“Thanks, Jada. For being there.” I give my sister’s knee a squeeze. “And thanks for telling me, Soph. It must be hard.”
She twists her lips to the side in thought. “Yes, and… no. Like, it’s kind of a relief to know there’s something going on. It’s not just me being a big fat failure.”
“Of course you’re not a failure,” I murmur, thinking again of Iris. Would she feel relief to learn about this too? “If someone had suspected you had ADHD,” I ask carefully, “would you have wanted them to tell you?”
Sophie’s eyes narrow. “Why?”
I blow out a breath, wiping a hand down my face. “Because I think… I think my assistant has it.”
Sophie’s brows rise. “Right! The messy one!”
“Yes,” I say, smiling wryly. Is that really how I described Iris to Soph,messy? God, there’s so much more to her than that.
Sophie’s eyes move across my face, a knowing smile tugging at her mouth. “I was right. Youdolike her, don’t you?”
“I… yes.”
Jada glances between us, sensing her cue, and rises. With a brief kiss on Sophie’s head, she smiles at me and pads to bed. Sophie barely notices, too busy grinning at me.
“Has something happened between you?”
I consider what to share, settling on a nod.I’m in love with her, I think, but I don’t say it. I’ve never said those words to a woman before, and even with Iris, with how natural and right it is, it still feels like a big deal. I won’t say them out loud unless it’s to her.
“What about her dad?” Sophie asks, and my brow furrows.
“Yeah, that’s a problem.”
I think back to the conversation at the bar, the way John was dismissive of Iris’s hard work. Waterman loved the plans. The Bushwick studios turned out great. John has admitted as much, but what he won’t admit is Iris’s role in them. I’m fairly certain he won’t let her work on any future projects, and I can’t make peace with that. Not only because I refuse to let him crush her spirit, but because she’s freaking talented. Sure, she doesn’t have the degree, and she lacks the skills to render her ideas in 3D, but she has something far more rare: vision. And I can’t stand to see that go to waste.
I won’t partner with John. In truth, I’m not sure I even want to continue working with him. Another idea takes shape in my mind. One that looks a lot like starting my own firm. With Iris.
But it’s not that simple. I’d need start-up capital, a business license, clients who actually trust me. There’s a very good chance John could blow up my reputation when I leave, and I’d need to claw my way back.
And that’s assuming Iris wouldwantto work with me in that capacity. She was hired as an assistant, and while she’s enjoyed working on these projects, would she want to take on the responsibility of our own firm? The last thing I want is to put more pressure on her when she’s already struggling. I know she could do it, but she may not think so. I’d hate to add to her stress.
“You have to tell her,” Soph murmurs. “To answer your question, if someone had suspected I had this and it could have helped?” She sinks back onto the sofa with a sigh. “Yes, I would have wanted to know.”
I cringe, thinking of how headstrong Iris can be. Would she evenwantto hear this from me?
“I don’t know,” I mumble. “I don’t want to overstep.”
“You’re not overstepping. It’s not like you’re diagnosing her, right?”
“Right,” I agree. I’m in no position to do that.
“Tell her about me. Tell her I was recently diagnosed, and it got you thinking about some traits you noticed in her. Do it gently,” Sophie adds. “I know you will. But… you should say something. It’s changed everything for me.”
I study my sister, the relief etched into her features, her soft smile. She’s right.
Somehow, I have to find a way to tell Iris that I think she might have ADHD.
32
AIDAN
Iris looks apprehensive as we climb the stairs to the Bushwick studios for our final site visit. Like David is going to be disappointed with how it’s turned out and demand her head.
“Hey,” I murmur, stopping her on the third floor. There’s no one around, and I take the chance to reach for her hand, stroking my thumb across the back of it. “There’s nothing to be nervous about, okay?”
