I roll my hand into a fist and knock three times.

“Enter!” Melanie calls out from inside.

I walk into her apartment to find her sitting at her writing desk with her feet propped up and her laptop on her knees. Her fingers charge the keys, tapping so quickly I can barely keep up.

“Wow,” I say as I close the door. “Feeling inspired?”

She doesn’t look up. “A little.”

I drop my purse and jacket to the floor and collapse on her couch. “Well, don’t mind me. I’m just gonna... lay here for a while.”

“Hold on...” She types a bit faster. “Just a little... more... okay.” She sets the computer on the desk and turns away from it. “What’s up? How did it go with Papa ‘Gento?”

I stare at the off-white ceiling. “I quit.”

“Quit?” she asks. “Quit what?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “Being an Argento, I guess.”

Melanie hops out of her chair and stands over me. “What does that mean?”

“It means that he basically confirmed everything Marcus said,” I say. “He never had any intention of letting me work for him. Just kept stringing me along for two decades, hoping I’d change my mind.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound right. Are you sure you heard him correctly?”

I groan and push off the couch. “Yes, Mel, I heard him correctly. There are only so many ways I can interpret I thought you’d grow out of it by now and sorry, kid, but the answer is no.”

She winces. “Sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to snap at you, I just...”

“Hey, man. Snap away. I know you don’t mean it. Want a drink?”

“Sure.” I rub the back of my neck. “Something caffeinated.”

She gets up and wanders into the kitchen while I pace around the floor. After a minute, she returns with two Cokes and a bag of cheddar popcorn and sits down on the couch.

“He told me that he had my brothers keep me busy so I wouldn’t go visit him,” I say, still pacing. “Said that he didn’t want me to see him like that.”

She pouts. “Poor Papa.”

“Yeah, poor Papa. Once again, instead of just sitting down, having an adult conversation, and telling me the truth, he dangles a shiny object in front of me in the hopes it’ll distract me.” I sigh. “Almost wish I didn’t go at all. At least then I’d still have some hope left.”

“It’s better this way if you ask me. Knowledge is power and all that,” she says, sipping her can.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“What did Lance say?”

I pause mid-stride. “Say about what?”

“He helped you in, right? Wasn’t he there?”

“He wasn’t in the room. He stayed in the lobby to keep Jerry busy so we could talk in private.”

Her lips curl. “Well, that was sweet of him.”

“Yeah, he also shoved Marcus against a wall.”

She gasps. “Whaaat?”

I give a big nod. “Oh, yeah.”

“Why’d he do that?”

I smile. “To protect me.”

Melanie lays a dramatic hand on her heart. “Well, I do declare, Mr. Tyler,” she coos with a southern drawl.

“Right?” I fan myself.

“Protect you why?”

I drop onto the couch beside her. “After talking to my dad, I just rushed out of there as fast as I could and right into Marcus. He started shouting at me and pushed me and the next thing I knew, Lance was between us telling him to back off.”

“That’s fucking hot,” she says.

“Yeah.”

She leans forward. “Then, what?”

“I was pretty shaken up, so I asked Lance to take me home, and then he did, and then we...”

I let my voice fall as chills rush up my spine.

“Shook hands and parted ways like the professionals you are?” Melanie says, raising a knowing brow.

I nod. “Yeah, sure. Let’s go with that.”

“Okay, I’m gonna start here.” She puts her palms together in front of her and slowly starts pulling them apart. “You stop me when I get to how long his fingers are.”

I laugh, my cheeks burning. Melanie keeps her hands up, waiting for me to signal her to stop as the length stretches to ridiculous levels.

I grab her wrists and inch them back toward Lance’s actual size.

Melanie’s brow rises. “Really?”

“It was a bad idea, right?” I ask. “I left the jail feeling so angry, I just wanted to get back at my father. At all of them.”

“But you like Lance, right? This wasn’t just a revenge fuck.”

“I do. And it wasn’t.” I nod. “He’s... amazing. He’s clever and fun. He cooks. He seems like one hell of a dad.”

“Good kisser?” she asks.

“Great kisser.”

“Good in bed?”

“It was mostly a quickie but... yeah. There is great potential in that area.” I sigh. “He’s the perfect guy to bring home... in theory. Assuming your family isn’t, you know... mine.”

Melanie rubs my shoulder. “Sorry things didn’t turn out with Papa,” she says. “But... you can kind of understand where he’s coming from, right?”

I grab the bag of cheddar popcorn off the table. “What do you mean?”

“I mean... you’re his daughter. He’s always treated you differently than your brothers. With them, he’s a hard-ass. But with you?”

“He’s Papa,” I mutter. “I get it. I do. I just always thought that someday he’d see me as an equal partner and not just... his baby girl. So, I told him I quit and I walked out on him... like a baby.”

“Not like a baby.”

“Toss me my rattle and binky. Muppet Babies is on.”

“Standing up for yourself doesn’t make you a baby,” she says. “And don’t you dare speak ill of a classic like Muppet Babies.”

I chuckle. “My apologies.”

“You’re not a baby, Trix. You’re a woman scorned and if you ever expect them to take you seriously, then you’re gonna have to unleash the fury.”

“Unleash the fury,” I repeat.

She nods. “Mm-hmm.”

“How?”

“Maybe you should stick to your guns,” she says. “Go no contact for a while. You said you quit, so quit.”

“Can I do that?”

“Yes. Trix, you have every right to feel upset. Good reasons or no, your dad lied to you. He tried to marry you off to a douche-nozzle. He made your brothers keep secrets from you. That’s not healthy family behavior. And also... distancing yourself from your family means you can get a little closer to Lance.”

I wince. “Does it, though?”

“Doesn’t it?”

I pause to think. “No. No, it doesn’t. As much as I like him, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s prosecuting my dad.”

“So, you’re going to keep putting the needs of your family ahead of your own,” she says. “In that case, you might as well just accept Marcus’ proposal and let him walk all over you while you raise his ugly babies for the next thirty years.”

“Well, I don’t want to go that far but I still have a responsibility. I can bring on the fury without being disloyal.”

“Trix, you are loyal to a fault. That’s a good thing.”

I nod. “It is.”

“But think about it,” she continues, raising a finger, “when is the last time any of your family members showed the same loyalty toward you? Try and think of one time in the last decade one of them has stuck their neck out for you the same way you do for them every day.”

I look down, hating that she’s right. And if there’s anyone I know who knows what it’s like to be in a one-sided relationship, it’s Melanie. Robbie took her for granted for far too long and he paid the price for it.

I squint in confusion. “I thought you were in the anti-Lance camp,” I say. “Yesterday you said he was playing me.”

“Eh.” She shrugs a shoulder. “I’m in a good mood today. And any man who stands up to Marcus can’t be all bad.”

“Must be some good mood.”

“It really is.”

“And you’re writing again,” I say with a smile.

“I am.” She sighs, her expression radiating with happy vibes. “I really am.”

“Does that mean things are going well with your secret admirer?” I ask.

“You could say that.” She wets her lips. “It’s so weird.”

“What is?”

“Just... the way we talk to each other. It’s like I’ve known him for years.”

I hold back a laugh. “I’ve heard that about people who meet over the internet. Things just... click.”

She snaps her fingers once. “Click!”

“Have you arranged to meet him yet?”

“No. It’s nice right now. Don’t want to mess it up.”

“Finish your book first, at least.”

“Oh, definitely. Not gonna waste this boost.”

I smile and raise my can. “Well, here’s to you. I hope he’s hot.”

“God... Me, too.”

She taps her can against mine and we take a drink.