“Oh my god,” I murmur.
Viv laughs lightly. “Don’t worry. It’ll probably be me getting arrested today.” She squeezes my hand. “Are you ready?”
“I guess…” I worry my bottom lip.
Mr. Notting interjects, “I think I’m going to?—”
“You can go if you want, Mark. I’ve got this from here.” If I wasn’t so stressed, I might actually chuckle at the way Viv dismisses him.
“I’m going to see this one out. I’m invested,” he replies firmly, nodding at me.
“Whatever you like,” Viv concedes, and she’s all business, appearing even cooler than before. She grabs her briefcase off the bench, then comes back to me. “Let’s go. It’s time.”
“All right, we’re right here with you,” my mom reassures me, sliding her arm through mine.
“Yes,” my dad pipes up, stepping closer. “We’re here, right by your side. Your biggest supporters.”
“We love you,” my mom says. “We’re going to make sure you get these kids. Anything we have to do.”
“My checkbook is open. You need anything, you let me know.” My dad can’t help but add his classic phrase.
And then we’re walking toward the courtroom. Mr. Notting opens the door, waiting for us to file through.
“Leighton!”
At the sound of a man’s voice, I turn and look behind me. Hayes is jogging down the hallway.
Chapter
Twenty-Two
Leighton
* * *
“Oh my god, is that Hayes Carlisle?” Mr. Notting asks.
“It is.” I think I might sound a little breathless.
“You know Hayes Carlisle?”
“He’s Callie’s brother,” I explain without looking away from Hayes.
“Callie’s brother is Hayes Carlisle?” I can hear the shock in his voice.
“Oh god, what is that guy doing here?” My mom can’t help but show her disapproval. “You don’t need the distraction of him.”
“Give the guy a break. You don’t even know him,” my dad says.
I turn to both of them, not in the mood to deal with their bullshit right now. “Mom, Dad, go inside. Take Aunt Iris and get her settled,” I say firmly. “I’ll be right in,” I tell Mark.
“All right, hurry though,” he says. “You don’t want to be late.”
“I won’t be.”
They walk into the courtroom, and the door shuts behind them. Hayes approaches me, hair slightly damp, dressed in slacks and a button-down, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looks breathtakingly handsome, as he always does.
“What are you doing here?” My voice is sharper than I intended, the shock of seeing him here making my usual wall falter. My heart skips a beat—not from annoyance, but because I want to walk into his arms and let him hold me, which isn’t an option.
