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Nolan looks away, muttering, "You're missing the point."
"Landon does have a point," Greyson says levelly. "This might be on Dad. Making poor choices."
"Are you kidding me?" Nolan asks, turning to him so fast that his man bun bobs a bit. "You could lose your show over this."
"I don't want the show if it's based on a lie," Greyson says firmly.
Nolan exhales long and low as he looks from Greyson to me. "Jesus. Women. They screw with your head."
"Maybe we should go?" Emerson suggests tentatively.
"Giving up already?" Nolan says derisively. His glare travels around the room. "C'mon guys. We're supposed to be brothers. A team. Are we really giving up on Dad that easy?"
"We're not giving up on him," I state. "We're just facing the facts. I loved Dad as much of any of you, but he was human. He did some not-great things. He was a maverick and a media giant, but he still did some fucked-up, stupid things too. Like the whole tax debacle. C'mon Nolan, these plagiarism charges aren't that much of a stretch and you know it."
He won't meet my eye. "All I know is that Storm Inc. can't afford much more bad publicity. This is our inheritance and Dad's legacy on the line."
"I won't let us go down," I say simply.
"It might not be up to you," Nolan shoots back. "This is a downward spiral, and if we don't stop it somewhere along the line, we're going to find all of ourselves drowned. Dad deserves better than that. We do."
"What would you have me do, then?" I say, sitting down and grabbing back my stir-fry. All this arguing is making me damn hungry. "I have the best lawyer we've got on the case."
"I don't know, how about stop sleeping with the enemy, for starters," Nolan says, yanking the stir-fry back in front of him. "And assuming Dad is innocent until he's proven guilty?"
"I'm not assuming he's guilty," I say quietly. "And I won't stop seeing her."
Nolan shakes his head, gaping at me like I've just told him three plus three is seven. "You're a lost cause, you know that? This woman already almost ruined your life once, now you're going to let her do it again." He rises. "Be my guest. But don't think I'm about to sit and watch."
He makes for the door.
"So I won't be seeing you at Disney World, I guess?" I say.
He glances back at me and shakes his head, but all Nolan says as he leaves is, "Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Sorry," Emerson says, ducking my gaze. "But I should get going too. Early start - there's this new Debussy piece that's kicking my ass and..." He pauses. "Just - I don't agree with what he said. Not completely. Only... be careful, will you?"
"Of course," I say, but he's already turning away.
"Apologies for barging in like this. Have a good night."
And then it's just me and Greyson, looking at each other.
"He's just trying to look out for you, you know," he says. "He doesn't understand it."
"He's never been in love, I know," I grumble. "Which doesn't make him trying to control my life OK."
"You know Nolan, he's always been a bit of a drama queen," Greyson says with a little chuckle. "Don't let it get to you. But don't dismiss it out of hand, either - it would be a damn shame for us to lose the show and be embroiled in another media scandal if we could avoid it."
"I'm not taking this lightly," I state. "I've as much to lose as any of you."
"I know." Greyson's searching my face, frowning slightly. "And I know you can't change who you fall for."
"Don't know if I'd go that far."
"C'mon, Landon. You're telling me you're pushing this thing with Kyra just because she's a good lay?"
I grab the stir-fry, start eating.
"Suit yourself," Greyson says, rising. "Will we be seeing you this weekend?"
"Maybe," I say.
"Alright." He comes over to pat me on the shoulder. "You take care of yourself, OK?"
"You too."
And then he's gone, and it's just me and my stir-fry. And the thoughts I've been avoiding.
About the weekend. About her.
Chapter 19
Kyra
"Your friend was nice," Madison says as she puts on her pink and blue duck socks. "Will he come over another time?"
"We'll see," I say. "Now, chop chop. Less talking, more sock-putting-on. We're running short on time."
"OK." She frowns. "Being late isn't the end of the world, you know."
"Madison." I pull back to look her right in the face. Normally, she's the one bothering me to hurry up and get her to school. She loves school. "Is something wrong?"
But all I see is a blank face and a smudge of crumbs - there, got it - that needed wiping. "Nope."
"OK... but you'd tell me if there were?"
Madison heads for the door. "Mom. We're going to be late."
