Page 224 of Five Brothers
“Yeah.”
I hang up, tear off my clothes, and wrap a towel around my waist. Opening my bedroom door, I yell. “Aracely!”
In a few seconds, I hear her footfalls on the stairs, and she appears at my door. Her eyes drop to my towel, and she almost looks away.
I swipe up my shirt and hold it out to her. “Have the …”
But I stop, taking a moment to correct myself. “Would you pleasehave the buttons on this fixed?” I ask her politely. Then I hand her the pants and jacket. “And take this suit to a tailor as a reference for sizing. Have them make me three more. You pick the fabric. Shirts, ties …”
Her face falls a little, but I don’t linger for questions. Swiping my phone off the bed, I hand that to her next. “Put this on the charger. And find a time on my calendar next week to talk to me. You’ll start handling my schedule, and we need to talk about you taking over managing Mariette’s.” My brain floods with everything I want to do, and my mouth can’t keep up. “I’m giving you joint control with her. Understand?”
Her eyes go wide, but then I see it. The smile. She nods.
Taking the pants back from her, I dig out my wallet and slip out a credit card.
I hand it to her. “Go buy groceries and text my brothers to be home by six for dinner. No stopping at bars.”
She takes the card. “What do you want me to make?”
“I’m cooking.”
Her arms fall, and for a second she looks like she’s going to drop the clothes. I shove the pants back at her and start to walk away.
“And …” I fire back. “Start organizing a … like a block party or something. Let’s get everyone together. The whole Bay.”
Her eyes bug out again.
I narrow mine. “Are you writing this down?”
She fumbles for a second and then gestures to her head. “I got it,” she mumbles.
I walk toward the bathroom but point to the suit in her hands as I go. “And have that cleaned.”
“Are you sure?”
I shoot her a look before I close the door, knowing she can smell Krisjen’s perfume on it as well as I can.
I twist the shower handle, pull off the towel, and step under the spray, inhaling hard as the cold water rushes over my skin.
I force full, deep breaths, even, in and out, as I fist my hands and feel the rush of the ice charging my body.
Just one more day.
I can stay for one more day.
Like my mom did.
29
Krisjen
I wanted to leave with him—the second he walked away.
But how could this have not been about revenge? How could he not hate everything I reminded him of?
I sit against the wall, hugging my knees and feeling the shorts and sweatshirt that I threw on, but have no idea if it’s the Florida State one or the Hilton Head one. It’s gray.
All the times he wouldn’t look at me. Speak to me. Of course.