Page 40 of The Interview

Before the sound of my heart breaking at the thought of my husband feeling this way is heard by everyone in the room, Lennon speaks.

“Both. I’m grateful every fucking day that she has you, and that you rebuilt a girl, my sister, who I honestly thought was irreparable after losing Maca and Beau. That you put her back together, that you love her so unconditionally, and because of that, I’ve grown to love you. Like George said, one doesn’tdetract from the other. And I’m sorry that I’ve probably never told you that before. Sorry that you’ve ever doubted your place in this family and how much you’re loved by all of us.”

Len looks at Marley for backup. Marls looks from Len, to me, to Cam.

“What, you need me to come over there, sit on your lap, and give you a kiss?” Marls asks.

“I’m good,” Cam replies promptly.

“You sure? Coz I will if that’s what it’s gonna take for you to believe me.”

“Absofuckinlutely positive,” Cam assures him.

“Good, and while we’re holding our little family confessional, what was it you had to tell me?” Marley turns to ask Len.

Len stills. His eyes slide from Marley’s to mine as he licks his lips, picks up his lowball glass, and again twirls the amber liquid inside.

Percy Sledge sings about a man loving a woman as we all watch him reach across the table for the bottle of bourbon and top up his drink. He slides the bottle to Marley, who covers his glass with his hand.

“I’m good,” Marls says.

“Believe me when I say you’re gonna need this,” Len states.

“Fuck me,” Marls mumbles before he tops up his glass, then passes the bottle to Cam, who does the same.

“I don’t know if you want the girls here for this.” Len looks between Cam and me.

I look up at Cam for guidance.

“We’re twenty-three. Far from babies,” Lu complains.

“I know, I’m aware. But if you were mine, I wouldn’t want you hearing this,” Len counters.

“Does it involve my mum or dad?” Kiki questions.

“Indirectly, your mum, but not your dad.”

“We’re good, then,” Lu speaks for her and her twin.

Cam says nothing.

“You sure?” I ask my girls.

“Mum, after the things we’ve heard today, honestly, we’re fine.” Lu again speaks for her and Kiks.

Len nods.

“When dad got to Paris, before we were aware of any of the evidence, he sent someone out to negotiate a deal with Haley White. To pay her off and get her to drop the charges.”

“He gave her five grand. We already know this,” Marley says with a head tilt in my direction, because it’s true, we did know.

“That was after we knew there was very little evidence. He originally offered her fifty, then when the lack of evidence became apparent, he changed it to five. He told her to fuck off and disappear.”

“She didn’t, though, did she?” I remind him. “She went to the papers with the photographs.”

Len shakes his head. “No, that was Rocco. That day, when it all happened, he tried to leave the room with the video camera, but I walked in and stopped him from touching anything. Then the police arrived. I hadn’t realised he had a camera in the back pocket of his jeans. That’s where the photos came from.Hereleased them to the press. Haley—she was fucking shitting herself after a visit from whoever Dad sent to deliver his message. She was back in England and laying low before we even got back there.”

Len’s quiet again, staring into his drink for a long moment while we all wait.