Page 71

For the first time since I’ve been here, Adonis is a no show for dinner. So I eat with Victor instead. Aside from him driving me around, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the man sit down, so I spend half the meal staring at him in between bites of my prime rib.

A whole week has passed since I asked him to look into that number for me. His silence leads me to believe he hit a dead end and he’s just trying to find a way to let me down gently.

“Everything okay, Ms. Delilah?”

“Yes.” I let my fork rest against the edge of my plate. “Where’s Adonis?”

“He had something to take care of after work.”

“So, he’s not out of town?”

The last time Adonis disappeared for a week had been a pleasant surprise. But if that happens now…

“No, he’ll be back tonight.”

One of Victor’s rare smiles makes me smile. “Okay.”

For a week straight, I’ve spent every night in front of the piano with Adonis, following our unspoken rule to show up at ten o’clock.

It’s one of the only times he’s bearable and getting information out of him is easier when his fingers dance over the keys.

He told me about his love of anime growing up,and about how Titus would only fall asleep if he was playing the piano. That was when he first got him. Titus had been his grandfather’s companion until the day he passed. Adonis’ father had been ready to surrender Titus to the Humane Society until he said he wanted him. He joked that Titus was his favorite inheritance even though it took the dog a while to warm up to him.

When he tells me stories like that, he almost seems…normal. And not the man with questionable morals and too much money for his own good.

It’s become a routine. Him playing me songs and me prying bits and pieces of his life out of him while he does it.

And I could really use the distraction tonight. Now that Ms. Agnes is gone and the house is quiet, the EEG I have scheduled for tomorrow morning looms over my head.

I want the answers Silas says it will bring, but the not knowing is something I didn’t expect to get to me. I’ve spent my whole life not knowing and now I suddenly have a doctor advocating to get answers for me?

It’s…odd.

Pajamas on, I stuff my feet into my slippers and check the time on my phone.

9:55 p.m.

Still no sign of Adonis.

It’s not a big deal if he misses tonight. He’s busy doing whatever it is he does all day.

I’m not looking forward to spending time with him or anything. I tell myself that even when I grab my phone from the nightstand and head down the back staircase to the living room.

I know Victor is still on guard somewhere in this house but he’s out of sight as I plop down on the lavish sofa, my ears alert as I scroll through Instagram.

One video about koalas turns into ten and I’m down a rabbit hole before I can stop myself. After a while, my lids are too heavy to keep open, so I close them.

“Five minutes,” I tell myself. Then I’ll go upstairs if Adonis isn’t here when I wake up.

Chapter 26

Prettiest Problem

ADONIS

My father’s third call of the night goes to voicemail, just to start ringing again when I slide the phone back into my pocket.

“It’s eleven, why the fuck is this man still awake?” I hiss, connecting the call. “Yeah?”