Confidential(33)

I wanted to ask again, How could you? but there was no point. She could because she’d felt empowered and entitled. After spending a total of six hours in Michael’s presence, she thought she knew him better than I did. She was an arrogant little kid who never grew up. Don’t they say that people who abuse drugs are stunted at the age they first started? Kate was still eleven years old.

“I appreciate your concern,” I said again, tersely.

“But you’re staying with him.”

“Yes.”

She nodded, looking out the window. “I was right to try to get him to end things, because you never could.”

I needed to get her out of my car. The exit for the airport was coming up in less than three miles. The speedometer hit ninety-five miles per hour.

“You’re not even sorry?” I couldn’t help it; I had to give her the chance. Give our relationship a chance.

“I’m sorry that I hurt you, but I feel like it would be hypocritical to apologize when I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It was like—what do they call those?—an intervention. My version of getting everyone together in the living room to tell you that if you don’t stop using, you could die.”

Everyone was just her, the ultimate arbiter. “Stop,” I told her. “Just stop.”

“Stop what?”

“Stop acting like you’re better than me.”

“Because we both know you’re the one who’s superior, right?”

It was the fight we’d never had, but maybe it was inevitable.

“I know I’m not better than you,” I said. But I was lying, and she knew it.

We were silent for the rest of the ride. Once I pulled up in front of Delta, I considered remaining in the car, but we were family. I wanted to end on a good note. Or if that wasn’t possible, at least get out of the minor key.

I popped the trunk and lifted her suitcase out, setting it on the curb. Without looking her in the eye, I pulled her to me in an embrace. I closed my eyes and pretended things were as they always had been, and when I said, “I love you,” I meant it.

After what she’d done and what she’d just said, it was more than an olive branch, it was the whole tree, but she stepped away and rolled her bag behind her into the terminal without a backward glance.

What more could she have expected? “Thank you for nearly ruining my relationship”? I didn’t understand this girl I’d known my whole life. And I was terrified because Michael was right; she had the goods: the text messages, a few selfies of him sleeping beside me that he didn’t know I took. She could turn on Michael, and on me, anytime she wanted.

As I got back in the driver’s seat, my phone was pinging. It was Kate. I looked back at the terminal and saw that she was standing to the right of the glass doors, her eyes on me, her expression opaque. I glanced down at the text.

He’s done this before.





CHAPTER 26





GREER


It was my weekly meeting with Chenille, and some unusually nervous energy was radiating from her. Please don’t quit on me. That, I could not handle. I’d offer her a promotion, a 20 percent raise—no, make it 30 percent. I just couldn’t do it on my own, not now.

“What’s going on?” I asked her.

“To tell you the truth, lately, you’ve seemed preoccupied. I’ve tried not to mention it. I’ve just been doing some double-checking—”

“You check up on me?”

“I’ve been finding errors,” she said softly. “I correct them.”

My cheeks grew hot. “What sort of errors?”

“Sometimes it’s accounting. Sometimes it’s in personnel. Occasionally, a name is misspelled. Balls get dropped. They’re not major, but I worry they could be one day.” Chenille’s eyes were on the desk between us. “I didn’t want to have to say this—I know you’ll refocus soon—but I got a call from Jon Morrow. He’s thinking of moving his business to another firm.”

I stared at her. “He told you that, not me?”

She must pick up on something in my tone, an accusation I hadn’t known was there, because she turned cool. “I’m entirely appropriate with every client, as you know.”

“Of course I know that. I trust you implicitly.”

“Even the ones who aren’t appropriate with me, and you know who I’m talking about.” Now the slight accusation was coming from her, as in, I hadn’t protected her adequately. I left her to fend for herself. We all had to. Did she really think I was immune just because I was the boss around here? Sure, CEOs were still resigning over sexual harassment claims, but far more kept their jobs than got ousted. Most of our clients were in Silicon Valley, in Brotopia, and it took a very long time to change a culture. If I confronted every high-ranking executive whose eyes or hands strayed, who made overtures or subtly demeaning comments, then my dance card would be half-empty. I kept mine full. I had to be crafty in my rejections and clever in how I policed my personal space. Chenille needed to learn those skills, pronto.

“I do know who you mean,” I said, “and I run interference as much as I can.”

“That’s not really what I wanted to talk about. I understand our client base.” Good girl. “The issue is, I’m fielding more calls from unhappy execs who are on the verge of weighing their options.”