Hailey

Things were slowly settling back into place. The police arrested Max for vandalizing the gallery, and we ended up figuring out that he was simply jealous. He was going to be responsible for paying for the work Bryan and his company had put into fixing my gallery, plus he would have to reimburse me for all the paintings he destroyed.

Honestly, it wasn’t shocking to me when I figured out it was him. Art can both inspire and consume. When an artist feels their art isn’t striking the population the way they wish, it can sometimes drive them crazy. Art has a way of bringing people together as well as dividing the masses in times of war and famine, and every time Max walked into my studio I could tell he was allowing his obsession with becoming famous consume him.

I knew I shouldn’t hold his jealousy against him, but part of me was incredibly relieved he was no longer going to come around anymore.

Jennifer Skyles ended up running the story, but there ended up being a catch. Even though she told us she wouldn’t state the fact that John had explicitly died of an overdose, she did insinuate that’s what happened. The article was wonderful until Bryan and I read that John died “because every man will always have his weaknesses.” It wasn’t overt, but for an article that already stated the fact that drug thugs were after me, it wasn’t hard to put two and two together.

I was shocked at how well Bryan took it, though.

He told me it was more important for him to know the truth and for people to see John’s art than it was to try and blast the truth to the masses. I still had a hard time swallowing the fact that the story had been run with something like that in it, but when I saw the interest the story was already garnering for John’s formal showcase, my anger slowly subsided.

Things sort of felt as if they were back to normal, though Anna was finally moving out. She’d found a place of her own on the other side of town, and she was excited to be moving closer to her part-time job as well as her vocal coach. Bryan and I were helping her move a few things into her apartment, and I was trying not to think about how lonely my place was going to be now.

But Bryan’s question pulled me from my thoughts as he set a box down on Anna’s new kitchen counter.

“Could I ask you guys a question?”

“Sure,” I said. “What’s up?”

“Question? We talking? Hold on.” Anna slammed down the box she refused to let Bryan carry and sat on it to catch her breath.

“You good, diva Anna?” I asked.

“Okay. Got it. Let’s go. Question time,” she said breathlessly.

“The last time I had dinner with my parents was just under a couple weeks ago. Usually, I have dinner with them a couple times a month, but the last time we were together, it was sort of finite.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“Describe, good sir,” Anna said.

“I simply told them how I felt about how they dealt with John’s death, how my father’s monetary success changed them, and how I didn’t want them to contact me until they could apologize for how they’d acted and to not call me for dinners any longer.”

“That’s probably why you haven’t heard from them then,” Anna said.

“Wait, you told them all that?” I asked.

“Not in so few words, but yes. They kept taking digs at the life I was leading and the life Drew was leading and the life you lead now, and I sort of ...”

“Snapped? Got triggered? Raged out and flipped a table?” Anna asked.

“Something like that,” Bryan said.

“Honestly? I’m not sure we are the best people to talk to. Neither of us is on speaking terms with our parents,” I said.

“Not even Anna?” he asked as he looked over at her.

“Not since quitting my perfect job and moving out here to San Diego, no,” Anna said.

“I have no idea how the hell parents can be the way they are sometimes,” Bryan said.

“If it’s any consolation, you get used to it,” I said.

The look on Bryan’s face as his eyes bounced between Anna and me made me sick.

“Does this mean I get a question in return?” Anna asked.

“Good. I’m finally glad you’re asking someone other than me,” I said.

“What does that mean?” Bryan asked.

“She wants to know how Drew’s doing,” I said, grinning.

“I mean, you tell me. He says he ran into you in the store a week or so ago,” Bryan said.

“Wait, he asked about me?” Anna asked.

“You so have a crush,” I said, smirking.

“I do not. I think he’s a good person. He’s the first decent man I’ve met in a while. All the men in Phoenix just want to grope you underneath the table at the first date,” Anna said.

“I don’t know. It’s what I did to Hailey,” Bryan said, grinning.

“No, you did not. You groped me after,” I said.

“Well, those are things I didn’t need to know. Thanks,” Anna said.

“You started the conversation,” I said.

“And we derailed it,” Bryan said, smiling.

I knew Anna liked Drew. I could see it in her eyes. She’d come home from the store ranting about how she saw him and how she gave him her number. But, he hadn’t called or contacted her yet. I told her it was probably because Bryan and I were still on bad terms, but now that we had patched things up, I knew Anna was waiting by the phone in case he called.

And still, he hadn’t called her yet.

“Here’s the thing about Drew,” Bryan said. “He always tries to seize the day. You know, like you and Hailey do. I’m the rigid one of this group who’s learned a thing or two from you guys.”

“Ah,” Anna said. “Gotcha.”

I saw that distant look in her eye, and I knew exactly what she was thinking. Bryan was trying to convey the fact that Drew would call once he finally felt compelled to call, but Anna took it as him being a player and hopping around from woman to woman. I watched as my sister got up off the box and walked outside to Bryan’s truck, and that’s when I decided to take matters into my own hands.

“Maybe we should set the two of them up,” I said.

“Who? Drew and Anna?” he asked.

“Nope. Drew and the Queen. Of course, Drew and Anna.”

“Drew never does well with those things. The last time I tried to set Drew up on a blind date, he showed up acting like he was deaf. He kept throwing random hand signals her way all night.”

“He what?” I asked.

“Yeah. With Drew, it’s gotta come naturally. Organically. I can tell you I had a talk with him while we were patching up your art gallery.”

“Drew was the one to help you with that?” I asked.

“Yeah. He was the only person I trusted to do the best job in the smallest amount of time. Anyway, he told me the reason he hadn’t called Anna yet was that we still weren’t on good terms. I told him things were fine between us now, so I know his gears are turning again. You have to give him time.”

“Why didn’t you tell Anna that?” I asked.

“Bro code. I’m not going to tell the woman he’s crushing on things he’s said about her. But, I trust you not to tell him I’ve told you,” he said.

“Uh-huh. That’s confusing. Whatever.”

“You need more friends,” he said.

“Nope. I’m good with the friends I’ve got. I just want to see my sister happy, that’s all.”

“Honestly? Anna still seems a little lost and not really sure what she wants to do. She really has no plan in place. Drew seems like a lost soul, but he’s got goals he’s actively chasing. I’d advise your sister to find herself a bit first, establish what she wants out of her life before she goes dating.”

“I know,” I said, sighing.

“And Drew’s very close to starting his new business. He’s all but made it official, really. He’s got his products, he knows where he’ll get his inventory, he knows how he’ll pay for everything. Setting up a business from scratch is rough, and it doesn’t allow a lot of time for personal endeavors outside of it. He might be postponing talking to Anna just because of that,” he said.

“Because of what?” Anna asked.

She was lugging a massive box that Bryan ran over to help her with. I shook my head at her while Bryan helped her set it down. Then, she turned around and sat on that box in order to catch her breath.

Again.

“That everything?” I asked.

“Yep. Some furniture’s being delivered later today, and that’ll complete the apartment for now,” Anna said.

“Want us to stick around until it arrives?” Bryan asked.

“No. You’re good. I know Hailey’s got to get back to the gallery, and I’m sure you’ve got stuff with your company you need to do. You guys go on. From here, it’s unpacking and shit,” she said. “Now. What were you two talking about?”

“Relationship stuff,” I said, shrugging. “Nothing really substantial.”

“Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise?” she asked.

“Hardly,” Bryan said, grinning.

“Okay. Well, if you hurt my sister, I’ll kill you,” Anna said. “And Hailey? If you hurt Bryan, I’ll find Drew and have him kill you.”

“Thanks. I think,” I said.

I gave my sister one last hug before I hopped into Bryan’s car. He was driving me back to the gallery, so I could open it back up now that I’d officially used my lunch break to help Anna. My mind started whirling about John’s paintings and when everything should get off the ground. Jennifer said she would run a separate article detailing the night of the formal showcase seeing as her first article was simply about the story of Bryan and me and how John tethered us and led us to one another. The second article was going to be on how John inspired my and Bryan’s community outreach, and then the date and time for the gallery was going to be in there.

That article was supposed to run in two days, which meant I had two days to secure a Saturday evening to make all this work.

But before I could think on it any further, I felt that same growing sensation starting behind my eyes. My vision started to shake as the pounding my head grew, and I took deep breaths to try and abate my stress levels. I squeezed Bryan’s hand, concealing it as love for him, so he wouldn’t worry about me getting another headache.

Though I had to admit, they were now starting to worry me.

“Here we are, beautiful,” Bryan said. “Your own personal gallery of art.”

“Thanks for the ride,” I said.

“Would you like me to pick you up after work?” he asked.

“I mean, my car’s still here. I have to drive it eventually,” I said.

“Well, why don’t you drive that car on over to my place then once you close down tonight.”

“Sure. Want me to pick up dinner along the way?”

“Sounds good to me.”

I leaned over and kissed him, losing myself in the warmth of his lips before I drew a deep breath through my nose. I reluctantly opened his truck door and slid out, reopening my gallery while people were standing outside. For the last four hours of my day, I sold over six hundred dollars in paintings, and by the time I went to lock up, I was absolutely ecstatic.

But I soon had to call Bryan and ask him to come pick me up anyway because when I went to crank my car, nothing was happening.

Of course, something else would crap out just as my life was being put back together again.