“When did my self-destruction become your business?” I lunge for the bottle.
“Since you were seven,” Axel replies, substituting water for whiskey. “Hydrate now or hate yourself tomorrow.”
I eye the water with disdain. “When exactly did you two appoint yourselves as my personal AA sponsors?”
I take the glass anyway. What’s my other option—kick them out and spiral into a whiskey-fueled stakeout under Minji’s window at sunrise? I already know the flavor of that particular shame.
“Since forever,” Axel says. “Do you need a reminder of how you acted after your breakup with Vanessa?”
I down the water in one gulp, pretending the tasteless liquid burns like whiskey. The glass hits the table. “This situation is different.”
“You’re right,” Axel says, surprising me. “It’s worse.”
My fingers scrape across my unruly beard. “I don’t know my next move.”
Axel leans in. “She needs space, Aaron. You nuked her career, then she discovered the guy she was falling for—accidentally or not—was the one holding the detonator.”
My phone vibrates against the coffee table. We all freeze like we’ve spotted a rattlesnake. My hand moves toward it, pulse hammering in my throat.
“Minji?” Axel asks, voice hushed.
I check the screen, deflating. “Just Tab. It’ll be tour stuff.”
Axel nods at my phone. “Answer it. Life goes on, even when yours feels like it’s falling apart.”
I duck into my bedroom for the call. Tab’s voice is all business as she runs through the revised tour schedule. I mumble agreement while my thoughts drift to Minji’s silence. When I return, the living room’s been tidied—bottles and takeout containers vanished. Grayson is stretched across the couch, scrolling through his phone while Axel gazes out the window.
“Everything okay?” Axel asks, still facing the city lights.
“Just tour logistics with Tab. Looks like I’ll be signing my name until my hand falls off for VIP packages.”
Grayson grunts, eyes still on his screen. “Good distraction.”
“So what’s next?” Axel asks, settling on the sofa arm.
I stare into my empty glass. ‘So, hear me out… James goes to Equinox every Thursday. What if someone were to test his loyalty…”
Axel’s face tightens. “Wait—you’re planning to wreck a marriage?”
“If James cheats, Evelyn has grounds for divorce,” I say, running my finger along the glass rim. “Minji gets her client back.”
“That’s the most unhinged thing I’ve heard.” Grayson laughs. “Tell me you’re workshopping plot ideas.”
“Just thinking out loud,” I mutter, though the scheme’s been brewing all evening.
“Liar.” Axel leans in. “You’re seriously contemplating this.”
I slump further into the couch. “Alright, you caught me. That case was Minji’s ticket to partner. If the happy couple falls apart, Evelyn comes back to finish the job.”
“Let me make sure I understand,” Grayson says, sitting up, eyes bright with horrified interest. “Your brilliant idea is to destroy a marriage so your crush can divorce them and become a partner? Doesn’t that sound batshit crazy to you, bro?”
My fingers rake through my hair as reality crashes down. “Well, when you put it that way…”
“I mean, I could seduce her,” Grayson offers with alarming casualness. “Show me what Evelyn looks like. I’ll take the bullet if it’ll snap you out of this tailspin. Bonus points: your lawyer lady gets her big case back.”
Axel’s bourbon erupts from his mouth, spraying across the coffee table. “Jesus, Grayson.” He wheezes between coughs. “You can’t just volunteer for homewrecking duty.”
“What? It’s for Ron Ron’s mental health.”
