Her teasing tone drops a notch. “You’re right. You’re asking for help, which means it’s bad.” A rustle. Drawers opening, the faint clang of metal. She’s moving through her kitchen; I can picture it. White marble, ridiculous lighting, three different types of imported salt. “Alright. I’ll pack a bag. How long should I stay?”
My shoulders loosen. “Just a few days?”
“Longer if needed,” she says immediately. “My calendar is flexible this week. I was supposed to go to that dreadful art gala, but this sounds much more interesting.”
“Please don’t describe my emotional apocalypse as ‘interesting.’”
“Oh, honey,” she purrs, unapologetic. “Insanity, scandal, beautiful people in crisis? This is my natural habitat.”
I can’t help it. I laugh. A short, ragged sound, but it’s real.
“Thanks,” I say, quieter.
“Don’t thank me yet. Once I get there, I’m going to fix this. Which means you are going to have to talk about your feelings.”
I wince. “Can we not?”
“No.”
“Great.”
“You knew what you were getting when you called me,” she reminds me. “You don’t summon the hurricane and then complain about the wind.”
“I was kind of hoping for a gentle breeze.”
“Nothing about me is gentle. Put on coffee before I arrive,” she adds. “Not that weak stuff Boone makes. The good kind.”
I glance at the half-finished pot. “On it.”
“And something with actual protein. Eggs. Bacon. You remember bacon? It’s that thing you used to devour before you decided anxiety was a food group.”
“Wow, you’ve been saving that one.”
“I wrote it down in my notes app,” she admits, completely unashamed. “Under ‘Things To Say When Silas Calls In Crisis.’”
“Of course you did.”
There’s another pause, softer this time.
“And Silas?”
“Yeah?”
“Tell Delaney I’m excited to meet the woman who finally made you sound like a real adult for once.”
Heat prickles at the back of my neck. “‘I’m not saying that.”
“Well, then I will.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat.
“Drive safe,” I say, because I don’t know what else to do with all the things I’m not saying.
She snorts. “Please. I’ll let the car service worry about that. See you soon, sweetheart. Try not to set anything on fire before I get there. Emotionally or literally.”
“No promises.”
“Thought so.”
