"Work, your parents, and now mine as well. A few investors." I'm out of the office for one day, and things start to go to shit.
"What did the parents say?" she asks.
"I haven't clicked their messages."
"Me either!" Truly laughs. "I don't want to." That feeling is mutual. I know I'll be dealing with lies and manipulation when I do.
"We don't have to," I try to reassure her.
"At some point, we will, and maybe the sooner, the better."
"Depending on what you want to do, I can start making moves." We'd softly brought this up, but I want to circle back to it when Truly has had more time to process it all. I don't want her to make a knee-jerk decision she could regret.
"I don't think I want them in my life."
"I need something more solid thanthink.There will be things that can't be undone."
"As in the company?"
"Yes."
"What will you do?"
"The same thing our fathers always try to do when they take on a new adventure. I'm going to dismantle it." The same way they tried to do to my and Truly’s life together.
Chapter Fifteen
TRULY
"Idon't care if I'm on the moon or in a whole other universe. You better call me when these things happen!" Mabel scolds me through FaceTime.
"I know, but finals."
"Whatever. I could have taken a break." An irritated breath leaves her, and I don't try to argue.
I know, and so does she, that Mabel can become very fixated on things, and during finals, that should be her only fixation. If she knew all this, it would have thrown her off her game. Mabel does her best work when she's hyperfixated on one thing at a time.
"I'm sorry," I tell her. "I'll be quicker to tell you the next time the husband whom I planned to divorce ends up sweeping me off my feet and admitting his undying love for me," I tease.
Mabel raises her palm and makes a reverse circular motion. "You never said you two said the L word."
"We didn't.” I lick my lips, trying not to fidget. “It's just a saying." I shrug, downplaying it.
"It's not just a saying." Mabel calls me on it.
"I know he does. It's in his actions." Mabel is still skeptical, and I don't blame her. I'm sure I'd be the same if the script wasflipped. She only wants the best for me, and she’s not going to spare my feelings if she believes I’m not getting it.
"But you still haven't talked to your parents and heard their side?"
"Not yet." Crap. "You think it will be different?"
"Do you think if it is true, they'll cop to it?"
"I don't know." I hate the dread that is trying to creep back in.
"They could say Blake is full of shit and he was the one that strong-armed his way to take over the company, and the marriage was to ensure he couldn't take everything. That your family still had a claim."
"The hell, Mabel?" I never even considered that Blake wasn’t telling the truth.
