“Right. But that doesn’t explain how you know her. She’s a college student. You’re a reality tv star. Are you sure about her story? I mean, she could be using you to get on tv. Or for your money.”
I laughed. That was fucking rich. “She doesn’t care about that shit. She seriously just needed a place to stay, and it was hell getting her to accept that much.”
“I feel like you’re avoiding my original question. Come on, bro. How’d you meet her?”
He wasn’t wrong. Because I wasn’t telling anyone how we really met. I’d already claimed responsibility for the mural and knowing it came from her wouldn’t help her out with my highly suspicious brothers. “We met at the diner down the street. She was telling Anne all about her troubles, and we started talking. The kid just needs a break. Don’t make this into something it’s not because I might have to take back my Ryan fan club membership or whatever. Don’t be a douche about it.”
“I just want to know more about the girl and make sure she’s a good influence on my baby brother.”
“Whatever. I’m getting lunch.” I stomped past him with a huff but stopped when he called out to me.
“Dyl, wait.” He jogged over to my side. “I’m sorry. But just look at it from my point of view. You go from living alone to moving some girl into your place and getting her a job here with us and on camera. It’s hella sudden. And weird.”
I sighed, accepting Ryan’s point. This all was very sudden. “She’s just a kid who needed a chance. Come to lunch with us and get to know Indy. You’ll see she’s awesome.”
“Sure. Let me just text Hope and make sure she doesn’t need me.”
“We’ll meet up at the diner in fifteen.”
“Sounds good.”
But nothing was ever that easy with my family. Lunch with me, Ryan, and Indy turned into production finding a place that would let us have their back room and recording the meal for the show with all my brothers.
Yay.
Fuck my life.
“I’m so fucking sorry,” I apologized to Indy on the ride over to the restaurant. “This was supposed to be just you, me, and Ryan. But the second Austin heard, he invited himself. And then James heard, and—”
“It’s fine, Dylan. Isn’t this what I signed up for?”
I sighed heavily. “This shitshow isn’t for the faint of heart.”
I just hoped I didn’t regret dragging Indy into this whole mess.
“Look, if anyone says anything or does anything that makes you uncomfortable, let me know. I’ll sort them out.”
Indy huffed as she stared out the passenger window of my truck. “Like I told you, I’m used to dealing with hotheaded boys. My dad’s friends make you and your brothers look like toddlers. Trust me, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t make me feel any better. What the fuck is wrong with your dad?”
She sighed deeply. “I’ve been asking myself that for weeks.”
But she didn’t say anything more.
I wanted to probe more, but I knew more than most that some wounds never healed, and the last thing you needed was someone poking at it.
Instead of our local dingy diner, I pulled up to the Cheesecake Factory on the other side of town off of I-80.
I was hangry. That, plus my brothers and a film crew meant this was going to be an awesome meal.
I left my truck idling in a space toward the back of the lot. “Listen. We need to get our stories straight.”
“Stories?”
“Yeah, about how we met. I told Ryan that we met that night in the diner. All I left out was the part about the graffiti and chasing you off. I kept everything else. Anne. The diner. Your dad disappearing. That’s all.”
“I wish you hadn’t taken the blame for the mural. I was the one who painted most of it.”
