I resisted the urge to turn off all the lights and pretend I wasn’t in. I was sure the security guard had ratted me out. I really needed to talk to Jack Frost about that. This was supposed to be a state-of-the-art tower. If people could just bribe the security guard with homemade baked goods, there was a problem.
Beowulf barked and wagged his tail as my father approached.
“Mark,” he said, sounding relieved. “There you are. Why weren’t you answering your phone?”
“I had work to do,” I said, turning back to my computer.
“You can’t just turn to work as a coping method,” my father said, leaning against my desk.
“It’s not a coping mechanism.”
“Really? Then what was so pressing that you had to leave your cousin’s rehearsal dinner? Your mom was worried, especially since Carter kept insisting you probably drowned yourself in the river like Virginia Woolf.”
“I stayed a reasonable amount of time.”
“You didn’t even stay until dessert.”
“I don’t eat dessert.”
We were silent for a moment.
“Look, I’m sorry that you had to find out about Walter like that. Family is complicated.”
“I don’t see what’s so complicated. Uncle Walter slept around and possibly impregnated some crazy woman, who then popped back up to ruin what was supposed to be a happy occasion. And she was the mother of the woman I was dating. And none of you thought you should tell me.”
“I’m not making any excuses for my behavior. For what it’s worth, I did have a private investigator look into it a few weeks ago when Stella Rose first contacted me. Brea and Memphis Eve are not related to your Uncle Walter and therefore not to you or me. So you won’t be going to jail for incest. That’s good news, right?” my father joked.
“That is not funny,” I snapped at him.
“Mark,” he said gently. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but you were so happy. I thought I could just clear it up and then you wouldn’t have to worry.”
“I’m a grown man.”
“I know,” my father said. “But you’ll understand when you have kids someday. You’ll do anything to protect them. Especially since you seemed…you were really bad after that fire. You wouldn’t talk to anyone. You would disappear into your office; you practically lived here! We thought we might lose you.” My father patted my head. “Then Brea showed up, and I’ve never seen you so happy. Your mom was so relieved! I just don’t want to see you retreat again.” Jack tried to pull me out of my seat. “Come on, I’m going back to the condo. You can ride home with me.”
“I’m not living there anymore,” I told him.
“Where are you going?” my father asked, brow furrowing in concern.
“I bought a new place.”
“Where?”
“I’m not telling you,” I said nastily, “because I don’t want all of you in my business.”
“We’re your family, Mark,” my father said with a sigh. “We’re doing it because we care.”
“Well, I don’t care. I want to be left alone.”
* * *
Though I didn’t wantto return to my old condo, I decided I should think about reselling the new penthouse. I had bought it because I’d thought Brea would move in with me, but now she would not be doing so.
“At least she’s not your sister or your cousin,” I reminded myself as I took Beowulf back to my old condo. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep. It was the middle of the night, and I was wide awake, as if I’d just drunk one of those coffee concoctions Brea was addicted to.
“Might as well start moving,” I told the puppy. I looked around my condo. It felt as if everything was contaminated with Brea. There was the kitchen that she had been so happy to cook in. There was the couch where we’d sat to share a meal. There was the table where we had had all those ridiculous wedding-planning meetings.
I needed to escape.
