“Aw, man, listen to you,” he said. “Don’t jinx me like that, Ma!”
They squeezed past him on the way out. “You need to be prepared for anything,” Aiyana advised.
As Bentley closed the door, Emery couldn’t help glancing down the stairs to see if Dallas was still up, but all seemed quiet.
“So are you okay?” Aiyana asked before they parted in the hallway.
Emery knew Aiyana had to get ready for work. She spent long days at the school. “I’m fine. Again, I’m sorry—”
Aiyana waved her words away. “Please, stop apologizing. It’s nothing. Really. But I do hope you’ll think about what Dallas had to say. Being nice is wonderful, but allowing someone to push you around isn’t. Sometimes when people step over the line, you have to let them know you won’t put up with it.”
Emery was slightly surprised to hear this coming from the nicest person she’d ever met. “I agree.”
Aiyana was walking away from her, but at this, she turned back. “You do?”
Emery drew a deep breath. She felt so fragile. But Dallas’s words had imbued her with the desire to stand up for herself, to fight back, regardless of what it might cost. “I’m going to call the attorney I’ve been talking to and tell him to go ahead and file suit.”
Aiyana smiled in apparent satisfaction. “Good. They’ll learn that they can’t treat people the way they treated you.”
Although Emery nodded decisively, she knew winning wasn’t automatic. She’d have a battle on her hands, one that came with no guarantees.
She paced in her room, trying to work up the nerve, until eight o’clock, when her attorney would be more likely to arrive at his office.
Then she made the call. She managed to reach him, but after it was over, she felt like throwing up.
4
Dallas woke up after ten. His mother would be at work and Bentley at school. Liam would be gone, too. Not only was Liam taking several online classes for college, he was working for Cal Buchanon, the man Aiyana was about to marry, as a cowhand on his cattle ranch not too far from town.
The only person Dallas expected to be home was Emery. Since her main goal in coming to stay with Aiyana was to escape the public eye, he couldn’t imagine she’d go anywhere. Although walking around in Silver Springs wouldn’t be as difficult as walking around in LA, Silver Springs wasn’t all that far away. There would be people who lived in the city for part of the year—people who’d heard about the scandal and may have even watched the video.
The house was silent. Had she left, regardless? Or had she fallen asleep after getting so upset earlier this morning?
He assumed the cuts she’d got weren’t any big deal. If they had been, Aiyana would’ve taken her to a doctor, and he would’ve heard about it.
He checked his phone. There were no missed calls or texts.
Trying to shake off the last vestiges of sleep, he scrubbed a hand over his face and shoved into a sitting position so he could send a message to his mother.
What happened with Emery after I went to bed? She okay?
He didn’t get an immediate response—Aiyana was always busy—so he got up and showered.
By the time he was dressed, Aiyana had a message waiting for him.
Should be. You haven’t seen her?
Not yet. Just woke up.
You’re not sick, are you?
He was usually well into his day by now, and she knew it. He’d almost always been an early riser. But maybe that was because he often had a hard time sleeping. The nightmares that plagued him had been much worse when he was younger, but he struggled with them even now.
No. Got in bed late. That and I’m taking advantage of having the month off.
I’m glad. You push yourself too hard, especially when you’re climbing. The rest has to be good for you.
He’d come home to help Aiyana get ready for her wedding, not because he needed to rest. She was so used to taking care of everyone else he wanted to be sure she received the attention and support she deserved now that she was finally tying the knot with Cal.
His phone buzzed as he put on his shoes. He thought it might be Aiyana, hoping to discuss Emery’s situation or checking to see if he’d be interested in walking over when it was time for lunch. She, Eli and Gavin often ate in the cafeteria. They liked interacting with the students, being accessible. That was his mother’s secret, how she managed to turn so many troubled boys around. She genuinely cared, she was patient and kind, and she invested the time, gave them the attention they needed.
But it wasn’t Aiyana who was trying to reach him. It was Brian Gerlack, the owner of the parkour gym in Las Vegas where Dallas worked during the winter. Dallas had put off coaching until January this year, which was unusual. He usually started the first of November, as soon as the weather turned, but finding a sponsor meant he didn’t have to go back at all—not unless he wanted to. Some of the guys who were representing the same brand were after him to travel to Europe to get ready for the IFSC World Cup together, which meant he might not make it back even in January. And that wasn’t something he was eager to tell Brian. Brian was more than just an employer. They’d grown exceptionally close over the years, so close that Brian had been talking about retiring and selling him the
