Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 115198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Jake barks out a laugh. “Damn, Alex, she’s—”
“Not now, Jakey,” Janet murmurs, and then looks at me, brows raised expectantly.
Expectantly… like she’d love to see me try to fix this. Me, a veritable stranger. Janet could end this in an instant but she never would.
What a coward.
Rage makes my blood sublimate into smoke, and I take a deep breath, turning to face the toxic patriarch. “Ray, you are without question the biggest asshole I have ever met in my life, and I used to work the overnight shift at the lost-baggage counter at LAX. You are a random dude, not a king. You treat people in your life like they are bargaining chips, trophies, or minions.” I gesture around the room. “These are your sons, not chess pieces. You treat Alex like he’s no more valuable than some dirt on your shoe and treat Liam like he’s a Lamborghini you can drive wherever you want. I don’t know how you treat Jake because I’m not sure you even notice him. Do you not see how horrifically poisonous you are? Or how much your children are hurting? How on earth do you sleep at night? Honestly, tell me.”
Blaire lifts a tipsy hand. “Two trazodone and a big glass of red wine works for me.”
Ray tilts his head at me. “Who the fuck are you to come here and talk to me like this?”
“I’m Anna Green. I’m a painter and a daughter and a former convenience store cashier and part-time waitress and I’m lucky to be married to your son. I don’t know what choice Liam is going to make, whether he’ll agree to your truly fucked-up terms or whether he’ll choose himself for the first time in his life, but I can tell you this: no matter what happens tonight, it’s only a matter of time before every single person in this room leaves you, and I think you know it.”
Thirty-One
ANNA
We find ourselves on a plane about two hours later, headed back to Singapore. Apparently, when he’s mad enough, Ray Weston can pull some very large, flight-capable strings, but I tell you what: if he thinks banishing us immediately will discourage me from future castigation, he’s sorely mistaken. I am delighted to be getting the hell away from that island and everyone still on it.
I think the man beside me is also pleased, although it’s hard to tell. There isn’t a lot of room for personal space onboard the amphibious plane, but Liam has wedged a bubble of silence between us anyway. We silently watched the dark jewel of Pulau Jingga get smaller and smaller behind us in the night sky and then he turned forward, leaning his head back against the headrest and closing his eyes.
I meant every word I said in that tent, but the ones that stick with me right now are the ones about Liam and how I don’t know what he’s going to do now. Yes, he’s been very clear that he didn’t want to come back to the family company, but I have no idea whether he’ll put his happiness above his siblings’ financial interest.
And when Ray stormed out of the tent, yelling for island staff to “get me a fucking plane this instant,” and the rest of the family had scattered to their various lodgings, two people hung back: Peter and Liam. I’d tried to stick by his side, but Liam had kissed my forehead and told me he’d meet me back at the bungalow.
I packed up our suitcases and waited on the balcony, not at all sentimental about leaving that cursed place. But it wasn’t Liam who walked toward me from the jetty, but Gede, telling me that Dr. Weston would meet me onboard. My man ducked in through the low plane door after I’d been waiting nearly fifteen minutes, and I felt a nearly blinding relief. But then he wordlessly sat beside me, took my hand, and turned to look out the window.
The desire to know what had gone on in the hour we’d been apart is nearly killing me. But when his breathing evens out and his mouth goes soft, I know he needs sleep more than I need answers.
* * *
RAY EXPELLED US FROM the island, but unfortunately, even he lacks the power to change the Singapore Airlines schedule, so our flight to LA remains the same. With nearly eighteen hours before we depart, Liam gets us a hotel room in the airport, and I take what has to be one of the most glorious showers of my life. When I emerge, he’s standing at the window, staring out at the dark skyline. He doesn’t look over when I approach in a bathrobe but twines his fingers with mine when I take his hand.
I tug him toward me. “Hey.”
A frown flickers across his brow and he squeezes his eyes closed, but he doesn’t immediately answer.