“Did you hear all that?” I cry. “What is going on?”
Eli drops down onto my bed and leans back against the pillows, making himself at home. “I heard bits and pieces. Your sister’s quite the little manipulator, isn’t she?”
I shake my head in disbelief, trying to come to terms with everything I overheard. I never thought of Mel as cold or cruel or calculating, but that’s how she appeared in that argument…if you could even call it an argument. It was more like Landon pleading with a brick wall. I never thought I’d feel sorry for him in my life.
“She’sblackmailingyour brother,” I say. “Blackmailinghim! I can’t believe it.”
Eli doesn’t even look surprised. “I figured it had to be something like that.”
“What did Landon do that would make your parents disown him?” I ask him. “What didyoudo?”
Eli crosses his hands behind his head and stares up at the ceiling with a smirk. “The better question is what didn’t I do? Oh, let’s see. Barely graduated high school. Didn’t go to college. Took up surfing and moved to Hawaii. Called my mom a crazy bitch and my dad an uptight dictator and refused to ever take another penny from either one.” He nods. “Yeah. Think that about covers it.”
I stare at him. “You think?”
“Landon wouldn’t do any of that, though. He’s even more in my father’s pocket than Junior. He’s too goody-goody. Always has been, always will be.”
I can feel the skepticism on my face. “Are we talking about the same Landon?”
“The one and only.”
“Then what is it? What does she have on him?”
Eli shrugs. “No idea, but if I were you, I’d stay out of it. Rich people do crazy shit.”
“My sister’s not rich,” I say, defending her out of habit, but then I really think about it for a second. She’s a member of the club. She’s living in a mansion. Every single thing I’ve seen her wear is designer. Clearly, the image I have of her in my head isn’t adding up with the life she’s made for herself here.
“Look, Peps,” Eli says, sitting upright. “All I know is my dad’s a ruthless bastard, and he’s got the money, power, and influence to back him. Nothing he offered was enough to make me want to stick around and put up with that shit, but Landon’s different. He’s dedicated his life to Prolimbinary, and the only way he was able to make it happen was with my father’s help. Your sister was right about one thing. Landon’s not going to do anything to put his company in jeopardy. I’d bet my life on that.”
I turn his words over in my head, trying to come to terms with what he’s telling me. Is my sister really forcing Landon to stay with her? And for what? Clearly, it’s not love. Maybe it’s the lifestyle? The money?
A loud bang from downstairs jerks me from my thoughts, and Eli and I lock eyes before racing to the door. We rush down the stairs and burst into the kitchen just as the front door slams, only to find Mel alone, standing at the island with a blank look on her face. Scattered across the kitchen is the fruit from the picturesque bowl that usually sits in the center of the table, apples, oranges, and pears rolling in different directions. The bowl’s upside down on the floor, close to the spot Landon was occupying.
“What the hell was that?” demands Eli.
“What was what?” asks Mel, looking too relaxed.
“What happened to the fruit?” I ask, still eyeing the bowl with an uneasiness that spreads through my abdomen, making my stomach twist with nausea. I don’t think it’s from the hangover, either.
Eli crouches down, snatching the wooden bowl off the floor. “Did you…did you justthrowthis at my brother?” he asks Mel, who makes a face as though the accusation is the most ridiculous thing she’s ever heard.
“Of course not,” she snaps. “It fell.”
And then, without further explanation, she turns on her heel and disappears upstairs, leaving Eli and me to stare at the bowl as though it might be some kind of grenade.
* * *
I spend most of the day in bed, nursing my slight hangover. I decline Sienna’s invite to hit up the taco truck that always parks near The Bean, and honestly, it’s not nausea or dehydration that makes me turn her down. It’s the ping-pong match taking place inside my brain.
My thoughts keep bouncing back and forth as I try to wrap my head around Mel’s actions. I run through every excuse I can think of for her behavior—the blackmail, the cheating, the lies, the avoidance. Maybe Landondoesdeserve some of it. I mean, he’s not the friendliest guy. He’s rude and aloof and, frankly, a dick. But he does care about Parker. And helping kids like Parker. He’s a huge jerk with a raging superiority complex, sure, but does he deserve to be cheated on and blackmailed?
Then, there’s the lying. I can justify a little bit of truth-stretching to get ahead, but lying about Dad? I can’t think of a reason for that. Lying about me? That one still stings.
For the first time since I came to Florida, I let the reality of the situation sink in. Mel took off out of the blue, and once I finally found her again, she abandoned me for California. She’s put in no effort to reconnect or catch up, and she left me with her boyfriend in a strange house while she shacked up with her boy toy. The more I think about it, the more I feel sick to my stomach.
But she’s always looked out for you before.
She’s your big sister.
