Page 75 of Troublemaker: The Big Picture Edition

“I’m sorry I haven’t been calling. I wasn’t sure how to deal with this.”

“Thishas been dealt with. Why are you here?”

“I wanted to tell you that I’ll be in Pasadena early next year, for a conference.”

“Oh yeah? How exciting for Pasadena.”

“I’d like to take you out for dinner when I’m there.”

“I’ll be busy.”

“You don’t even know what days I’ll be there yet.”

“I’m always busy with schoolwork, Brent. Have you forgotten?”

“I’ll be there on the weekend. You aren’t always busy with schoolwork on the weekend.”

“I’m busy with other things on the weekend. Listen, it was nice to see you, Brent. Thank you for bringing my parents a gift basket, but I have to get back to something.” I start to walk away.

“I’m also going to be meeting with someone in Pasadena about a job, Emilia,” he says, like he’s telling me that he just won a million dollars and he’s offering to give me half.

I whip back around. “Why? Why would you do that?”

“It’s a really good job. I thought you’d be a little happier to hear this.”

“You’re joking, right?”

Brent appears to be genuinely confused right now. “You always wanted me to move to LA with you. Now I’m actually considering it. What is wrong with you tonight?”

I step closer to him and lower my voice so my parents don’t hear this, but I make surehecan hear me. “IthoughtI wanted you to move to LA with me when we were a couple. BecauseIwanted to move there. Because that’s what couples do. But I am so soooooo glad you didn’t. We are not a couple anymore. I no longer care if you move there or not. I hope you have a nice life, I really do, but I am no longer a part of it. Fuck you, Brent. I don’thave anything else to say to you, but I’ve always wanted to say that to your face. So thanks for the opportunity. I’d like you to leave.”

I go back upstairs. To my laptop. To my notes. To reach out to a man who deserves to be reached out to. A man who deserves everything. My time and my heart and my dirty texts and maybe even a sexy man-cardigan if there is such a thing.

CHAPTER 28

ALEX

“Give me your kings, Mr. Ryder Vega,” my dad says, leaning across the table menacingly toward my son. With his deep, serious voice, you would think he was interrogating a drug lord—or at least playing a higher stakes card game.

“I don’t have any! Go fish!” Ryder is delighted. He loves my dad and isn’t the least bit intimidated by him like I was at his age.

Antonio Vega grunts and swipes at the deck of cards in the middle of the dining table, frowning at Ryder, but there’s a twinkle in his eye. “This is not how we played cards in Spain when I was a child. When I was a child, we playedHombre. A game for men. Not this little boy go fishing.‘Yo soy el hombre!’we say. ‘I am the man!” He pats his chest.

“Yo soy el hombre!”Ryder yells out. “Were you better at that than you are at Go Fish?”

My dad sneers at him. “Take your turn, Mr. Smartypants.”

My mother comes in from the kitchen, in herEat it or leave it. I’m not cooking anything elseapron. Which is hilarious because Sylvia Vega literally will not rest until everyone in her house is well-fed and happy. She pushes a lock ofblonde hair from her pretty, round face. “Anyone want more hot cocoa, my loves? I found the good marshmallows.”

“Yes please!” Ryder jumps up and then looks at me, trying to imitate my dad. “Give me all of your nines, Alex Vega.”

“Go fish.”

“What?!”

“Let me help you in the kitchen, Mom. Play my hand.”

“Oh no, you boys play. I’ve got my system, and you’ll just mess it up.” She winks at me. “Hot cocoa yes or no?”