Page 89 of Movers and Shakers

“And I can’t take you up on that,” I said.

“So, what, we stay in the shadows forever?”

“No.This,us, can’t be anything. I’m . . . this was fun, but with everything, it’s too much.”

He blinked, but then his lips pressed together. I wouldn’t blame him if he yelled at me for cutting him off like I was. I never imagined I would be doing this, but I couldn’t risk him, and I couldn’t risk Mom.

And he’d still have me. He trusted Rose, after all.

“So, it’s over.”

“Barry, I’m—‍”

“Don’t apologize. Let’s end it like adults.”

“O-okay.”

“But be honest. Was it me?”

I shook my head. “No. It wasn’t.”

“My family?”

“No,”I insisted. “This just wasn’t going to work. I can’t ask this of you. Of anyone.”

“Fine. I’ll respect what you want.” He turned away but paused. “But for the record, I would have stood by you through everything, tornado or not.”

The words broke my heart. “I don’t think you know what you’re offering.”

“I’ve seen tornados, Lila, and I’ve survived them. But at least with this one, there would have been you at the end of it. Like sunshine after a storm.”

Barry

Barry: I want you both to know I just got dumped by Lila Wilde. Go ahead and fucking laugh.

I had texted Tom and Ruth in a rush of emotion after I left Lila’s place. A part of me hoped one of themwouldlaugh; that way, we could start a fight, and maybe I’d feel a little better. I didn’t knowwhyI had texted them in the first place. It might have been the fact that they’d signed an NDA so I could talk about her with them.

It also could have been the conversation we’d had at brunch just hours ago. We’dlaughed,of all things, talking about anything but work. They’d even been nice when I had to bail early, telling me that they hoped everything went well.

Instead, there was no answer, which was almost worse. I got back to my apartment, feeling my fists clench. Maybe I needed towork out or maybe I needed to throw something. All I knew was that everything fuckinghurt.

Then, there was a knock at my door.

Shit.I had forgotten that my siblings tended to show up instead of texting back. I thought that maybe if I ignored them, they would go away.

But I also had forgotten that you simply couldn’t ignore Ruth Murray.

“Barry!” Ruth’s voice was loud. “You’re gonna answer and we’re gonna talk about this.”

I threw open the door. Tom rubbed his forehead, looking sheepish.

“Good. We’re coming in.” Ruth breezed past me and I turned to glare, but I caught her simple outfit of a casual PATH T-shirt and jeans. Tom had on shorts and a T-shirt.

“Sorry,” Tom said. “She does this because she cares.”

“You changed clothes?”

“I was out for a run with Max.”

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