Page 104 of Whatever It Takes

“He’s right,” I say. “You sacrificing shit for me isn’t going to make me happy or feel better.”

“Then what will make you happy?”

I don’t know.

I should have a better answer to that question. But there’s one thing I know. She can’t suppress her happiness because she feels guilty. I can’t be poison in her life.

And then I hear her brother’s worry in my head.I don’t know what you’ll fucking do.Lo and Ryke thought I’d break up with her. Now I understand why.

But I won’t.

I won’t.

I still believe we’re good for one another, even a continent away. Sheisthe thing that makes me happy. But it’s on me—because I need to find something else that can push me through a day. Not someone. Something.

I desperately need something to get me through the next three-and-a-half years.

23PRESENT DAY – December

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

GARRISON ABBEY

Age 21

What the fuck was I thinking?

I must be out of my mind. Watching Willow leave to board a plane and fly back to London must have really fucked with my head.

Because there’s no other explanation as to why I accepted the invitation to return home.

It’s the weekend before New Years, and I should have hung up when I heard my mom’s voice, but instead, I listened to her pleas,beggingme to just come home.

For a second. For a minute. To spend time with family. The family that I keep distancing myself from like the miscreant troublemaker that I am.

So I went home.

And during a ham dinner, I’ve been listening to stories about Mitchell’s grad school. How Hunter is coaching lacrosse at Penn, and Davis has put his MBA to use, snagging a six-figure promotion at our father’s loaded tech company.

“Garrison.” Dad diverts the attention to me. He scoops the last portion of potatoes onto his plate. “How’s Cobalt Inc. going?”

Davis wears a look of surprise. “You haven’t quit yet?”

“Nope.” I bite back a harsher retort.

Hunter laughs. “They haven’t fired you?”

“Nope.” But no one is more surprised about that than me.

“Connor Cobalt wouldn’t fire him,” Davis adds. “Not as long as he’s dating Willow Hale, right?” He nods to me. “Keep that on lock, man.”

I’m not dating Willow for my job. My skin crawls even letting that thought cross my mind. Sitting here turns my stomach. I stab at a piece of ham on my plate, not planning to force the thing down.

Our mom stands. “Garrison, stop playing with your food.” She waits for me to set my fork down and hand her the plate, so she can clear the table. She doesn’t always do the dishes. Most of the time we havestaffwash them.

Did I mention my family is rich? Yeah, I think I did.

My brows scrunch at my mom. “It’s already dead,” I say dryly.