Page 43 of The Ampersand Effect

“I feel like we missed something…” Grove looked between her siblings, hoping for consensus from Grant and intromission from Grier.

Grant shrugged, content to let his oblivion prosper a little while longer.

“You didn’t miss anything,” Harrow explained. “Tobin’s just making this so much harder than it needs to be. On all of us.”

“Well, no kidding.” Grove huffed. “I don’t understand why you’re laughing, though.”

“What else is there to do?” Grier asked honestly.

“Go down there and demand an explanation,” Grove nearly shouted, looking between Grier and Harrow. “How dare she show up after that crap she pulled at the gala? Come on. That takes some arrogance, even in my book.”

“Demanding anything won’t work on Tobin,” Harrow cautioned. She hung her head, thinking, then looked up at Grier. “I’ve never seen her like this before. The chemistry between you two is obvious. Hell, I could feel it just standing in the doorway when we got here.”

Grier felt her cheeks flush lightly. She wasn’t surprised Harrow could feel the tension between her and Tobin, but she hoped she hadn’t appeared as cold as she’d initially intended to be when they first arrived.

“Grier, I know we just met tonight, and you don’t know me or owe me anything. But… the fact that you were willing to let me bring her here, even after the gala… well, you’re pretty all right in my book.”

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised she told you about that?” “Not willingly,” Harrow said with a small laugh. “She moped around for days before I could pull any decent information out of her. But yeah, eventually she filled me in. Enough to know that calling you tonight was probably more painful than her back.”

Harrow found Grier’s eyes. “I’m not privy to everything in her head, but whatever this is between you two… it has her addled. She’s one of the most driven, headstrong women I know—when she sets her mind to something, she does it. You’ve got her second-guessing herself, and, honestly, it’s unsettling her.”

“I think I’m confused,” Grier said carefully. “Are we talking about her decisions to pursue… or to withdraw?”

“Both. And neither,” Harrow admitted. “It’s not my story to tell—but I hope one day she’ll be willing to share it with you.”

“One day assumes there’s a day one,” Grier replied, her tone colder than she intended. “And I’m not certain Tobin’s interested in that.”

“I think she is,” Harrow said softly. “She’s just… calibrating. Trying to stabilize the trajectory she thought she was on, to accept that there’re multiple means to the same end.”

“These riddles are making my brain hurt more than it already does,” Grier whined. “I wish she’d just talk to me like you are. I get that you can’t share her story—I don’t want to hear it from you. But, it’s like I can’t get her to be real with me. It’s scorching flirtations or frigid apathy. No in-between.”

“You’re not wrong,” Harrow said, smiling sympathetically. “Well, now my curiosity is piqued!” Grove inserted herself.

“Because I’d still like to know what the hell that text was about.” “Grove!” Grant admonished, giving her a look.

“Maybe you should just ask her,” Delta chimed in, startling everyone. She immediately returned to her book, unbothered.

Grier exhaled a soft laugh, shaking her head. “I have the distinct impression it isn’t that simple,” she said, more to herself than to the others.

“You’re probably right,” Harrow admitted. “Tobin’s intensely guarded—another story you’ll have to patiently extract from her. But, if my opinion holds any value here—and I completely understand if it doesn’t—she’s worth the fight.”

Grier’s watch alarm buzzed just as Harrow finished her appeal.

“To the gallows, I guess,” Grier muttered, more to herself than anyone else, but glanced at three sets of apologetic eyes as she made her way to the basement door.

She didn’t even allow herself a healthy sigh as she knocked and swung the door open, giving Tobin the briefest moment to prepare before she descended the stairs.

“How’s it going down here?” Her voice was more chipper than she felt.

Tobin laid where Grier had left her and raised a thumbs-up.Awesome, not even verbal responses anymore, she mused.

“Glad to see you haven’t moved,” Grier said, attempting to lighten the mood.

“I don’t think I can,” Tobin replied quietly.

At least she’s talking,Grier thought. “Yeah, I know. I typically treat kids—they think I’m funny.”

Silence.