Page 64 of Red Flag, Green Light

Rising, I settle myself behind her, bracing an arm on the backrest of her chair so I can skim the words on her screen. Yikes. I never knew Amelia was quite this stuck. She hides her distress well with how bubbly, positive, and put together she always is. I have never, even throughout our entire childhood, seen a hair out of place on her. Not a single wrinkle in her clothes. Not a single stain.

But I guess having narcissistic parents determined to present perfection to the world creates that sort of child. “Poor thing,” I murmur.

“Are you close enough to Brian that you can call him while I call Amelia?”

“I’ll call anyone. Brian, however, is one of the few people who would pick up. Why? What’s the scheme, princess?”

She faces me, cheeks leaning into shades that match her hair. “I don’t know Brian. So this is speculation. But if I can get Amelia on the phone and in a raw place where she needs to get out and justanysolution is an option, could you call Brian on the spot and get him to confirm that there’s a place for her with him and at his work before she can bail?”

“Oh yeah. Totally.” I blink. “But…did you just imply that you’re going to call your friend and manipulate her into playing her role?”

Ceres’s brow furrows. “For her own good.”

“Right.” I love this woman. Tracing her jaw with a finger, I dip, coming just short of touching her lips with mine. “Make meproud.”

Chapter Eighteen

And they were soulmates!Gasp.And they weresoulmates.

Ceres

Amelia sniffles. “I-I don’t know. I don’t want to bother anyone to ask for a job. It’s not like I’m being abused.”

Physically. She’s not being abusedphysically. Keeping my tone soft and soothing, I say, “Mellie…you’re hiding in the corner of your room under your comforter so your parents won’t hear you talking to me or crying… Regardless of what they are or aren’t responsible for, this environment isn’t healthy for you. You don’t react to it well. That means it needs to change, right?”

“I…guess.”

“And if I know someone who might have a job opening and a place for you to stay…you’d want me to ask, right?”

“What if leaving is worse?”

“Sweetheart, it will be. For a minute. But when that minute’s over, it’ll be so much better than you can imagine right now. I need permission to ask. Will you give me that, knowing that if—later—it doesn’t feel right, it’ll be okay to change your mind?”

Mars’s gaze is heavy on me while I say a truth I know Amelia would never be able to handle. From what I know of Brian, Amelia could absolutely change her mind and it would be so totally okay. From what I know of Amelia, though? She would never. Coming off wishy-washy in front of Brian is not on her bucket list.

“I’m so scared,” she whispers.

“Fear isn’t strong enough to stop you.”

“If things work out, how fast would I be leaving?”

“That’s likely up to you. How fast would you want to leave?”

Her voice breaks. “I want to get outnow. But I don’t know how to tell them. What if they try to stop me?”

“You have help and support. People can and will make it happen, but you need to let us. It has to be your decision.”

A shaking breath laced in sniffles shivers through the speaker. Then Amelia whispers, “Okay.”

Mars doesn’t need another second. He presses the call button and lifts his phone to his ear.

For the sake of controlling panic, I take Amelia off speakerphone and say, “You focus on discreetly packing if telling your parents is too much right now. We’ll make sure that if things go poorly when you tell them, we can get you out then and there, okay?”

“Yeah,” she whispers. “Okay.”

“Send me your resume and glance over the email you sent me. Make sure you know why you’re doing this.”

“I will. I am. Right now.” Her voice shakes. “How far away will I be moving?”

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