Page 41 of Power Move

She shook her head. “Don’t go there.”

“Go where?”

“Trying to sucker me in with puppy dog eyes. I’m resistant and it won’t work. It only works if you’re under the age of ten.” She kicked off her shoes. “Sorry, but my feet are screaming. I feel bad doing this. But Jesus Christ this carpet pile. This car is amazing.”

“It was my dad’s,” I said. “To the CEO, go the spoils. Or, at least the things that try to make up for being that guy.”

“Why do you whine about it and still do it?” Eva asked.

“I was his third choice,” I admitted. “That doesn’t leave this car.”

Earl raised the partition.

“I knew he wanted Cal before me. Cal was Dad’s favorite person. And he raised Cal up in the business—grooming him for this. When Cal decided to run for mayor, that flew by the wayside. I later found out Dad wanted to offerDaphnethe top spot, but she never would have accepted.”

“She was still married to fuckface?”

I snickered at her diction. “Yes.”

“So, that’s the chip on your shoulder?”

I shrugged. “While I was dyslexic and hated school, Daphnewas always top of her class. Cal was good at everything. And boy, didn’t my father always prefer him!”

“But he’s like ten years older than you!” Eva laughed.

“Yes, but it didn’t matter. As I got older, the more pushed out I felt. I loved my dad. I wanted his approval, but he didn’t see me. He doted on the girls. Derrick was the clown. I’m not that funny.”

“I was the brain of the family,” Eva said. “But I always felt like they loved us both pretty equally.”

“Andyourdad?”

“He worked all the time, but when home, he would give us everything he could. When I said I wanted to go to Oxford freshman year, he bought me a sweatshirt and promised if I would put in the work to get in, he would find a way. I ended up getting a scholarship and they paid for my plane ticket and flat share. I love my parents. They did everything they could to make sure I had opportunities they never did.”

I smiled. “That sounds incredible.”

“They are good. But because of my sister’s wrath, I try to dress in baggy clothes, so no one guesses. I feel terrible hiding it. At work, we have reasons. At home, I just want to be honest. I never relax.”

“I’d never know if I didn’t know you like that,” I said. “But I could see your mom picking up on it. And I get that. I suspect Daphne will give me shit and my mother will want to die inside, but they will get over it. If your parents love you, they will figure it out.”

“My sister won’t.” Eva looked out the window as we continued south. “We used to be close, but we haven’t since she married Ian. He’s totally corrupted her. He’s abused her and she cannot see it. In some ways, I can’t blame her.”

“How so?”

“He gives her an allowance—a very strict one—but they live in a house that cost a million dollars to build. His parents had money and paid for his school and startup costs, but he will tellyou he’s a self-made millionaire who owns the finest luxury home company.”

She said it with stank which made me chuckle.

“So, he’s as self-made as me?”

“Pretty much. Anyway, he does nothing with my nephew. He burdens Brooke with making everything perfect. He polices her like she’s a child and has turned her into this fundie who judges everything.”

“He sounds like an asshole.”

“He is. But he’s not unlike so many other men I know, so… par for the course.”

I read her pained expression, seeing vulnerability. “Hey, I get why maybe you are reticent to trust me now, but… I only want to be involved. I’m not going to keep you on a leash.”

She returned to tough Eva. “Well, you never could.”