Page 89 of Beautiful Chaos
In the end, it was Rami who called Hedy yesterday, upset by what he saw.
“It’s the supposed adults who let this split develop, and none of you called it out. Fix it.”
Rami has always been pretty levelheaded, and Ant is proud of him for saying something.
That said, Ant isn’t entirely convinced reconciliation is possible, but he and Erik are willing to try. For their son.
They enter the glass-encased conference room overlooking the gorgeous property. Standing around the long, polished table are Ronan, Thane, Hedy, Edison, Oakley, and Silas. The tension in the space is already an uncomfortable, shifting thing, and Cupcake is glued to Silas’s leg.
Ant’s gaze immediately tracks Ronan, standing near the far end of the room. Ant steps forward, wanting to talk to the man who wore a gun to confront his son, but Erik holds him back.
“Let’s keep to this end of the room,” Erik says in his soothing Nordic accent.
Ant swallows down bile and tears. It hurts to share space with Ronan, but he endures it because Hedy once movedheaven and earth to take care of Ant’s family and bring to justice those who’d sold him as a little boy.
She is the only reason he’s willing to try. Well. Her and the Wildlings.
Edison and Silas have their sunglasses on, and it sets off an annoyance Ant’s always had with this place. Silas has been working here for years, Edison for decades. They still can’t work out something equitable with the goddamn lights?
He just wants to see his son’s eyes, for fuck’s sake.
“Can we lower the lights?” Ant finally asks, hoping he’s kept the attitude out of his voice.
Hedy moves to stand, but Edison beats her to the punch, stilling her with a gesture. “Of course.” He thumbs a gesture between him and Sy, explaining to Ant, “We’re used to it. But yes, it’s more comfortable without the overhead lights. I’ll make sure we can still see everyone’s expressions.”
Hedy sends him a grateful smile. Going to the fancy panel by the door, Edison lowers the overhead lights and uses the shade option on the glass to minimize sunlight. He and Silas remove their sunglasses, blinking until their eyes adjust.
In this exchange, Ronan hasn’t stopped staring at the floor. He also hasn’t acknowledged Ant’s and Erik’s presence. Thane steps forward and extends his hand to Erik, who shakes it.
“Thank you for joining us today. Both of you.”
Ant wraps his arms around his chest. Thane, always good at reading the room, doesn’t push the issue.
Hedy swallows audibly. “It is clear that emotions are running high. Yet we have all come in today. I think that’s pretty important to acknowledge.”
Ant presses his lips together. He doesn’t know what the fuck he’ll say otherwise.
The final person walksin.
Indaja.
Tall. Gorgeous. Built like a goddess. Her aura fills the room.
Hedy brought out the big guns.
Ant doesn’t know Indaja well, but he knows she’s reserved for heavier traumas. Her being here demonstrates how seriously Hedy is taking this. He also appreciates how Indaja’s presence immediately lightens the tension in the room.
“All right, everyone,” Indaja says, smiling, “breathe easy.”
Everyone automatically inhales deeply and exhales slowly. Even Cupcake seems to marginally relax.
“Why don’t we sit?”
They choose their places, and Indaja grabs the pitcher of water from the middle of the table. Empty glasses sit in front of each seat, so, moving deliberately, she walks around the table, filling them one by one, allowing the temperature to drift down out of the stratosphere.
After completing her circuit, Indaja takes the seat between Edison and Hedy, equidistant from the two sets of fathers and directly across from Oakley and Silas.
Despite the fact that they’re no longer hiding their relationship—which was never well hidden to begin with—the two younger men aren’t touching each other. They look anxious.
