Page 17 of The Inevitable Us

Sitting at the kitchen island on a stool, scrolling through his phone, his feet on the granite top, Rory meets my eyes with a roll. If I refuse, she’ll worry even more and hover. If I go along with it, there’s a chance she’ll give me some of the distance I need.

“Sounds like a good idea, Mom; what about that Mexican place down the street?” I answer back with a fake smile. Rory and I shoot one another a knowing look as he laughs into his phone.

Dad walks out of his office, followed by Sawyer and Brody, a look of concern on my father’s face. Brody smiles at us in greeting, and Sawyer gives my mother a slight head nod but doesn’t acknowledge my brother or me. I watch him anxiously as Sawyer walks through the kitchen and closes the door behind Brody and himself.

“What was that about?” Mom asks wide-eyed, drying her hands on a kitchen towel.

“They both just quit,” he says with a huff as he sits down next to Rory. My body freezes, and I feel my heartbeat in my ears.

He shoots my twin an irritated look at his chosen seat, narrowing his eyes before gesturing for him to move his feet. “Well, Brody’s retiring,” he says, correcting himself. “He’s been with me for over twenty years, and he’s well past retirement age, so it makes sense. Sawyer’s starting his own security firm.”

My blood runs cold at my Dad’s words. I’ve always been afraid this would happen, afraid the day would come. I’ve hoped my Dad’s generous salary would keep Sawyer with me, as it had Brody and Creekman for so many years.

As my parents start moving towards the door, Dad with his keys, Mom with her purse, I grab my own small purse and follow behind.

I still feel dazed as I climb into the back seat with Rory as my parents chat.

“I think I heard something about Mexican?” Dad asks as the garage door opens behind him, and he pulls into reverse.

Mom smiles back at me as I buckle my seatbelt next to Rory on the bench seat. “Rosalie picked.”

My parents start to discuss the intricacies of replacing two key members of their security team—who to promote and how many new people to hire as we drive. It’s more than qualifications. Mom and Dad are both sticklers for who they want in the house itself, whom to allow to drive us, and such.

“I should have started to train one of the other men. Of course, Sawyer would leave when his uncle did.”

“To be fair, he isn’t making the type of money he would have if you were touring, and you promoted Creekman over him,” my mom says softly to my dad, looking over at him from the passenger seat.

Dad clenches his teeth, and I see him look back at me in the rearview mirror. “I preferred Creekman as my head of security. I promoted him when Thompson left because he’d been with me longer.”

Mom rolls her eyes, “You keep saying that, but it just doesn’t hold water. I’m sure you have your reasons.”

Rory looks over at me, watching my expression. He seems…relieved? He finally asks what I haven’t dared to. “Did Sawyer say if he’s staying in Nashville?” Sawyer’s lived in Nashville the whole time he’s worked for my father, but his family lives elsewhere. If he is going to start his own firm, he could be doing it in Memphis, or Los Angeles, where there’s a higher concentration of celebrities.

Dad throws a frustrated hand into the air. “No. He just thanked me, suggested I promote Rodrigo of all people, and gave me his two weeks notice!” He lets out a large huff of air, before putting his hands back on the steering wheel, driving us down the well-paved street.

“Did they say why?” I finally croak out, looking at my dad from the opposite side of the car. “I mean, it’s a little strange since they’re both leaving at the same time.”

Dad thumps his fingers along the steering wheel as if thinking. “They didn’t. But if I had to guess, Brody was sticking around until Sawyer left.”

I feel the panic creep in again at the idea of never seeing Sawyer again. My stomach drops at the thought. I can’t let this happen. I can’t not see Sawyer, even for the little moments here and there that I steal with him.

At the restaurant, Mom and Dad order a pitcher of margaritas, and I watch as they eat the bean dip and salsa the waitress places on the table. I’m not able to eat any of my food, but move it around in the hope that Mom doesn’t notice.

“Rosalie, are you feeling ok?” she asks, whispering to me in my ear. “I don’t think you’ve eaten much of anything but cereal lately.”

I spear a piece of carnitas with my fork. “My stomach hurts. I shouldn’t have picked Mexican.” I deliberately take a bite, but the food is tasteless and sticks in my throat.

“Is this about school?” Mom asks again as I bite at my thumbnail.

I place my tell-tale shaking hand in my lap and pick up my fork again, pushing the food around. “No, no, Mom…I just feel left out that Andrea and Leighanne are in Paris. I wish I’d gone.”

“Well, you can join them if you want…” Mom starts to say excitedly. “Aren’t they going to Rome next? We didn’t spend enough time there.”

“No, it’s ok, Mom. Rome doesn’t appeal. I think I just miss them. I’m going to see if Bailey wants to hang out sometime soon since she didn’t go either.”

Mom smiles, pleased at me. “Do you want to go to the waterpark with her? I know it’s crowded this time of year, but it’s an idea.”

I give Mom a big bright fake smile. “Sounds like fun. I’ll text her when I get home.”

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