Page 50 of Point of Contention

“Mr. Reed,” I corrected. “Reaching wider audiences by forcing authors to churn out what sells rather than allowing them to express their true art?” I mocked. “Haven House might be successful, but it’s built on the foundation of commercialism, not passion.”

My mother’s legacy was the opposite of that. Sure, we’d amassed wealth through many ventures and countless successes, but at the base of every triumph was my mother’s heart.

I wouldn’t allow my father to sell that piece of her to the highest bidder.

Chapter Seventeen

Rylan

My hands shook as I sorted paperwork for Blanca, my nerves still on edge even after twenty minutes behind the desk. She’d been kind enough when I arrived, but there was something in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. An obvious distrust.

I deserved that, I guessed, but it didn’t feel good.

The desire to explain myself to anyone that would listen was strong, but I reminded myself that my personal life was no one’s business, regardless of what they thought about me. But damn, I really wanted to clear my name.

My relationship with Cabot and what the news had been saying about me hung like a cloud over me the entire morning. Everywhere I turned, someone watched me with suspicion in their eyes. People whispered, giggled as I passed. I kept my head up, looked them in the eyes until they looked away, but the façade was exhausting and my anxiety was through the roof.

When lunchtime finally rolled around, I was wound so tightly I jumped when Eloise poked her head into the copy room.

“Sorry.” She laughed. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s okay,” I said, trying to calm my racing heart. “I’m a little on edge today.”

She gave me a sympathetic smile. “Is it weird, being back, I mean?”

I sighed. “Yeah. I didn’t really expect… well”—I grimaced—“I guess I did kind of expect this, but living it and imagining it are two different things, you know?”

“Yeah. What’s going on?” She stepped into the room and leaned against a copier. “Are people being rude to you? Saying things?”

“Nottome, but they don’t really have to. Their looks say enough.”

Eloise rolled her eyes. “Well, screw them.” She dismissed them with a flick of her wrist, then pushed her glasses up her nose. “They don’t know you, and they only think they know the whole story.”

“True.”

She smiled. “It’s noon. Let’s go eat.”

“Are you sure? Do the others…” I couldn’t bring myself to ask if the otherswantedme to join them.

“They’re waiting for us. Chop chop. You know how Hector is when he’s hungry.” She widened her eyes and I laughed.

At least, if Eloise and the others forgave me and accepted me back, maybe I could survive the stares and judgments from everyone else.

It was only eight weeks, after all.

I could do this.

When we reached reception, Marisa crossed her arms as she lifted her head, pinning me with a glare that made my stomach sink into the floor.

Did I say I could do this?

I lied.Abort! Abort!

“You think maybe you’d like to unblock my number now, or…?”

My eyes widened. “Oh, um, yeah.” I pulled out my phone and opened my settings.

“Wow, Rylan,” Hector said, chuckling “Scoring a ten on the avoidance scale.”