‘It's weird that he didn't leave you even a part of the company,’ Blake comments, looking back at his screen.
I shrug. 'It's not like he and I ever really saw eye to eye in terms of business. He didn’t think I waswilling to get a little blood on me. His words. Andy was always the apple of his eye.’
Blake stands up, stretching high.
‘But there's more going on here, don’t you think?’ he asks. ‘The way that Andy pulled the plug on Mav's research. C’mon, it's barely been, what, two weeks since he officially took over. That was fast work.'
I stand up, pacing a little. ‘Do you think Daisy is safe with my brother?’
Blake snorts. ‘I wouldn’t leave a cricketalonewith anyNovelle but you, but what can he really do? Your dad and Joseph were the ones who wanted her to marry Joe. All three of them are dead. I guess the question is, does he give enough of a shit about Daisy to make things difficult for her?’
I turn back to him. ‘I have no idea.’
‘Maybe we should ask Daisy what she wants?’ he says, looking past me.
I turn around and see her standing by the bedroom door. She’s dressed and carrying her school bag.
‘I think I should go to campus,’ she announces. ‘I can’t stay in this tower forever.’
‘Andy wants to see you,’ I tell her, and she frowns.
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know, but it’s up to you if you want to go. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I’ll take you to campus if you want.’
She nods, grabbing her blue coat that’s hanging by the door. I do the same. She doesn’t speak to Blake at all. She doesn't even look at him, and I watch his face as he clocks it. She’s ignoring him and he doesn’t like it at all.
'I need to head back to the club later,’ I say, my eyes following her as she steps inside the elevator.
'I'll meet you there,' Blake says, eyes not leaving Daisy. 'Bring our girl. She'll probably want to see the work they've been doing. When's it supposed to open again?’
‘Two weeks from now,' I answer.
He nods. 'Good. At least we'll be able to sell Envy again ourselves. Make some fucking money.'
'We're gonna need it,' I say quietly. 'Now that we’re all up Shit Creek without a paddle.'
Blake makes a non-committal grunt and goes back towhat he's doing on his laptop after a final glance at Daisy, who doesn’t return the look.
Daisy and I go down to the parking lot under the hotel and take my Jag. It doesn’t take long to get to Richmond U and, as usual, I park in the Novelle Center.
I consider the building as we get out of the car, with its cutting-edge architecture, glass, and curved lines. I sort of saw it like a home away from home since my father had it built and I spent so much time there over the past three years or so, but it’s different to me now. Alien. It’s notmine. It never was, and any sense of security I felt there is long gone. How quickly things have changed.
I turn away from it and message Mav, who said something yesterday about going to the library this morning. I let him know that we’ll be going to Grinder if he wants to meet us there.
Daisy is quiet as we walk toward the Quad. Her eyes, usually fixed on where she’s going, wander to everyone we pass, suspicious and on-guard. I slip my hand into hers and she looks at me in surprise, glancing down at our interlaced fingers before tightening her grip and giving me that little smile she seems to reserve only for me.
Something inside me relaxes. I didn’t break us. We’ll be okay so long as I don’t get caught up in my family bullshit again.
We go into Grinder to find Mav already at a table. Lu Garrett is behind the counter making coffees, her personality, like sparkles and rainbows, are shooting out of her eyes and into our very souls. I raise a brow at Mav who just shrugs, wincing a little when Garrett notices us and shrieks that her bestie is here.
I sit down at Mav’s table and watch Daisy and Lu catch up, my lips turning upward as I watch our girl. She neverhad any friends when we were at school, and, even though Lu is a Garrett and crazy as hell, I’m glad Daisy has her.
Daisy brings me a latte a little while later, giving me a kiss on the cheek.
'Hey,' she says, sitting down with us.
'Hey.'
