“I just got off the phone with a friend,” Connor says.
“You have other friends?” I ask with a frown. Why, out of everything, does this bother me? Maybe I’m too fucking emotional right now. I rub my eyes, trying to pull myself together.
“Acquaintance, contact,” Connor tells me, “whatever you want to call him.”
Ryke walks over and hands me a glass of something amber-colored. I stiffen and give him a look. “Are you crazy?”
“It’s tea.”
I barely relax but take the glass anyway.
Connor continues, “My contact told me there are cameras outside my apartment. I just wanted to let you know that they’re seeking all avenues to get information.” Even Lily’s sister’s boyfriend—a far fucking stretch.
Daisy sits on the hardwood floor, the remote control in her hands as she stares at the blank television. I can see her curiosity. She’s the one still halfway in the dark, and all the answers lie in that box. She offered to be brought back to her house, but Lily and Rose refused. Their parents are as bloodthirsty for information as the media, and we all know they’d sink their claws into Daisy if they had her.
So she stays with us for now.
I stare at the floor, trying to piece together a semblance of a plan. First things first. I turn to Connor who relaxes against the couch. His arm stays around Rose’s shoulders, and I realize that he’s subtly massaging her neck so she’ll be more at ease.
I didn’t want to drag him through all of this, and with his usual impassive expression, I can’t tell if it bothers him that paparazzi have invaded his apartment building.
“You’re not related to Lily or me. If you want out, you should probably leave now before things worsen.”
I expect Rose to spit at me for untethering her own boyfriend from this complicated matter. Because it’d mean that Connor would have to leave her too. But she’s busy texting on her cell, inhaling sharp breaths every so often that sound like knives slicing her lungs. I even saw her pop some kind of medication.
“Rose already showed me where the door is,” Connor says. “I’m fairly capable of knowing when and how to walk out of it.”
“The media may get worse,” I remind him, but I forget that Connor has probably weighed all the possibilities in his head, and maybe even created a mental spreadsheet of the pros and cons of the situation.
“Yes, and you’ll need someone who doesn’t curse every five words to handle the press.”
Ryke rolls his eyes, the dig clearly referring to him. “Journalism major,” Ryke says, pointing to his chest. “I know the press better than you, Cobalt.”
“And do you really plan on doing anything with that degree?”
Ryke says nothing.
“Exactly.”
“What about your mother’s company?” I ask Connor.
“Cobalt Inc. isn’t a household name. People don’t associate us with our products like they do Hale Co.—your name is on the label of every baby shampoo and diaper package. We deal with manufacturers and subsidiaries.” Like MagNetic, I remember. “My affiliation with you or Lily won’t hurt the company, and for that, my mother won’t care. And plus, if she’s outside of the scandal looking in, she enjoys the drama from time to time. It keeps her days interesting.”
I wonder if that’s how he sees us sometimes. Interesting. Entertainment. Something to make each day unpredictable.
I also can’t imagine the woman who spawned someone like Connor. She seems as fabricated as a character in one of my comics.
“Like I said, Lo,” Connor finishes, “I know how to use the door.”
Ryke nods to me. “You going to give me an out too?”
“No, if I’m going down, you’re burning with me.”
“Does that qualify as a brotherly obligation?”
“For me, yeah.”
Daisy fumbles with the remote and it drops loudly on the hardwood. “Sorry,” she mumbles and continues to stare at the black television.
I want to watch the news and figure out how much the media already knows. Finding the leak has become a second priority. Our first task is to clean up whatever blowback we’re about to receive. I suspect Greg Calloway and possibly my father are already working with a team of lawyers to subdue the crisis. One of the many reasons they’ll want to talk to us.
I don’t trust them. But I do trust the people in this room, and that’s enough to put me at ease for the current moment.