“I told you. I need to help Laney.”
“Well, I don’t appreciate you saying shit like that to Elodie.”
“What shit?”
“About me and my—” I clear my throat beforecontinuing. “Issues.”
My sister plants her hands on her hips. “First of all, you’re the one that alluded to something going on between the two of you, not me. And second, I was just warning the woman you barely know that’s now living with you that you’re a grenade that might explode at any given moment.”
“That’s not true.”
She places a hand on my shoulder. “Henley, I love you, but your emotional intelligence is…under construction.”
“So you think I’m immature?”
“I think you’ve avoided a lot of shit from our childhood,” she fires back. “And now that you’re a dad, I think it’s going to come back and bite you in the ass.”
Irritation is flooding my chest because deep down, I know my sister is right. But that doesn’t mean I like hearing it from her. “Well, I don’t appreciate you talking about my personal business to my employee.”
“Why is it such a big fucking deal? Sheliveswith you.”
“Because she doesn’t need all of the details, and she’s leaving anyway. She’s leaving just like everyone else does.” The moment the words leave my lips, my sister’s grin grows into a full-blown smirk.
Yeah, I’m the one with zero emotional intelligence.
“God, it’s already happening.”
Pushing a hand through my hair, I let out a growl. “Nothing is happening.”
My sister softens her voice. “Not everyone leaves, Henley. The boys haven’t left you, right? I haven’t left you. Carol and Nick haven’t left you.” I shoot her a glare but remain silent. She takes that as permission to keep talking. “And besides, Elodie’s living with you and taking care of your daughter. She deserves to know you in some capacity, and if you’d take the time to get to know her too, you just might find she’s pretty amazing. I mean, she was in Los Angeles trying to make it as asinger and songwriter before she moved here. Did you know that?”No, I didn’t, but that definitely explains her vocal talent she showed me the other night. “She’s funny and kind, and I’m pretty sure I’m developing a girl crush on her, and the last time that happened was with Laney.”
“You were eleven.”
“Exactly, so that should tell you something.”
My frustration is starting to subside, but something else is filling my chest instead—yearning, curiosity, and a need to get back to my girls.
My girls? Where the fuck did that come from?
“All I’m saying is, one, I’m not going to apologize for warning this poor girl about who she’s living with and asking her to keep an eye on you. And two, maybe it’s not the worst thing that you’re not alone right now. Lord knows I wouldn’t be any help with Remy, so count your blessings and treat the woman with some respect, okay? And that starts with getting to know her and vice versa. Just please don’t sleep with her,” she pleads. “I like her, and that would just make things awkward for everyone.”
“Trust me. I have no intention of doing that. Which is part of why I’m pissed at what you said.”
She crosses her arms over her chest, staring at me like I’m a lying sack of shit. “Then stop staring at her ass.”
“I don’t.”
“Yes, you do. I don’t blame you, it’s very nice. Round and voluptuous. But there’s no good that can come from you crossing that line, Henley. Keep it professional. Make a friend of the opposite sex, for once, and I think you’ll find it’s something you’ve been missing.”
“So are you saying you have guy friends I don’t know about?”
Her glare is alarmingly effective. “I work in the automotive industry. You already know the answer to that.”
I mimic her stance, crossing my arms over my chest now. “You know, if memory serves me correctly, you once mixed business with pleasure too.”
She huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, and look at how well that worked out for me.” Patting me on the chest, she says, “Now go back to your daughter and nanny, and try to enjoy yourself, okay?”
A detail I’ve been meaning to share spills out before she can walk away. “By the way, the paternity tests came back yesterday, confirming what I already knew. Remy is definitely my daughter.”
