“We have rooms for the kids next to yours.” Lila nodded toward the left.
I followed her through room after luxurious room, basically eight houses the size of mine, before we reached the “wing” of the house that would be ours for the next few days.
“Graham and I had Laura, the estate manager, get a few toys for the kids to make them feel at home.”
“Lila, you didn’t have to do that. We brought some toys, and there’s a beach and a pool,” I replied.
“Franz can sleep in here.” She grabbed the handle to a door on our right.
“No. That’s Anya’s room.” We turned toward Graham’s voice as he, Ronin, and the kids caught up to us.
“Whatever.” Lila shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”
“But it does.” Graham plucked Anya from the floor, tearing her hand from Ronin’s hand. “This is a room for a princess.”
Lila opened the bedroom door. When Graham pushed past her, entering first with Anya, Lila stumbled back a few feet, eyes flared, lips parted. My face morphed into similar shock at the room painted in soft shades of pink, a plethora of little girl dolls and toys, and a wood chariot toddler bed in the middle of the room.
“Graham …” Lila whispered.
He set Anya in her bed and kissed her cheek. “Do you like your room, Princess Anya?”
She giggled and nodded.
“So cool!” Franz raced into the room and jumped onto the bed with Anya.
Ronin’s possessive hand slid around my waist, resting on my belly while he pulled my back to his chest. I didn’t miss the stiffness of his entire body.
“Did I exceed your expectations?” Graham lifted Lila’s chin with his finger. He kept a playful smile on his face, but it did nothing to erase the tension in her brow or the overall vibe of discomfort between all of us.
“It’s …” She managed a nervous smile. “It’s a bit more than a few toys.”
“Yes.” He kissed her forehead and tucked her under his arm, shooting us a triumphant grin. “Lila thinks of Franz and Anya like her own kids. And so do I. So … this is what we would do for our own kids. Right, babe?” He tightened his grip on her waist.
Lila swallowed, erasing the concern from her face. “Of course.”
I wanted to yank her away from Graham and hug her. Anyone could see how blindsided she felt by his gesture—how guilty she felt for showing any sort of shock. Of course, she loved Franz and Anya like her own. But they were, in fact, not her children. Why did Graham do that? A complete slap in the face to my best friend who wanted children of her own.
“Come on, buddy. We have a surprise for you too.” Graham beckoned Franz with a wave of his hand.
When we stepped into the bedroom across the hallway, it felt like stepping into the ocean. Blue walls with hand-painted sea creatures, just as many toys as Anya’s room, and a submarine bed.
“Is this mine?” Franz’s wide-eyed gaze landed on Ronin and me.
“No. It’s not yours. Not our house. But it’s where you’ll stay while we’re here.” I narrowed my eyes at Graham.
Of course, Graham returned a smirk at my displeasure, like he’d won. But it wasn’t a game.
He released Lila’s waist and hunched down behind Franz, resting his hands on Franz’s shoulders while his lips settled next to my son’s ear. “It’s yours, buddy,” he whispered.
Franz raced to the bed and bounced on it for a few seconds before frantically checking out the cool and really expensive toys.
“Da-eee!”
Ronin released me and crossed the hallway to see the doll Anya held while rocking in the little pink and white striped chair that fit her petite body perfectly.
“You’re overstepping boundaries,” I said, knowing the only people who could hear me were Graham and Lila. She needed to know I was on her side, that I recognized how over-the-top and way out of bounds Graham stepped with his expensive gesture, gift, bribe or whatever the fuck he thought of it.
“It’s money, Evie,” Graham said with a hint of exasperation as he turned his back on Franz and slid his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.
My gaze shifted to Lila, looking for help or more signs that I had every right to be upset about his gifts.
Her eyes shifted to her feet for a few seconds. “Graham has more money than he’ll spend in a hundred lifetimes.”
“We, Lila. Not just me.”
Her head snapped up, and she eyed him for a few seconds before nodding. I had no idea what he so often said to her with a single look, but she always seemed to fall in line with him. And I hated it. I hated myself for throwing her into his arms years earlier.
“It’s a packaged deal with us. We like to give elaborate gifts … because we can. And those who can, should.” She gave me a resolute nod.
Who was that woman saying that shit? What did Graham do to my best friend? Rewire her brain?
A satisfied grin spread across Graham’s face. He took a step forward, keeping his hands in his pockets, and leaned down to whisper something in Lila’s ear. Her cheeks turned red as she nodded. He stood back to full height and gave her a subtle nod toward the door.
Lila shot me a quick glance and a half smile, nibbling her lower lip. “I’m going to take a nap. Let’s plan on heading to the beach in an hour.”
My head canted as I squinted at her. “A nap?” I laughed a little. “Are you serious? It’s one o’clock. Are you not feeling well?”
“I’m fine. Flying makes me drowsy. A quick nap will make it so I’m less cranky later.”
“Are you a two-year-old?” I coughed another laugh of disbelief. “Less cranky? Seriously?”
“Nap is code, Evie. Do you want her to say what she really means in front of the kids?”
My nose wrinkled at Graham, and when I slid my attention to Lila for confirmation, she kept her rather dead gaze on Franz. Where did the life go from my friend?
“No, I don’t.” I grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. Still, she didn’t look at me, but she squeezed back. “I’m going to unpack a few things and get the kids snacks. The beach in an hour sounds perfect.”
“Thank you, Evie.” She released my hand and disappeared down the hallway toward the opposite end of the house.
“In case you’re still keeping score…” I said in a soft voice so only Graham could hear me “…I’m not impressed with the way you treat your wife.”
He studied me with an unreadable expression, shoving his hands farther into his pockets, sending his shoulders toward his ears. Graham pulled off the boyish look on very rare occasions. I called them glimpses of the young man who befriended me years earlier.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for the way you treat Lila? Sorry for the things you do to manipulate me? Sorry for buying my children’s affection? What exactly are you sorry about?”
Twisting his lips, he dropped his focus to the floor between us, watching his feet as he stepped closer to me. “Yes.”
Why?
Why was Graham intertwined, glued, stitched, and cemented into my life? He acted like an errant child—my errant child. I didn’t know how to handle his bad behavior because he seemed to stay one step ahead of me. And on the worst days, the days he said and did the most hurtful things, I didn’t know how to un-love him. That was how he hurt me.