“Mom and Dad would very much like for me to talk some sense into you.”
“Oh, isn’t that nice of them?” I said through faked enthusiasm. “And why are you here, Kyle?”
“I…” Kyle stood there with bag in hand, looking back and forth between us. “… actually don’t know. I have nothing relevant to add. I just came because Jake offered me food.”
“Didn’t want to be alone with me, huh?” I asked.
Jake gave a slight nod. “He’s here as a witness.”
“For me or you?”
“I suppose that depends on how our conversation goes.”
“Um, guys, am I needed here?” Kyle asked. “If not, I’m just going to scoot on over to the table and lay waste to this bag of heaven.”
“Knock yourself out.” I motioned him to the chair.
Jake looked around. “I don’t think I’ve ever been here before.”
“No. You haven’t.”
“Where’s your freeway?” he asked, my backyard always a source of amusement for the family.
We walked over to the window, both watching the traffic creep by. “Is it weird that I find this strangely inspiring? I want to pull up a chair and sit here all day and write songs.”
“Not weird at all. I do it all the time.”
Jake continued staring out the window, stalling. Or maybe he was waiting for me to start the conversation.
“Dad invited Tucker Beckett to the house without telling me. You know who he is?”
Jake nodded. “I know who he is.”
“Basically wanted to pawn me off to the worst manager in Hollywood. Oh, and on a side note… Have you ever heard Dad mention having a bad relationship with Grandma and Grandpa?”
Jake seemed surprised by the question. “JimSuey?”
“Yeah.”
“He’s never said anything. Why?”
“Nothing. He was just acting weird.”
“He’s been under a lot of stress lately.”
“He has?”
“Yes, Quinn,” Jake said. “Because of the phone calls.”
“What phone calls?”
“The ones Dad’s been fending off for you fromNext in Line’shigher-ups for the past three days. They’ve been threatening him and you.”
I knew he’d been getting calls but didn’t know to what extent. “I don’t understand why they keep calling him.”
“Because you won’t answer, and apparently you gave the show his number as an emergency contact. And now he’s the one stuck dealing with your business because you won’t. He’s not your manager, Quinn. He doesn’t know this business, and it’s not fair to put this on him.”
“I know. That was shitty of me. I’ll fire Dad in the morning. Kyle,” I called out. “You’re my new manager.”
