I sit up and face her, sitting cross-legged. “I know, but I just…I don’t want to always need help from others, you know? I’ve accepted it when I’ve had no choice. When Charlie’s well-being was on the line. But I hate it. I hate that I can’t give him everything on my own.”
“You can, and you do. Is it everything he has ever wanted? No, not always. But it’s definitely everything he has ever needed. All the other stuff you’ve had help with, that’s been extra. He benefited from it, sure. But I bet a billion dollars he would’ve been okay without it all, because he has you.”
My eyes start to feel damp. “Thanks, Juni.”
Everything will be okay, that much is true. Because Charlie deserves everything, and I’ll do what it takes to give it to him.
10
LUCA
Sean Mulaney isthe last person I want to meet with.
Fine, that’s not entirely fair to the man, I’ve never even met him. His daughter Miranda? I’ve met her. Spent most of eleventh grade with a crush on her, and twelfth grade trying to avoid her and her clique after she turned down my invitation to go to a school dance. By laughing in my face, in front of everyone in the hallway at our high school.
“I’m not gonna dance with you, limpy. Eww.”
Super original nickname, I know. I did limp back then. I would grow too fast for my prosthesis to keep up, and my parents couldn’t always afford to upgrade when I needed it, so I’d often be stuck wearing something ill-fitting and uncomfortable.
The one downside to moving back to Cedar Creek is the risk of running into the people that made my high school years miserable. Even knowing I moved on and made more of myself and my life than they could everhope to doesn’t quite erase the damage that years of bullying can do.
But as I straighten my jacket outside the conference room at Peak Properties, Sean’s property development firm that’s responsible for most of the downtown core of Cedar Creek, I remind myself my meeting is with him, not his daughter. And Isla should be here soon, according to the text she sent saying she’d just dropped her son off after a doctor’s appointment. I know she feels bad for being late to this sponsorship meeting, but really, I’m just glad she’s coming. Lord knows it’s not exactly her job, but we’re a small organization and we all wear many hats. Besides, just the thought of seeing her, having her near me, soothes my soul in a way I don’t want to look at too closely.
When I push open the frosted glass door, my stomach drops. Sean is standing to the side, looking at something on his phone. And there, seated across the table, directly in line with the door, is Miranda.
It’s been over twenty years, but she still looks the same. I’ve got nothing against a woman doing whatever it takes to feel good about themselves. But to what lengths must someone go just to look exactly the same at forty-two as they did at seventeen?
Miranda’s attention-grabbing appearance may have worked on me, as well as most of the guys in our class back in high school, but now, it does nothing to me.
Instead of letting it show that I could have happily gone another twenty years without seeing her, I let my gaze brush right over her, as if I not only don’t recognize her, but don’t notice her at all.
“Luca,” Sean says in a booming voice. “Good to meet you. I’m excited to discuss how we can work together.”
I shake his hand. “Nice to meet you as well. Thanks for your interest in partnering with the Thunder.”
“This is my daughter Miranda, she’s acting as my assistant for a few months before she jets off to Europe.” He laughs, placing his hand on her back. “Actually, you two might know each other, you’re around the same age, and didn’t I read somewhere you grew up here?”
I put on a polite smile. “I can’t say I recognize you, Miranda, but it's a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure’s all mine, Luca,” she purrs, and I fight to hide my grimace at the way she holds her hand out for me. I give it one firm handshake and then drop it immediately.
“We knew each other in high school, Daddy,” she says with a tinkling laugh. “It would seem we’ve both grown up since then.”
I don’t know how her father is missing the heavily laced words she’s saying. But somehow, I manage to ignore it, turning back to the man I’m here to meet with.
“My marketing consultant will be joining us shortly, she had to attend to an important matter first. But we can get started. Did you have some thoughts on what you’d like to see from our potential partnership?”
Sean launches into a speech about signage and branding opportunities, and I keep my attention firmly on him, doing my best to ignore the ridiculously obvious ways Miranda keeps trying to get my attention. She leans forward, making it impossible to avoid staring at her cleavage if I was looking directly at her, andbarely five minutes later she’s licking the end of her pen like it’s a goddamn lollipop. She’s shameless. And it’s making me more and more uncomfortable by the minute. I don’t know how I’ll manage to work with Peak Properties if she’s around for our meetings.
“Those all sound like potential plans, in-line with what my team is thinking,” I say when Sean finishes.
“Excellent,” Sean replies.
Just then, there’s a knock on the conference room door. Any hope I have of it being Isla is dashed when a younger guy sticks his head in. “Sorry to interrupt, sir, but there’s an urgent call for you on line two.”
Sean looks to me. “Sorry, Luca. Do you mind?”
I wave my hand. “Go ahead. I’d rather wait for my staff to be here before we go too much further anyway.”
