Page 94 of The Influencer

“You don’t need to know all the details.”

Adam frowns. “But still. Jade? It just doesn’t track for me.”

“Jade’s awesome,” I say. “Still not really the point.”

My brother isn’t ready to let it go yet, though. “How many times?”

“More than once.”

“So… twice? A dozen? What are we talking about? Are you involved with him? Is he why you all of a sudden decided to do what you should have done a year and a half ago and ditch Olivia?”

I don’t know how to answer that. The short answer, of course, is yes. Hooking up with Jade had been the catalyst that led me to trying to free myself from a relationship I’ve known for a long time was going nowhere. But that doesn’t excuse what I did, or the way I went about it. Therefore, the answer should be no. Jade was only a symptom of my unhappiness. A very pretty, complicated symptom. “Yes and no.”

I explain my train of thought to Adam who listens with concern etched on his forehead. Once I’m done, he goes into planning mode.

“First thing, we need to move you out of your apartment. If Olivia won’t go, just take the hit. Take the loss.”

“I plan to,” I say.

“Not out of guilt—you’ve got very little to be sorry for here. You were in a situation you didn’t know how to get out of, and we’ve all been in those. I mean, I know words like that don’t help with the way you’re feeling right now, but give it some time. You’ll see it was gonna happen like this eventually. I knew one way or another you’d break. She’s been picking away at you for months.”

He’s not wrong, but I refuse to shove all the blame for my craven behavior on Liv. She was only doing what she thought was right for us, and I rarely fought her on it.

“You can stay at the Malibu house for as long as you need. I know you’ll want a place of your own, and we can help find you one close to the shop. No problem. And if you need money?—”

“I don’t,” I cut him off sharply, my tension rising. Mr. Fix-It here needs to cool his jets.

He holds up both hands. “If—you always know you can come to me.”

I try to stem the flow of frustrated rage that wants to hurl itself at him. Ever since Adam’s been with Sawyer, he’s lost all concept of middle-class living. He’s always trying to give me cash or offer to have my car looked at—buy me a new one, even. It’s like he’s forgotten that people who aren’t filthy rich can still afford to live—even in LA.

Once I started tattooing Gideon York, I’ve been doing really well. Gideon’s never been shy about crediting my work whenever he posts pictures of himself on social media with any part of his tattoo exposed. I’m booked a year out, and I charge a small fortune for my work now because I can. I’m not stupid, and I’m good with money.

“I can find and afford my own place,” I grit out.

“Well, in the meantime?—”

“Jade offered to let me stay with him.”

That shuts Adam up.

I take a relieved breath. Here we are. This. This is what I wanted to talk about. I need to talk about Jade. I may be smart about money and my career, but one thing I clearly don’t know shit about is relationships. Any kind of relationship—even friendship. And while I have no idea how to define what I have with Jade, I’m not ready to write him out of my life yet. Not unless he won’t have me in it anymore.

I’m realizing all of this in real time as I’m staring at my brother—who’s still my safest place in the world.

Adam lowers his voice like someone might overhear us. “You know about Jade, right?”

“What do you mean? His OnlyFans? His thirst pics? Yeah. I know about Jade.”

Adam leans his shoulder into the couch cushion. “Are you still paying him?”

“No,” I say.

“Okay… Feelings?”

“A couple.”

Adam huffs a laugh. “Keep talking.”

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