Page 10 of What Remains
After the fallout, well, that’s when Dad asked Easton to look out for me on a permanent basis. Around then, I also started chatting online regularly with Julian. At the time, I only knew him as my mystery hacker. He had a hand in saving our team multiple times while fighting The Collective. But I only just met him in person and learned who he really is on an op this fall—the same mission that resulted in the crash that wound up stealing Easton from me.
“One day, I’ll move here. Join you all.” Elaina’s words startle me back to the present. “I can wean off my medication and use my visions to help out the team.”
“Or you could do something a little safer? Teacher. Vet. Humanitarian. Something that doesn’t involve bullets ever—”
“You really are becoming your dad.” She holds her hand up above her head. “Tree.” Then she makes a hand gesture like something is falling between us. “Leaf.”
“You mean apple?” I smile, and as if on cue, the lift doors part, and there’s that “tree” now.
Dad is standing next to my stepmum, my squirmy little sister in his arms.
An op involving a cybercriminal brought Dad and Natasha together. That was also when he discovered I was his daughter, and I found out the man who raised me wasn’t my biological father. Talk about yet another crazy time in my life.
“Liam’s looking for ya, sweetie,” Dad says to Elaina as he sets down Emory. The tiny ball of energy runs over to me, and I hoist her up and around to my side. “He just went into the rooftop restaurant to see whether you’re there.”
“Okay,” she chirps. “Be right back.”
Dad waits for her to leave before closing in on me as if he’s about to fifty-question me for the millionth time since he’s arrived. “How are you?”
I shrug. “I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.” Natasha’s the one to call me out on my BS before he can.
“Listen,” Dad begins, and I know where this is going, but I let him continue anyway, “I may have been harsh on Easton after the, uh, accident, but I apologized. You don’t blame me for him leaving, do you?”
“You were scared and upset. And I know you said sorry.” Well, I know because I eavesdropped by spying on them over surveillance footage. “I appreciate you doing that.”
Emory starts to slide down my side, and I hike her back up on my hip. She settles in and hums while playing with my hair.
Dad swaps an uneasy look with Natasha, probably unsure what to say next.
“Easton will come home.” Natasha steps forward, taking the lead to try and console me. “He’s your friend. Real friends don’t disappear forever, they just take time to think.”
“Friend,” Dad mumbles under his breath, as if he’s unsure that’s all Easton is to me.
“I know exactly what you need to get your mind off everything.” A devious smile crosses Natasha’s lips.
“And that is?” Dad beats me to the question.
“You’re going to hate it, which is why I haven’t mentioned it sooner.” Not the best thing to say to Dad, and she knows it.
He hooks his arm around her waist and hauls her in front of him. “Why will I hate it?”
“A girls’ trip.” She rests her hands on his chest. “Next month. New year. Fresh start. Five or six of us. Palm trees and sunshine. Cocktails.”
“No,” both Dad and I snap out in unison as Emory begins swinging her legs, anxious for me to start walking.
“Now that your father is running for president, it makes it even more dangerous for you to be—”
“That’s why you’ll be on dad duty nearby, and we’ll stay in a safe city,” she cuts him off, looping her arms over his shoulders so he’ll become putty in her hands.
He peeks around her to look at me, eyes narrowing in worry before facing her again. “Fine,” he grunts. “But I make the rules.”
I still haven’t said yes, which neither of them seems to acknowledge, but I guess I’m going to be forced to take a holiday regardless.
Forced to try and get out of my head.
Out of this hotel.
