Hate Me

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH

Say yes.

10:25am

“You can’t come with me. Not right now. You need to go back to school.”

“Please, don’t shut me out. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s my mom. I told you before. There are some family things going on.”

“You did, but you were very vague. You know you can tell me anything, Boots. Seriously. Anything.”

“I know.”

“I’ll come with you and help.”

“But you can’t.”

“Then I’ll move to France and see you when you aren’t busy.”

“Aiden. Please,” I plead. “Go back to school.” I need him to leave before I start bawling.

“Is your mom sick?”

“Kinda. She’s stressed and it's making her sick. I need to help.”

“Mentally or physically sick?”

“Both, maybe. I don’t really know because I’m not there. And she’s sort of shut me out and—”

“I thought your trip home was good?”

“It was, but my mom was, um, sorta distant. Not like herself. And she's lost weight. I'm really worried about her, Aiden.”

“What does your stepdad say?”

“He's trying to talk her into taking some time off.”

“Do you think she will?”

“I think so.”

“Then maybe things will get better on their own.”

That’s what we hoped would happen, I want to say. But things have not gotten better on their own. They seem to have gotten worse.

Aiden continues, “I would think your mom would be upset if you left before the semester is over. You won’t get any credit for all your work this year. Besides, it’s only a few weeks until Christmas break. Come back with me and we’ll finish out the semester together. Then we can go anywhere you want.”

I back away from Aiden, trying to put distance between us, both physically and emotionally.

He notices and immediately pulls me back into a hug.

I try to stay stiff, but I can’t. I melt into his arms. I wish I didn’t have to lie to him. Or hurt him.

He looks deep into my eyes and runs a gentle hand across my shoulder. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Pull away from me. You’re emotionally retreating. It hurts.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Aiden. I’m just trying to do what’s right.” I throw my hands out in frustration. “For everyone.”

He slides his hands into mine, holding them tightly. “Keatyn, I know you’d never hurt me on purpose,” he says softly.

Tears flood my eyes and I shake my head.

“Is it the forever stuff?” he asks. “Am I freaking you out?”

That’s it.

His forever stuff could be my out.

All I have to do is say yes.

That we’re too young.

But I can’t. I can’t lie to him about that.

“I can’t promise you forever, Aiden.”

“I’ve never asked you to promise me forever, Boots,” he says, the hint of a smirk playing on his lips. “Just promise me tomorrow.”

I tilt my head and study him. “Is that your sneaky way of getting me to promise you forever? Because there is always another tomorrow.”

He laughs in the deep, sexy way I adore. “I didn’t think of it that way, but I guess maybe I am.”

I notice movement out of the corner of my eye; it’s the security guys coming out of the turret with my suitcases.

Shit.

They're going to try to force me to go back.

I mentally scroll through my options. I can run . . .

“Miss Keatyn,” Sven’s voice comes over the intercom system. “You have a phone call in the main house.”

I see Inga walk out onto the deck, waving one of the handsets.

Double shit.

“Um, hang on, Aiden.”

As I walk to get the phone, Damian leaves Peyton's side and intercepts me. “What's the verdict?”

“Aiden says if I don't go back then he's not either. But that’s the least of my worries now. Garret's goons packed my luggage. I think they're going to try to force me.”

“Whatever you need, you know that,” he says, squeezing my shoulder reassuringly.

I give him a big hug. “I love you. It feels good to have you on my side.”

Inga clears her throat, so I let go of Damian, go up the stairs, and then take the phone into the house.

I’m mentally gearing up for a battle with Garrett when I answer. “This is Keatyn.”

“Keatyn.”

Oh, thank goodness. It’s just Tommy. “Hey, Tommy,” I say cheerfully. “What’s up?”

"I just got off the phone with Garrett.”

Freaking Garrett. Shit.

“Discussing Mom's move to France?” I ask, still hopeful.

“Keatyn,” Tommy says softly, “please don't make me worry about you, too.”

The desperation in his voice is clear.

“I won't, Tommy. I promise.”

“Then go back to school.”

“I can't. I’m flying Cooper here tomorrow so we can work on my plan to break Vincent. I have to, Tommy, or this won’t end well. For me or Mom.”

“Tell me your plan.”

My plan.

The plan that has been simmering since I left school and, this morning, as I watched a yacht drift off into the distance, finally became concrete.

“I have to get my friends to the airport. Would it be okay if I call you after they leave?”

Please say yes. Please say yes.

“No,” he says firmly. “Because if I don't like your plan, you’ll be going with them.”

“They can't make me.”

“Yes, they can. And they will. You can’t fight them both.”

No, but I can run. Right now, when they're least expecting it.

What Tommy doesn’t know is that before I came here, I moved money to various bank accounts in the Caribbean. Of course, it was in case I had to run from Vincent, not my own security team.

“Garrett knows about the money, Keatyn,” Tommy says, reading my mind.

Fuck.

“I think Garrett and Mom have been keeping information from you,” I tell him. I’ve been suspecting this for a while, but have yet to mention it.

“What do you mean?”

“I think Vincent is still sending stuff to Mom and threatening her. Or, worse, threatening you and the girls. And lying to you is killing her. I think that’s why she’s getting so thin. Why she was so freaked out when I showed up for Gracie’s birthday.”

Tommy doesn’t answer for a few seconds. “Fucking Garrett,” he finally says. “I knew she was keeping something from me. Not only is she hurting herself, she’s killing our relationship.”

“What?! No, Tommy! Don’t let that happen!”

“I’m trying not to. You know how much I love your Mom and our family.”

“I know.” Tommy has given me so much love and support and never ever asked for anything in return. Ever.

And even though I don’t want to do this, even though it’s totally going to ruin my plans, I have to do this.

For him.

“How about you focus on getting Mom and the girls to France. Once she feels safe, things will get better. I know they will. Let me deal with Garrett.”

“Does that mean you’ll go back to school?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Once I get to New York, we’ll discuss your other plans. Deal?”

“Deal, Tommy.”

“I love you, baby.”

“I love you too, Tommy.”

I hang up the phone and close my eyes.

Shit. What just happened?

How am I going to do what I need to do from Eastbrooke?

And what’s Damian going to say when I tell him he can’t see Peyton again?

I set the phone back in its base, step out on the balcony, and lie. “Hey, Damian, can you come up here for a minute? Your dad’s on the phone.”

Damian kisses Peyton and comes up the stairs. Aiden is still waiting for me on the beach, so I give him a little wave.

I look down at the clover tattoo I got on a whim. Aiden probably thinks I got it because of him. And, in a way, I did. It's said that warriors used to design their own shields before they went into battle. They included symbols that were important to them, like a family crest or a cross. This tattoo is part of my shield. My hope is that if I can somehow combine chaos with luck, then I might actually survive my battle with Vincent.

But I just screwed everything up.

Damian squints at me. “My dad’s not really on the phone, is he?”

“No. I have a problem. I have to go back to school.”

At first he looks relieved, but then he glances down at Peyton and mutters, “Shit.”

“I know. You’re going to have to keep your relationship a secret. Can you do that?”

He rolls his head, considering options. “She knows I have to go back to California.”

“Is there any way you could suggest that she not tell anyone about you? I know her. She’s going to want to tell the world.”

“Yeah, I’ll make up something. What’s going on? Who was on the phone?”

“Tommy. Garrett called him. Told him that I moved money to some Caribbean bank accounts.”

“Did you?”

“Yeah, in case I had to run.”

He takes two steps toward me and pulls me into a hug. “I’m in love with Peyton. But, right now, your safety is priority number one.”

“And hers.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. This is all just so surreal.”

“Tell me about it. Okay, so I have to go tell Aiden that I changed my mind. He’s going to think I’m nuts.”

Damian smiles and waves a hand at me. “Girls change their minds all the time. He won’t think anything of it.”

“I hope not.”

I start to walk toward the door, but change my mind, heading for the bar instead. I take a shot glass off the shelf, fill it with Patron Silver, and slam it down.

As the liquid warms my insides, I take a deep breath and try to figure out how to spin this.

Then I make my way down the beach.

Aiden’s sitting on a chaise, staring out at the ocean. “Is everything okay?” he asks as I sit down next to him.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. My stepdad just wanted to talk to me.”

“What’d he say?”

“He sorta changed my plans. He wanted—no, he insisted—that I go back to school. He says my mom will be fine.”

I get the blazing smile. “That’s good news. On both accounts.”

“Yep,” I say.

He narrows his eyes at me. “You don’t look excited.”

“I don’t like when my plans get changed.”

He tucks his hand under my chin and smiles. “Well, in this case, you should. Think of all there is to look forward to. Basketball season. French weekend. Winter Formal. The first big snowfall. And you’d be in trouble with my sister if you missed the dance competition. And let’s not forget French tutoring.”

I nod and put on a fake smile. “So, um, I’m gonna go make sure my stuff’s all packed. I’ll meet you at the car, okay?”

“Okay,” he says, giving me a quick kiss.

After he goes in the house, I run to the shed. I take a moment to run my hand across my surfboard and pray that I’ll get to use it again. Then I take one of the extra wish bracelets and sneak to the mermaid fountain. I toss a penny in at the same time I tie on the bracelet and make a wish.

We say goodbye to Damian, who is taking a company plane back to L.A.

Peyton and Damian’s goodbye takes quite a while, so Aiden and I leave them to their kissing and board. When Peyton finally joins us, she’s in tears.

I give her a big hug, feeling bad that someone else is hurting because of me.

“I didn’t get much sleep last night. I’m going to crash,” she says with a little smile. She puts in headphones and seems to be out before we even take off.

“Have you talked to anyone from school since we’ve been gone?” Aiden asks me, taking what he seems to consider his normal spot, lying across the couch with his head in my lap.

“Just a couple Happy Thanksgiving texts. How about you?”

“I texted Logan and Riley off and on.”

“How was their holiday?”

“Well, Maggie showed up at Logan’s house in tears . . .”

“Wait. Why?!”

“Got in a fight with her parents, I guess. Logan said she didn’t want to talk about it, so he’s not really sure what happened.”

“That sucks. And what about Riley?”

“It was his idea to hijack your plane.”

“It was?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure what to do. I thought the moon . . .”

“I took the moon down. It pissed me off.”

“Why?”

“It was mocking me,” I stupidly say.

Aiden laughs. “Mocking you? How?”

I don’t answer. Just put my head down and knead my brow line with my fingers. “Because I didn’t think I’d see you again.”

“Are you okay?” Aiden moves my hand off my face, sits up, and looks directly into my soul.

“Yeah.”

“You’re not very convincing. Do you not want to go back? Would you really have left me without saying anything?”

“I told you goodbye.”

“Goodbye for break, not goodbye forever. In St. Croix, you said you’re always coming back for me. Did you mean it?”

“I said that I was coming back for you then.”

“And then I said you better always come back for me. You agreed.”

“No, I didn’t.”

He laughs. “Yeah, you did. You squeezed my hand. I knew what it meant.”

I stop smiling and sigh. “Aiden, things are so up in the air. I shouldn’t be making promises to anyone.”

“Then answer me this. Are you glad you’re here with me now?”

His question cuts through all the What if scenarios in my brain and speaks directly to my heart. And my heart knows there is only one way to reply. “Yes.” I close my eyes, willing back tears.

“Don’t cry. No more crying.”

“Then stop making me cry.” I laugh.

“So, being with me makes you cry?” He chuckles as he clutches at his chest. “Ouch, that hurts.”

I place my hand over his and say seriously, “It’s the thought of not being here with you that makes me cry.”

He cradles my face in his palms. “I was serious, Keatyn. Wherever you go, I go. Whatever family stuff you need to deal with, I’ll help you. You don’t have to face it alone.”

I can’t say anything. His determination—his belief that we can accomplish anything together—is so touching. I lean forward and thank him with my lips.

After kissing for a bit, he lays his head back in my lap. “You’re going to sleep the whole flight, aren’t you?”

He gives me a wink, then shuts his gorgeous green eyes.

For a while, I just watch him. The way his breathing slows down. The way his hair lies against my stomach. His long, dark brown eyelashes splayed across his cheeks. I run my hand across his forehead and into his hair, causing him to sigh.

Once I know he’s asleep, I grab my phone and get to work.

Starting with an instant message to B.

Me: We got cut off during all the craziness of your winning, so I didn’t get to tell you how proud I am of you. I’m ready to start implementing the takeover. Can we discuss tomorrow night? Say 12:30pm EST? I’m ready to get our lives back.

B: Me too, Keats. Things are so up in the air. You know, like, personally.

Me: Yeah, I know. B?

B: What?

Me: I wanna go home.

B: Me too. Tomorrow night <3

I stare at the heart until my eyes go fuzzy.

Then at Aiden, who’s now sleeping on his side, one strong arm curled above his head and the other hugging my waist.

That’s when the guilt sets in.

The guilt.

I feel guilty. Guilty for feeling the way I do about Aiden.

Guilty about the promises I’ve made to them both.

And guilty for feeling happy about the heart.

I shake my head as I message Garrett, telling myself to take it one step at a time.

Me: Meeting tomorrow. The usual place. 9:30am?

Garrett: I’ll be there.

I send the same message to Cooper.

Cooper: On your way back to school under protest?

Me: Something like that. Can we meet tonight, late? Say midnight? I need your help.

Cooper: See you then.

After getting all that set up, I do something I should’ve done on break. I shop for B’s birthday presents. Since his birthday is on the fourth, I don’t have time to ship them to me, wrap them, and ship them together, so I’ll just have them sent straight to his hotel.

I’m not sure what to get.

I end up with a big coffee table book on the history of surfing. On the card, I write, Surfing’s come a long way and so have you. I’m proud of all you’ve accomplished in such a short time. Happy Birthday, B. Love, Keats.

Next I decide on a Vuitton passport cover and add another note. So your passport looks as good as your luggage.

The last gift I order is a Sector 9 skateboard with an ocean wave design. For when you’re not on the water.

After getting all that taken care of, I close my eyes and start devising a new plan.

Different kinds of love.

5:30pm

Aiden carries my bags to my dorm, kisses me on the porch, then goes to unpack.

I open the door to my room, still trying to figure out how I’m going to fight Vincent from here, and interrupt Katie and Bryce making out on her bed.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I say, as Katie pulls her shirt down and Bryce fumbles with his pants. “Um, I’m just dropping off my bags! Talk to you later!” I drop my bags, shut the door, and decide to head over to the boys’ dorm to see if Dallas or Riley are back. I need a big hug from both of them.

As I walk the short distance to the dorm, I realize it’s freaking cold out and I’m not wearing a coat. I wrap my arms around myself and run as fast as I can in my sandals.

I rush down the hall and almost run into Dawson coming out of his room.

“You think you’re still on vacation? You must be freezing in that dress.”

“Yeah, well, Bryce and Katie were kinda busy in my room, so I didn’t get to change.”

He grabs my arm and pulls me into his room. “I always end up giving you my sweatshirts,” he says as he throws one at me.

“Thank you. How was your break?” I ask while pulling it over my head.

“I think I should be asking you that. I heard about Aiden showing up.”

“Yeah, that was a surprise. And an even bigger surprise that I let him come with me.”

Dawson pulls his sweatshirt strings in a familiar way, bringing me face to face with him. “You look hot. Tan and hot. But stressed. Still not getting any?”

I back away a little. “I’m not answering that question.”

He shrugs. “You don’t have too. I already know the answer.”

“You going to offer to take care of my stress?”

He smirks at me. “Actually, no.”

“Really? Did you meet someone or something?”

“Kinda. Someone I already knew. She was at our club this weekend. Her boyfriend broke up with her and she was upset.”

“Did you heal her broken heart?”

“From the inside out,” he says with a laugh, pulling me to sit on his bed with him.

I lean against his headboard, bring my knees up to my chest, and pull the sweatshirt down over them. “Really?”

“No, not really. She was too upset. It’s funny because it kinda reminded me of when we talked at the Cave that first night.”

“I wanted to fix your broken heart.”

“You did. So aren’t you gonna ask me about her?”

I grab his hands like I would one of my girlfriends, bounce on the bed, and giggle. “Yes, tell me all about her.”

“So this is what you’re resorting to?” Jake says, walking in through the bathroom. “Good thing I’m back so we can talk about all the dirty details.”

“Jake! I missed you! But I’m finally warm, so you’ll have to come over here and give me a hug.”

Jake waves his hands in the air, runs over to the bed on his tiptoes, and says in a high-pitched voice, “Monroe! I missed you too, girl. Did you and Aiden make whoopee yet?”

Dawson and I both laugh. “We’re discussing Dawson’s love life, not mine.”

“So does that mean you told her about Brooke?”

“Brooke?! Really? When she was going to wear your jersey, you told me she was practically married.”

Dawson raises his eyebrows. “Apparently, she was more married than he was. She thought they were going to have an amazing Thanksgiving reunion, but he stopped by her house, said he wanted to break up, and left.”

“Oh, that’s horrible, but I can totally relate. One night my ex took me out for a fancy dinner. I thought he was going to ask me out, but instead he told me he was leaving.”

“Girls always think things are more serious than they are,” Jake states with a roll of his eyes.

“Well, maybe if guys wouldn’t tell girls they love them when they don’t really love them that wouldn’t be an issue.”

“There’s lots of different kinds of love,” Dawson teases.

“And for most of you, it’s the kind of love that wants in their pants.”

“That’s why I never tell girls I love them,” Jake stresses.

“You’ve never told a girl that? But you’re so romantic—well, when you want to be.”

“That’s because I’m a good actor,” he says. “Of course, I can play that part. Speaking of that. I broke the news to my parents that I’m going to NYU. Got the acceptance letter and everything. Me and Dawes both.”

“That’s where you’re going, too? I’m so proud of you,” I say to Dawson.

He gives me a sweet grin. And I know that Jake is absolutely right. There are lots of different kinds of love. And I do love Dawson. Jake too, for that matter. “Tell me about Brooke.”

“Well, we kissed,” he says, actually looking happy about it.

“Just kissed?”

“Yeah.”

“Whitney and Brooke don’t really get along well, do they?”

Jake rolls his eyes again, “Uh, no, they don’t. Speaking of that. Does anyone have the scoop on what went down with Chelsea? Is she coming back to school? What she did to you sucked.”

“I heard she’s coming back,” Dawson says. “Brooke said she was worried about how to handle it with the team.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t wanna be one of the head cheerleaders now,” Jake says. “She’s got her work cut out for her.”

“Honestly, the drama might be just what Brooke needs.”

“Why?” Dawson asks.

“Because, it will give her something to focus on besides her boy misery.”

Dawson slaps me on the shoulder and Jake says, “Monroe, I think you missed a step. Dawes wants to be the thing she focuses on.”

“Oh, well, good for you.”

“You’re not jealous?” Dawson says with a grin.

“I am so, so jealous. But I will try to hide my grief.”

I realize that, in a way, I’m kinda like Brooke. Eastbrooke might be just the thing to distract me, too.

When Dallas and Riley walk through the door, I’m very glad I’m back. I would have missed them terribly.

“Dallas! What did you do to your hair?”

Dallas rubs his buzz cut. “You know everyone at home thinks I’m at military school, right? So I got buzzed on the plane.”

I hop up and run my hand across it while he gives me a hug. “You look cute. Older. I like it.”

“Well, here’s hoping the female population of Eastbrooke echoes that sentiment, because there are eight newly single varsity cheerleaders that may require my attention.”

I give Riley a big hug and he whispers in my ear, “I want to hear about your trip.”

Dallas overhears him and says loudly, “I think we all want to hear about your trip.”

“The Cave it is, then. Tonight.”

Dawson points to my sweatshirt and says, “Bring a coat, Keatie.”

“And here I was gonna suggest she bring some hotties,” Jake says with a laugh.

“Oh, that too,” Dallas agrees. “That too.”

“Wouldn’t they expect us to party tonight?”

Jake thinks about it. “Hmm, maybe we should wait a day or two.”

“Sounds good, prefect. I’ll see you all later.”

Riley accompanies me upstairs while Dallas stays in Dawson’s room to bullshit some more.

“So you and Aiden worked things out?”

“Yeah. I hear that’s partially because of you.”

He shrugs. “I figured I owed him since I broke his nose. Did he do the dirt?”

“Yeah, he did.”

Riley shakes his head. “Why? I told him it was the dumbest thing ever.”

“Because he knew I’d love it. I was going to make him leave until he gave me the dirt.”

“Girls . . .” he says, laughing and shaking his head again.

“Speaking of girls,” I interrupt him. “How’s Ariela?”

“I miss her like crazy but, thankfully, she’ll be back soon. I want to change my shirt and stuff before she gets here.”

“I’m surprised you don’t want to greet her shirtless.”

“Naw, I want her to rip it off me.”

When we get to Aiden’s door, he bangs on it, and says in a girly voice, “Aiden, open up. I wanna fuck.” And then runs down the hall to his room.

My hand is still up in the knock position when a sexy voice startles me. “Bonjour.”

“Aiden, where did you come from?”

“Logan’s room.” He points to the door between his room and the stairs. “Maggie is in there, unless, you know, you need my services now,” he jokes.

“You know that was Riley.” I laugh.

“Did you get unpacked?”

“No. Bryce and Katie were, uh, getting reacquainted in my room. I just dropped my bag and left.”

“Where have you been?”

“I was on my way up here, but Dawson pulled me into his room.”

Aiden clenches his back teeth, his jaw tightening. “I see.”

“Aiden, he’s my friend. And he was telling me about his weekend. And Jake was there, and then Dallas and Riley showed up.”

“Well, I’m glad you ended up here.”

“Does that mean you’re gonna let me in your room?”

He gives me a forced grin. “Only if you take off Dawson’s sweatshirt first.”

I look down, remembering I have it on. “Better he give me his sweatshirt than offer to warm me up himself, right?”

Aiden pushes his hands under the sweatshirt, purposefully running them up my sides. As he strips the sweatshirt off me, it pulls my dress up in the front and gives Aiden a flash of my thong.

“Aiden!” I yell, my voice muffled by the thick sweatshirt swaddling my head. It’s dark and I can’t move my arms.

He pulls me into his room, shuts the door, finishes pulling the sweatshirt off, then starts stripping off my dress as he says, “I think I can find a way to keep you warm without a sweatshirt on. Without anything on.”

I’ll double it.

12:04am

I’m meeting with Cooper, laying out my plan.

He listens to the whole thing without interruption.

“So, what do you think?”

“If your life weren’t on the line, it’d be a great plan.”

“Well, that’s where you come in. I’d like you to quit working for Garrett and work for me.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. Whatever he’s paying you, I’ll double it.”

He raises an eyebrow at me.

“Fine. I’ll triple it.”

“You suck at negotiation,” he laughs.

“That’s what agents are for,” I laugh in reply.

“Why do you want me to work for you?” He looks at me intently as he leans on his forearms.

“Because I already almost got you fired. And . . . I’m probably going to ask you to help me with some things Garrett may not approve of.”

“You’ve asked me a lot of questions regarding pushing Vincent. Is that part of your plan?”

“Yes.”

“And how do you think that will end?”

I fiddle with the string on Aiden’s hoodie, the one he pulled over my head as I was leaving, hoping Cooper will forget the question.

“Answer me,” he says firmly.

“How do you think it will end?” I whisper.

“With one of you dead.”

I nod. “That’s what I think too. And, either way, it’s a win.”

“How is you ending up dead a win?”

“Because if he kills me, I know you’ll get the evidence we need to put him away for life. Which means my family will be free of him. That’s all I want. If I survive, I’ll give you a really big bonus.”

“I don’t want your money, Keatyn. I’d do this for free.”

“I know you would, but your life will be in danger too.”

He says softly, “I won’t let him win.”

“There are a lot of ways it could go down. Lots of different endings to the script.”

“Like what?”

“He kidnaps me, you come get me, and he goes to prison. Or, he kidnaps me, you can’t find me, I escape, and then he goes to prison. Or, he kidnaps me, kills me, and you make sure he either goes to prison for life. Or . . .”

“Or what?”

“I’m going to update my will this week.”

He squints at me. “Once I get over the shock of a seventeen-year-old even having a will, I’m going to ask you why.”

“If I’m murdered, there will be a provision giving you a large sum of money. I want you to use the money to move your family somewhere there’s no extradition. Then I want you to hire a professional to kill him.”

Cooper shuts his eyes tightly. “Is there a happier ending? One where you aren’t kidnapped or dead?”

I sigh and tell him the rest of my plan.

“When the time is right, we’re going to let him kidnap me.”

“Are you nuts?”

“Probably. We’ll worry about that later. For now, you’ll only have to worry when we start baiting him.”

“Baiting him?”

“Cooper, I understand why your sister didn’t want to change her life when she was being stalked. I get it, probably more than anyone. But the difference is she wasn’t ready for him. We will be.”

He still doesn’t look convinced.

I jut my chin out and add, “It’s either that, or I go back to Malibu by myself.”

He closes his eyes and shakes his head. “I’ll give you an answer regarding my employment in the morning. Go get some sleep.”