Page 103 of The Best I Never Had

I rub my hands down my face. “If this is how you’re going to respond, then I’m going to go. I’m not missing the chance to catch Thea because you refuse to hear what I’m saying.”

I head down the hallway, disappointed with her reaction but not terribly surprised. I feel lighter. It’s a relief to have it all out there.

I only make it a few feet before a small hand closes around my bicep. Addy stares up at me, her chin thrust high.

“I’m going to get her,” she says.

I scoff. “Like hell you are.”

“I’m the one who did this,” she says, her voice breaking on the words. “She’s done everything for me, and I drove her away. I need to fix this, not you.”

My fists clench. She’s not wrong, but the thought of leaving this to anyone else grates at my soul. Thea’s mine, and I want to be the one to protect her, to help her when she’s hurting.

“I’m not staying here,” I say.

Addy’s posture goes even straighter. “Together, then.”

I nod, and she sprints back to her room to get dressed.

Harrison walks to me, slipping his hands in his pockets. “You never told me you don’t like our work.”

I shrug. “Didn’t see the point.”

“Of course there’s a point. We’re co-owners. You’ve always been in charge, but you don’t have to take it all on. If you don’t want it, I do.”

“Come on,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. “You don’t want Hayes.”

“Yes, I do,” he says. “I know you don’t take me seriously, but I’ve been working my ass off to get to know the company.”

After the last twenty-four hours, I don’t have the emotional energy to hold back my thoughts anymore. “Harrison, you bounce around from department to department. That’s not the behavior of someone who enjoys their job.”

His lips pinch. “Is that what you think? I’ve been trying to get to know what each department does. I can’t lead the company with you if I don’t understand it.”

My mouth drops open. “What?”

“How else am I supposed to learn? No one cared enough to teach the spare, so I had to figure it out myself. But I love my work. I love Hayes, not because it was Dad’s, but because it’s mine.”

For a moment, I’m stunned into speechlessness. There are better ways to learn, but how could he know that when I never took the time to teach him? I created my own idea of who Harrison is and pushed him into that box, never stopping to ask why he wanted to move around the company so much. I’m not too different from Mom, telling Harrison who he is instead of letting him tell me.

And selfishly, I can’t help but think about what this means for me if he’s serious. No, not if. I’m done questioning him. If he says he’s serious, I believe him.

I clap him on the shoulder as Addy comes back out. “Okay. Let’s talk.”

The three of us take the stairs at a run, stumbling into the lobby. It’s packed full with dozens of family members. Camila and Mira, still in their pajamas. The twins and their partners. Lynne and Jourdan arguing about god knows what. And right in the middle of them all is Vaughn, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

“Figured you could use some backup,” he says.

I walk over, pulling him into a back-slapping hug. “Thanks, man. It’s great to see you.”

“You can fawn over me after you get Thea back.”

Gabriel flies through the front door, swinging the bright yellow key chain around his finger. “Bus is out front.”

“I brought breakfast for everyone,” Camila calls out, lifting two giant bags of pastries that Mira rips from her hands.

“And I’ve got crafting supplies,” Lynne yells, lifting poster boards and a bag of markers.

“Why the hell do we need crafting supplies?” Johnny asks.