“Yeah.” I sat there a moment, absorbing things, then I stood.
“What are you doing?” Hayley asked.
“Getting rid of Joey.”
She smiled. “Good. Nobody has the right to make you uncomfortable, and he’s definitely doing it on purpose.”
I had zero doubts about that. “Do you know where Annette is?”
“Out by the bar,” Hayley replied. “I saw her there five minutes ago at least.”
I started in that direction. Joey didn’t move to intercept me, but I could feel his eyes on me. On my way out the door, I stopped by Blair and Brody.
“You need to stop doing this,” I said to her, tapping on her notebook. Apparently, I was going to handle more than one problem that night. “You hurt his feelings when you do this.”
Blair looked bewildered. “I’m just talking to him about important things. You’d think he would want to know when he makes a mistake.”
Recognizing how she operated was easier than dealing with Joey. Blair had a lot in common with my mother.
“I’m trying to help him,” Blair insisted.
“No, you’re not.” I was calm. “You’re doing it to make yourself feel superior. You want somebody to look at you and say ‘You’re right,’ but you don’t actually have Brody’s best interests at heart.”
“I’m trying to help him,” Blair snapped. “You aren’t even part of this conversation.”
“Just stop.” I was exasperated. “Don’t make this about you. If you love his books, great. Nothing you say to him suggests you actually like his books, though. All you do is complain. Then you wonder why he isn’t excited to see you at these events.”
Blair’s eyes whipped to Brody. “You’re not excited to see me?”
Brody looked caught. “Of course I am,” he said automatically.
I gave him a dour look, and he relented.
“I would be more excited if you didn’t always bring the notebook,” he conceded. “Can’t we just talk about the world without you telling me everything you found wrong in my manuscript?”
Blair shifted on her chair. She clearly didn’t like what she’d heard. She swallowed and nodded. “Of course. Whatever makes you more comfortable.”
I squeezed Brody’s shoulder and then continued toward the door. It was time to be an adult. I didn’t have to be uncomfortable just because I didn’t want to rock the boat. Some things were worth fighting for. Brody was one of them.
This fight had to be finished before I could tackle the next one. I loved Brody and had to figure out how to tell him. Joey needed to be removed from our lives first. I was ready to move forward with all of it. Finally.
26
TWENTY-SIX
Iwalked up my driveway—I was coming from Bree’s house—and found my father at the front door. “What are you doing here?”
“Apparently, I’m sitting on the front stoop like a hobo,” Dad replied, shaking his head as he stood with a grunt.
I smirked. “Who sayshoboany longer?”
“It’s a word.”
I chuckled. “If you say so.” I twirled my keys around my finger. “What’s up?” It was rare for my father to just drop in. If he was here, he had something on his mind.
“I’m being stalked,” he announced with zero preamble.
I pressed my lips together, torn between laughing and asking the obvious question.
