Remy
Erik is on his phone while the Earls stand in the kitchen, speaking in low voices.
I’m reading over the statement my publicist sent. It’s fairly conservative. Phrases like obvious cheap ploy and deep fakes. I want it toned down. I don’t want the statement to draw attention or give this more traction.
My attention shifts at the sound of nails clicking as the pups come trailing in behind the girls.
I smile. Tianna has changed into leggings and a long-sleeved button-down. She looks better. Color has returned to her cheeks. I wonder if she’s eaten yet.
James and David come to stand on either side of me.
“Why don’t I run to the store,” James starts.
“And I can prepare a meal. We haven’t eaten yet.” David finishes.
Tianna and Meg trail to a stop, exchanging a look.
“We don’t have much here,” Meg says. “We literally moved in yesterday. And by moved in, we mean bought some emergency furniture and whatever Erik and Remy brought over last night.”
David looks gleeful. “I’ll stop by the house. We have extras of everything since we moved in together. I can bring over my older sets for you. It’s all excellent quality,” he assures her.
James nods. “He loves to cook and keeps thinking I need to love it too, so he buys me everything he has. I don’t cook. I’m a firm believer in takeout unless he’s home.”
I look at Tianna. “Does that work for you? When they get back, we can go over the publicist’s thoughts.”
Her hand lifts, fiddling with the knot of her hair. “Well, if you don’t mind. But will it give credence to the video or the rumors that will surely start if we’re all together?”
I catch the tension at the corners of her mouth and eyes, and my expression softens. “No. First, no one knows this is your house. Second, you aren’t alone. And third, fuck them. Don’t give them space in your head.”
Erik walks up behind her.
“Tianna, I need you to play for me. I don’t have my piano yet, but I almost have the right ending. I just need to fine-tune it.”
She glances over her shoulder and smiles faintly. “Playing is the easiest decision I can make right now.” She looks at the Earls. “If you don’t mind, I can give you money for groceries.”
James is already heading for the door. “I’ve got it. I’m eating too, and this is still cheaper than delivery.”
David turns to me. “May I borrow your truck to run by our house?”
I fish the fob from my pocket and hand it to him.
Tianna heads toward the music room with Erik.
“Go grab your laptop,” I tell Meg. “We can start tackling the emails from here. I guess we should order internet. Until then, we can use my mobile hotspot.”
I listen as the sound of the violin starts drifting from the other room, Erik humming along. They need this beat before we dive into security and logistics. It’s not that they can’t handle those things. They do better when they can come to terms with it in their own way.
When Meg returns, I ask, “Does the house have active security, or just the guard shack?”
“It’s wired for it, but nothing was set up since they never moved in after the remodel,” she says. “Do you want me to look into it, or just have Coulson handle it?”
“We’ll check when we eat,” I say. “We probably need to make sure the Earls have security too.”
Chapter sixty-seven
Erik
I don’t work with other musicians at this point in the process. Until the piece is fully formed in my head, collaboration becomes interference. Other interpretations pull at the edges before I know what the work is asking of me. I need the structure settled first. The architecture.
