Chapter
One
Bennett Reilly had been watchingtelevision for four days straight now. The same streaming service, the same position on his leather couch, the same cycle of mindless shows that didn't require a single functioning brain cell to follow. He couldn't even name what he'd been watching. Something with zombies? Or was it cops? He wasn't sure anymore.
What he was sure about was the empty pizza box on his coffee table, the collection of chip bags scattered across his otherwise expensive furniture, and the fact that he, who was always prepared, always put-together Ben, had completely and utterly lost his way.
The remote control was permanently attached to his hand. He'd been clicking through episodes mechanically, barely registering the content he was watching. His apartment, normally pristine, looked like it had been ransacked by a rowdy pack of squirrels searching for nuts for the winter.
He stretched, his back cracking in protest. Four days of barely moving had turned his normally fit body into one painful knot. His mother would have a stroke if she could see him now.Hell, his whole family would be shocked. The thought almost made him smile. Almost.
Ben absently reached for his phone, tapping it awake to see a cluster of notifications. Four texts from former colleagues asking if he'd "landed on his feet yet." Five emails from headhunters who'd heard about his "sudden availability." One text from his local congressman asking for a donation. And, of course, one voicemail from his sister, Lulu, that he'd been avoiding since yesterday, and one from his younger brother Chase.
There wasn’t a single message he wanted to deal with. Not one person did he feel like explaining to that he had been blindsided when his eccentric partner Scott decided to "find himself" and abandon their enterprise. Or that their other partner, Martin, had decided that finding a new genius to replace Scott would be too much work and had organized the shutdown while Ben was on a business trip.
The company they'd built from nothing was now exactly that again: nothing.
But he was also realistic. Not returning his siblings’ calls wasn’t going to fly. Not with his family. If he didn’t talk to at least one of them, he wouldn’t put it past them to hop onto a plane to New York City and pound on his front door.
Assuming they could get past the doorman.
Chase. Chase could charm his way upstairs. What was it about Ben’s brother that had everyone wanting to do things for him? And they always thought it was their own idea, too. Somehow, Chase could sweet-talk someone into volunteering to help with the Christmas play, and another person to donate to a food drive. Hell, Chase should have gone into sales. He would have made a fortune.
Pressing a few buttons on his phone, he held it to his ear as it rang a few times. With any luck, Chase wouldn’t answer,and Ben could simply leave a light-hearted and non-committal voicemail.
Please be busy. Please don’t answer.
“Hey, Ben. Glad you called. You got my message.”
Miracles weren’t going to happen today. He should have called Lulu. She was probably busy with a jaywalker or something like that.
“I did,” Ben said, stifling his sigh. “What’s going on? Are Mom and Dad okay?”
“They’re fine. Do I need a reason to call my favorite brother?”
“I’m your only brother. And no, you don’t, but we just talked a few weeks ago.”
“That’s the problem with you,” Chase laughed. “You think talking every few weeks with your, admittedly, only brother is enough. Some families talk more often than that.”
“That’s because they have lots of free time.”
Technically, I do as well, but I’m not going to admit that today.
He hadn’t told them about his business yet. They’d worry and fuss, and he simply wasn’t prepared to deal with their emotions when he couldn’t even handle his own. He’d tell them…eventually. There was nothing they could do to change or fix this situation.
“I was calling for a reason,” Chase went on as if Ben hadn’t spoken. “I wanted to make sure you’re going to be at Mom’s birthday party. Seriously, big brother, no fucking excuses. I don’t want to hear about some important business meeting or how you have to be in Los Angeles?—”
“I’ll be there,” Ben interrupted, hoping to stop the lecture he was sure Chase wanted to give him. “I get it. I’m a terrible son who works too much. But fear not, because I’ll be there. What’s the saying? With bells on.”
“I would pay cash money to see that,” Chase replied. “That’s good. It would hurt Mom if you didn’t show. It was bad enough when you weren’t here for Dad’s retirement.”
At the time, Ben hadn’t thought it was a big deal, but on reflection, he’d been a total jerk. He should have been there. Not showing up had been a shitty, no-good thing to do. He’d apologized profusely to his dad, who assured him it was fine, but Ben knew better.
It wasn’t fine. He’d hurt his dad, and that wasn’t okay in the least. There was no way to go back in time and rectify the situation, either.
“I know, and I feel bad about that,” Ben finally replied. “I won’t drop the ball again.”
“Trying to get some work-life balance? It’s about time. You’ll be happier and live longer.”
