Page 21 of Famous Last Words

He rented me a charter so I could head to Los Angeles right away. My stomach was in knots the entire flight, my mind racing through worst-case scenarios.

When I landed, Ellington was there to pick me up, his face grim and eyes red. He’d been crying. My heart dropped into my stomach when I saw his expression.

“Brahms is in critical condition, but he might make it,” he said after a heavy silence. “And your father is in surgery, too. But . . .”

He didn’t need to finish. The look in his eyes told me everything. Zane was gone.

I choked back a sob, grief, and relief warring within me. My best friend, my brother . . . he was gone. But at least Brahms was alive. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the cruel irony of it all.

He hugged me tightly as I broke down, sobs wracking my body. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured over and over as I soaked his shirt with tears.

“Sorry,” I mumble, knowing he was hurting. His favorite guy in the entire world was gone. They loved each other so much and now . . . we’ve lost Zane.

“Let me call Mom and try to reach Iris. She hasn’t answered the phone yet,” I said once I finally calmed down.

But as I pulled out my phone, Ellington stilled my hand with his own. “There’s something else,” he said softly.

Dread curled in my stomach at his tone, bile rising in my throat.

“Iris was on the flight too. She . . . she didn’t make it either.”

A guttural sound came from my throat, like a wounded animal. My sister and my brother . . . they were gone in one devastating instant. I doubled over and vomited, overcome with anguish and anxiety.

Ellington held my hair back, murmuring soothing words as I retched. But nothing could fill the gaping holes left by those I’d lost. They were ripped away far too soon, and the pain was unbearable.

Chapter Eleven

Seraphina

(Now)

Earlier I spoke with Ellington about Brahms’s absurd requests. He agreed they were over the top, but still wanted me to fulfill them.

Ellie called his contacts who promptly met me at the house. They’d be working for the next couple of days around the clock to set up a music room to Brahms’s specifications. I also requested they prepare some extra bedrooms in case I needed people to stay over. I made them use the rooms on the west side of the house for that purpose, so no one has to interact with Brahms.

Ellington wasn’t happy when he heard. “That’s not what we discussed, Fifi. For obvious reasons, Brahms can’t have others around.”

“No one will bother him,” I stated. “Believe me, I’m going to try my best not to have anyone there, but I have to be ready in case of emergencies.”

“What if he convinces any of those people to get him drugs?” he argued. “Brahms knows how to persuade people.”

I laughed drily. “They can’t access anything illegal, don’t worry.”

“I don’t know, Fifi,” he said with uncertainty.

“You have to work with me if you want me to help your brother,” I said bluntly before hanging up.

He sent me a text reminding me that I needed to have anyone who’s at the house sign an NDA, even if they never cross paths with Brahms. I told him that the rooms were a precaution in case I couldn’t figure out my current situation, but that the people who might join me wouldn’t give two fucks about his brother.

I’m still uncertain how I’ll manage all my other obligations, but I have to make everything work, right? That’s why I’m sitting with Mila, my mentor and the one person who can give me guidance.

“That’s the full story with Brahms,” I say, finishing my account of Brahms, the accident, and the two years it took him to recover. Of course, there are plenty of things I had to skip. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned I was speaking about Brahms Ehrenberg.

Mila listens thoughtfully, her expression unreadable. I anxiously await her verdict on this impossible situation. Will she tell me I’m ethically required to treat him despite our painful history? Or will she understand that some wounds run too deep?

I wring my hands in my lap, heart racing. Mila’s advice could make or break my career, not to mention my sanity. But I trust her judgment above all else.

“I just don’t know if I can do it,” I continue, filling the silence. “Treat him, I mean.”

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