Page 47 of Anti-Hero (Kensingtons: The Next Generation #2)

“ A nd here is your office!”

For the second time in less than six months, I’m starting a new job. This time, I’m a lot less nervous and a lot more pregnant.

“I wasn’t expecting to have my own office,” I say, glancing around it.

It’s small and windowless, and it smells strongly of Lysol, but it’s an entirely enclosed space that belongs exclusively to me. I could decorate with more than an ill-fated fern if I wanted.

“You lucked out,” Marcie, another paralegal and my tour guide for the morning, tells me.

“Most paralegals start in cubicles. But since Derek had an office and you’re his replacement, it was the easiest swap.

Your phone and computer should already be set up.

If you have any issues, there are instructions in there.

” She points to the packet that I received during orientation this morning.

“Or you can call IT. Their number should be preprogrammed in your phone.”

“Great. Thank you.”

“My extension is 2504 if you have any questions.” Marcie smiles. “Welcome to Bradford, Nash, & Monroe.”

I smile back. “Thanks.”

I settle at my desk, log in to my computer, set up my voicemail, then start reviewing documents for the first case I was assigned. I’m sixty pages into a deposition when a knock pulls my attention away from the screen.

“Knock, knock,” he narrates, making me smile.

“Am I supposed to say, Who’s there? ”

“Don’t worry about it.” Perry shoves his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know any good jokes.”

My smile grows. “Hey, Perry.”

“Hey.” He glances around my office, tapping a sheaf of papers against his thigh. “They gave you your own office. Nice.”

“Isn’t it? I’ve never had my own office before.”

“Me neither,” he says sheepishly.

“Really?”

“I’m a first-year associate, Collins, not a name partner. Not all of us start out owning the place, like Kensington.”

I stiffen when he mentions Kit, and Perry notices.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to … it’s just—he and Flynn are best friends. I grew up an only kid. Always wanted a brother. And the closest thing I have, he wants nothing to do with me. So, I’m a little bitter about the guy who Flynn does want to be around. Nothing personal about Kit.”

“I’m sorry, Perry.”

He nods in acknowledgment. “Ignore my pity party. I just wanted to check in. Say hi. Finding everything okay?”

Macie reappears before I can reply. She pauses, blushing when she spots Perry. “Hi, Perry.”

“Morning, Macie,” he replies, giving her a shy smile that suggests her interest is reciprocated.

They stare at each other for a few more seconds, before Macie remembers me.

“Uh, Collins, there’s someone here to see you.”

“To see me ?” I clarify, confused.

Outside of my family, the only people who know where I work are Kit, who’s currently in Phoenix for a meeting, and Margot, who I texted with this morning and made no mention of stopping by my new office.

“Yes. It’s Crew Kensington.”

Apprehension unspools in my chest. “ Oh .”

Perry’s studying me, his forehead furrowed. “What is?—”

“He’s being rather insistent,” Macie continues. “Should I show him?—”

“Uh, no. I’ll go.” I stand, smoothing the wrinkles in my pencil skirt with both hands. It’s held together by safety pins, and I’m wearing my boxiest black sweater with it.

I let my new supervisor know about the pregnancy shortly after accepting the position here, wanting to be as up front as possible.

The firm offers eighteen weeks of paid parental leave for all employees, including supportive staff in non-attorney positions.

I don’t have to hide my pregnancy anymore, but I’m not ready to announce it yet either.

Not until Kit’s family knows at least. And they don’t know, right? That can’t be why Crew is here.

Macie has disappeared, but Perry walks with me toward the lobby.

“My cubicle’s at the other end of the floor,” he states. “I promise I’m not stalking you.”

“I believe you,” I assure him, smiling. Then add, “Macie’s really nice.”

Perry clears his throat. “Yes, she is. She showed me around my first day too.”

“Do you want me to find out if she’s single?”

The tips of Perry’s ears turn pink. “Oh. I, uh … we work together, so … that’s a bad idea.”

“It’s not always a bad idea. Sometimes, it works out. Sometimes, it’s … really nice, spending so much time with the person you love every day.”

“You’re in love, huh? Guess that means I should officially retire my crush.”

I glance at him, startled. Both by his joking—at least, I hope he’s joking—and by the realization that four-letter word slipped out.

Perry smiles. “I’m kidding, Collins. Was I interested? Yes. But I realized friendship was all you were interested in pretty fast. I’m happy you’re happy.”

“Thanks, Perry,” I say sincerely.

We’ve reached the lobby. Talking to Perry was a welcome distraction, but my apprehension returns in full force now.

There are several clients seated, plus a few suits who look like they’re here for job interviews, but Crew Kensington isn’t hard to spot amid the crowd.

Everyone in the waiting area is staring at him.

He strides in this direction as soon as he spots me, hand outstretched. “Ms. Tate.”

“Mr. Kensington.”

I’m proud my voice doesn’t waver and betray my nerves. Crew doesn’t look angry, but he doesn’t appear friendly either. He glances at Perry, expression neutral.

Perry straightens his tie before sticking out a hand. “Perry Parks. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kensington.”

“Parks.” Crew tilts his head, studying Perry. “Are you related to Flynn?”

I think I’m the only one who catches Perry’s subtle wince before he answers, “Yes. He’s my cousin, sir.”

“I see. Small island.” Crew smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

Just like Kit when he’s being polite. Their eye color matches too.

Perry isn’t oblivious to social cues, but I sort of wish he were.

“I’ll see you later, Collins,” he says, giving Crew a respectful nod before continuing in the opposite direction.

Once Perry is gone, Kit’s father focuses on me. “Do you have a minute?”

It’s phrased as a question, but not really a request.

“Of course,” I reply. “We can talk in my office.”

Crew nods, following me as I spin and retrace my steps. The walk feels a lot longer with Crew than it did with Perry, like the distance doubled in the past few minutes.

“I was surprised to hear you’d left the company,” he states.

Is that why he’s here? I have no idea how Crew would have found out I’d left. He’s too high up at Kensington Consolidated to be bothered by or informed of changes in assistant positions. It’s whose assistant I was, I guess.

I clear my throat. “I was a paralegal before I started at Kensington Consolidated. Just … returning to my roots.”

“I see.”

Finally, we reach my office. I’m sure Crew’s office is as large and luxurious as Kit’s, but he doesn’t comment on the small size or plainness of mine.

Kit would have made a joke. Asked if I accidentally brought him to a closet or something.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” I ask.

“I’m all set, thank you.” Crew takes a seat in the wooden chair opposite my desk, resting his elbows on the arms and steepling his fingers under his chin.

I sink down in my swivel chair, faking a cough to fill the oppressive silence.

“I’m aware this isn’t the first time we’re meeting. I’m sorry we never had a conversation while you were at the company.”

“That’s all right, Mr. Kensington.”

For the first time, he smiles. Crinkles appear in the corners of his eyes, like it’s a common occurrence. “Please, call me Crew. It’s been, what, a few years?”

I nod. “A couple. It would have been the Fourth of July. Lili invited me to the Red, White, and Blue party her grandparents hosted the summer we graduated.”

Crew nods too. “Right, of course.”

I doubt he really recalls me from the hundreds of people who attended that party, but I appreciate him pretending I was memorable .

“Do you and Lili talk often?”

“I …” I’m becoming more confused about the nature of this visit by the second, but can’t come up with any polite way to ask why Crew is here. “We try to.”

He nods. “Lili’s always spoken very highly of you. And everyone who interacted with you at the company spoke very highly of you as well. I’ve heard nothing except impressed accounts of your work as Kit’s assistant.”

“I—that’s nice to hear. Thank you.”

Crew opens his briefcase, slipping a manila envelope out and setting it on my desk.

I stare at it.

He stares at it.

Finally, I ask, “What’s that?”

Crew sighs. “I had a plan coming here, Collins. Is it all right if I call you that?”

I clear my throat. “Of course. Yes.”

“Last night, I found out you’re expecting a child with my son.”

I suck in a startled breath. “Oh.”

“I was planning to come here, ask you to sign an NDA, and say it was an oversight that should have been part of your exit process. Tell you to advise a lawyer before signing, if you wanted.”

I think of the slip of paper my dad handed me. I never called. Never felt like I needed to. Should I have?

Crew exhales. “It’s been a long time since there were any big surprises in my life, Collins. I grew up knowing where I’d go to school. Where I’d work. Who I’d marry even. Finding out I’m going to be a grandfather in a few months? That was a shock.”

“Multiply it by ten, and you’ll have a clue how I felt when I found out.”

He smiles again, then sobers. “I’m sure. How-how are you feeling?”

“I’m good. I feel good.” I hesitate. “I don’t know how much he told you, but Kit’s been …

he’s been amazing. He’s held my hand at every appointment.

I’m not sure I even would have made it to the first ultrasound if he hadn’t been there.

Every time I freak out, he talks me down.

He bought pregnancy books. As in multiple.

He looks up the size of the baby every week and texts me it in terms of fruit.

He completely charmed my family. He’s having this massive mural painted in the nursery, and I’m …

” I let my voice trail, embarrassed. “Sorry, he probably told you all of that already.”

“No.” Crew drops his hands from his chin to his lap. “No, he didn’t tell me all of that. Any of that. I reacted … badly to the news. And I regret that.”

“Oh.”

That explains why Kit said nothing to me about his dad knowing. And my heart constricts painfully in my chest as I worry how that conversation going badly affected him.

Kit is close with his dad. He admires him. Respects him. Their relationship is much closer than my current one with my father. Yet the first thing my dad asked was if I was okay. Based on the contrite look on Crew’s face, that wasn’t the first question he asked Kit.

And Kit didn’t tell me.

He knows about my dad’s infidelity. About Isaac cheating. About … everything. But he didn’t tell me this. Because he didn’t want to worry me? Because he didn’t want me to know?

“You don’t have to sign this, Collins,” Crew says quietly, nodding toward the folder. “I’m here on business because you worked at my family’s company while also having a personal relationship with my son. I don’t need details. I don’t want details, frankly. But I have a responsibility to …”

His voice trails as I flip open the folder. I scan the page, confirming the document’s contents, then scribble my signature and the date at the bottom. “There you go.” I push it toward him. “And whatever you said to Kit? You’d better fix it.”

I’m certain Crew isn’t accustomed to taking orders.

But he nods. “I will.”

Kit calls while I’m walking down the steps into the subway.

“I just landed,” he tells me. “And fuck did I forget how cold it was in New York. Phoenix felt like an oven. We should go somewhere warm soon, where you can wear nothing except a bikini all day. How was your first day?” He finally takes a breath.

“It was good,” I reply. “I have my own office.”

“Yeah? Does that mean you need a new fern?”

“A fake one maybe. My office has walls, but no windows. I don’t know much about plants, clearly, but I do know they need light.”

His chuckle warms me more than the scarf wrapped three times around my neck to combat the January chill. “You could put up some photos of plants. Or paintings. Or a mural.”

“Another mural, huh?”

“Why not?”

I tap my card against the terminal and push through the turnstile. “Why didn’t you tell me about your dad?”

“My dad?” Kit repeats.

“Yeah. He came to see me at work, and?—”

“He came to see you at work?”

“This morning. And I wish you’d told me he knew. You don’t have to tell me what happened—he said it went … badly—but you can tell me if you want to talk about it.”

No response.

“Kit?”

Still nothing.

I pull my phone away from my ear and realize the call disconnected. I try to call him back, but it doesn’t ring once.

No service.