“Well, duh.” Evie removed the book from her face and tucked a bookmark between its pages. “We already knew that. Remember when Dad used to complain that if he hadn’t been the one carrying me, there’d be no way to prove that I was his? I’ve always taken after you.”
“I know, kiddo.” Harlow’s chest tightened at the memory—how hard it had been, after Emerson’s passing, to look at their daughter and not see any hint of his lover at all. He wasn’t in her eyes, in her laugh, in her smile… Emerson lived on in Evie’s genes, but in all other ways, he was gone. “I know.”
“So, since we’re so alike, what did you do when you were bored at my age?”
Harlow snapped out of his grief. Emerson’s loss would always weigh on him, but in the last seven years, he’d learned that there was a time and a place for his grief—and that wasn’t here. “I worked out.”
“Gross.”
Harlow shrugged. “I already knew what I wanted to do in life, and I worked toward it every day relentlessly. I think we have the same drive… although you have your old man beat. I was only able to enlist at eighteen—you scored your first commercial at ten and landed your role onHeaven, Lockedat eleven. If that isn’t dedication, I don’t know what is.”
“But I mean… I don’t want to do that anymore.” Evie lingered on each word, hesitant. “And I don’t want to become a SEAL, or join any of the military branches, and I don’t really feel compelled to take part in professional sports or anything. So… what else?”
“That’s not really something I can tell you, kiddo. What else are you passionate about? What kind of things do you like to do?”
Harlow might as well have asked her to name the last digit of Pi. Evie rolled her head back and let her arm drop from the couch. Her knuckles rapped against the floor. “Nothing.”
“Then there’s your first task: figure out what you like.” Harlow picked up his phone and glanced at the private chat he’d been having with Jayne. Several more messages waited, but he didn’t read them just yet. “Which is probably easier said than done, I know.”
“You said it.” Evie unfurled from the ball she’d tucked herself into, standing. “Maybe I can brainstorm with Shep when he gets home from school. He’s pretty sure he wants to be a computer programmer or like a computer scientist or something, so I’ll ask him how he figured that out. Maybe I’ll get some inspiration from his answer.”
A computer programmer? The statement niggled at the back of Harlow’s mind, but he couldn’t figure out why. “That’s a good idea.”
“Yup. That’s what I’ll do.” She yawned loudly and stretched her arms high over her head. “I think I’m going to see if Simon wants help taking care of Parker. They’re in my room—erm, Simon’s room—right now, right?”
“I think so.” Harlow continued to chew over what Evie had said about Shep. A computer programmer. He supposed it wasn’t an uncommon career goal, but…
“Okay. I’ll be over there. Thanks for your help today with training and school and stuff. I’m going to ace my tests on Friday.”
“I know you are.”
Evie waved and winked, then left the room and headed down the hall. Harlow took a moment to clear his head of nagging thoughts, then returned to his conversation with Jayne.
GlitterDoctor: You guys are going to have to be quieter than you were last night if you want to keep it a secret, btw. Shep is a pretty heavy sleeper, but you were at it forhours.If you keep it up, one of these nights he’s going to get up at 3AM and find you balls deep in his older brother
GlitterDoctor: I one hundred percent guarantee if that happens, he’s going to lose all respect for Simon and go off the deep end. Total terror teen. You two are making him and Evie sleep in different beds while you’re screwing all over the living room? Yeah, he’s not going to take that well.
GlitterDoctor: Btw can you ask Simon if he picked up my chocolate chip cookies?
LoveHarley: We’ll be careful. I’m sorry we bothered you. I wasn’t planning on, uh, you know…
GlitterDoctor: Riiiight. Because my shy little virginal brother totally came up to you in the middle of the night and begged for your cock
If only he knew.
GlitterDoctor: But you know what? It’s no big deal.
GlitterDoctor: Sex is natural, and I’m glad Simon’s finally getting some. Just, be more discreet, less loud, and hopefully less messy. We’re on a budget, you know. If we have to wash sheets every day, we’re going to end up eating rice and beans for the rest of your stay.
The conversation had gone much better than Harlow had anticipated.
LoveHarley: Then we’re okay?
GlitterDoctor: For now.
GlitterDoctor: But I swear to god, if you hurt Simon, I will hurtyou.
LoveHarley: If I hurt Simon, I’d want you to.
