.
“You, too,” Layana said and waved.
