"I said I'll handle it."
"Handle it how? From a cabin in the mountains?"
Phoenix's eyes flick to me. Something passes across his face—protectiveness, maybe. Or a warning.
"I'll call you tomorrow. There are things we need to discuss."
"Phoenix—"
"Tomorrow, Dad."
He hangs up before Nicholas can respond. The silence that follows is heavy.
"Marcus," I say quietly. "He's looking for you."
"He can look all he wants."
"The deal?—"
"Is dead. Has been since the dinner." Phoenix shrugs, but there's tension in his shoulders. "I'll figure something out."
I want to ask more, but my phone buzzes in my pocket. When I pull it out, I see three missed calls from this morning. All from Mom.
The guilt that's been simmering in my chest for days finally boils over.
"I need to call her," I say.
Phoenix looks at me. "You don't have to?—"
"Yes, I do." I stand, pacing to the window. "I've been gone over a week. She must be losing her mind."
He doesn't argue. Just nods and steps back, giving me space.
I take a breath, open FaceTime, and hit her contact before I can talk myself out of it.
She answers on the second ring.
"Jade!" Her face fills the screen, eyes wide, relief and fury warring for dominance. "Where ARE you? I've been calling for days!"
"I know. I'm sorry. I'm... still in California.”
"Still in California?" She frowns, studying my face through the camera. "For two weeks? I thought you were only going for a few days. What's going on?”
"It's... complicated.”
"Complicated how?" Her eyes narrow, and I watch her shift into interrogation mode. It’s the same look she'd give me in high school when she knew I was hiding something. "Jade. Where exactly are you?”
"I'm at a cabin. In the mountains.”
"A cabin? Whose cabin? You don't know anyone in California."
"A friend's."
"What friend?" She's not buying it. I can see it in the way her eyes narrow. "Jade. Talk to me. What's really going on?"
I hesitate. The lie sits heavy on my tongue, but I'm not ready for the truth. Not yet. Not like this, over a video call, when I can't even explain it to myself.
"I met someone," I finally say.
