She smiles. “I adore him.”
My aunt, her husband, and my asshole cousins treated Lang terribly. I can’t stand them, and we barely speak to them. I understand why she says she and her sister were raised the same, but they are completely opposite. “See, not the same.”
“Yes, but we never handled Zach’s first marriage and the death of his wife well. I spent eight years believing Piper’s delusions and hoping to see my son again. They were a bunch of fantasies.” She gives me a sad smile. “I’m finally grieving my boy. There is so much more, but you don’t need to know about it.”
I frown. Is this a thing? Are we all supposed to just move on and forget about him?
“Have you spoken to Piper?”
She shakes her head. “No. I heard they rescued her, but I don’t want her to fill me with ideas and theories of what’s impossible.”
Mom couldn’t be more wrong. “Actually, she doesn’t think he’s alive anymore.”
I don’t tell her how upset she was when she said my brother is dead. Every time I replay the conversation in my head, it sounds more like she’s mad at him than grieving his loss. She’s finally going through the stages of grief.
If her mom wasn’t nurturing and brilliant, I would worry, but I trust she’s going to therapy and dealing not only with my brother’s loss, but also with whatever she went through after the attack.
“Oh.” Mom sounds surprised. “It’s good to know that she’s finally coming to terms. It’s time to move on.”
What does moving on look like, according to her? I had no idea Mom subscribed to Piper’s theory. She never mentioned anything. Though, she always indulged Piper when it was time to celebrate his birthday or the day he disappeared.
Are we not going to do any of those things anymore?
I understand my brother is gone, but I don’t want to forget him or what he meant to me. Like Piper said, the day we were attacked, he was watching over us. Maybe we can’t see or speak to him, but a part of him will always be around us.
“I didn’t come to make you sad,” Mom cradles my hands in hers. “Today is about you.”
“Me?”
“How can I help? I want to help you look for houses and…”
I try not to tune her out as she speaks about my future. I focused on what matters and that she’s trying her best.
To: SI Brad
From: Phillis
Subject: My mom…
My brothers didn’t tell her she could visit me until recently. I’m glad it happened. Florence St. James is on a saving the world mission with steroids. Love the woman, but by the time she left—after dinner—I was ready for a nap and to ask the director to keep me for another five years.
I adore my mother, and the fact that she’s finally working through her traumas makes me happy, but I’m not ready to choose furniture, a wardrobe, or even think about where I’m going to live after I’m done with my treatment.
There is something that draws my attention, though. Like Piper, Mom’s finally accepting that Archer is dead. They’re both finally ready to let him go. Is it wrong to hope that Pipe won’t clean her house and get rid of his things until I’m ready to help her?
I want to get a few of his belongings. After the fire, I have nothing left of my brother. Not even a picture. How sad is that?
Do you think Piper will stop talking to us?
Are we losing the Deckers’ friendship?
I know there are so many unanswered questions. Will you stay friends with my brothers?
This doesn’t help my vision board. Instead of thinking about my future, I’m worrying about theirs. Are you on a mission?
I tried to text you, but you weren’t there. Is everything okay?
TTYS,
Teddy
To: Phillis
From: SI Brad
Subject: Busy but never for you…
We’re troubleshooting a new software, and I can’t text back and forth. Though I can take a few minutes to respond to the email.
I’m glad your family is getting help, but sorry that you feel the need to halt your process to think about them. My suggestion is that you push everyone else out of your mind. At least do it until you’re out of the center. Then you can concentrate on them.
If you need help settling into a new place, take my penthouse.
What do you mean Piper finally accepted Archer is dead?
I’ll speak to her once this is over, which should be soon.
Love,
Seth
PS Sorry for the short email, but we need to finish this before running a simulation and moving to our final stage. Wish us luck.
To: SI Brad
From: Phillis
Subject: You need to talk to her?
Don’t answer this email since you’re busy, but I need to know about this whole… you have to speak with Piper now she’s finally accepting that my brother is dead. That’s weird. Is she supposed to continue pining for Archer?
Did I tell you she sounded more like she was upset at him and didn’t want to speak to him again? Maybe she can see his ghost, and she’s never told us.
I might take you up on your offer and move into your penthouse, but if I do, where are you supposed to live?
Good luck,
Teddy
Chapter Eighteen
Seth
“I don’t know if partying to bait them is a good idea.”
“This is the last push.” Finnegan scratches his well-trimmed beard. While I study him, it occurs to me that we need two of the most outrageous people to help us come up with a better plan.
“Listen, you don’t want to add The Organization, but there are two men who might be a good addition to this conversation.”
“No,” he says without hesitation. “You’re here to do what we say. That’s the only way things will work out. As far as I can see, you and your company are incompetent.”
He thinks we’re incompetent. But we’re not. Nathan was our loose end. More like he fucked up by using a software without digging into where Teddy’s location would feed. But I am thankful for that, or else we would be in the hospital or dead.
“Remind me how you learned our location.”
He looks at Derek, then at me, and shakes his head.
“We didn’t have a mole,” I say calmly—or as calm as I can.
Derek shakes his head as if he’s weighing the answer. “We know it wasn’t like that.”
Finnegan shakes his head. “I like this kid, and I hope nothing happens to him. As I mentioned, we’ve been exchanging intel, software… this kid and I have been working together for years. I didn’t know who he worked for. He was coding something to send the transmission of a phone to a different place so they couldn’t track a person. I offered a software I already created.”
“We’ll deal with him later.” I haven’t mentioned to him that we’re talking about my brother so I can speak to Nathan freely.
I know a couple of weeks ago he said I could talk to my family, but I haven’t reached out to them just yet. I waited until today when we’ll need them.
“Give the kid a break. He’s very careful,” Finnegan defends him. “I didn’t know we would be getting feedback from that phone. No one had used the software before. So while it was telling others that your wife was in Singapore, we were collecting data on her whereabouts. I wasn’t going to use that information until I realized who was following her.”