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“Sure,” she answers vaguely.

“Mabel,” I snap, finally bringing her eyes up to mine. “What are you doing?” When she doesn’t answer, I hold my hand out to her phone. “Show me.”

“No!” She hugs her phone to her chest. “I’m texting, you can’t see, it’s an invasion of my privacy.”

“Who are you texting?” I can’t help but feel panicked. How has someone gotten to Mabel? The only people she has numbers for are me and a few selected staff. What if she’s met someone online? They could be anyone.

“Relax,” she says, reading the worry on my face. “It’s Reece and Charlie. Stuart and Lorraine bought them phones and we’ve been catching up, that’s all.”

Years of business negotiations, interrogations, and dealing with pitiful men who think they can get away with whatever they want because a woman is in charge tell me that she’s lying. But I decide to give her my trust and don’t pry further. She’s never given me reason to doubt her. “Just so we’re clear,” I say, turning my eyes back to my tablet. “There’s still a no social media rule and you’re not to interact with strangers on the internet.”

I can practically feel her eyeroll from the other end of the couch.

49

HARVEY

URSA: I hope you know that I’ve just had to lie to Annika for you.

ME: I never asked you to lie to her.

URSA:No, but if she knows I’m texting you, she’ll freak out.

ME:Well, I appreciate you doing it anyway. Is she okay?

URSA:Why don’t you ask her yourself?

ME:She’s not exactly speaking to me right now.

URSA:What happened? I thought you were gonnabe our new Dad or something.

ME:Don’t be cheeky, kid.

URSA:Seriously though, what happened? Keeley misses you like crazy and Annika is super grumpy sometimes. Pretty sure it’s because she misses you too.

ME:You saying you don’t miss me?

URSA: Undecided. You were pretty annoying at times.

ME:That’s the thanks I get for making you mole and showing my awesome salsa moves?

URSA:That mole was quite good…

ME:You should make it again. Kee would like that.

URSA:Or you can come and make it with us?

ME:That’s probably not going to happen anytime soon.

URSA:Because…? You didn’t put the toilet seat down? Gave her spoilers for her favourite TV Show? Ruined one of her fancy suits? Come on, give me a hint.

ME:I messed up. It was big and it hurt her. She won’t forgive me.

URSA:But you’re still going to try, right?

ME:Of course.

URSA:Good. Because I do kind of miss you.