My attention snaps back to his father because it’s obvious he’s the problem. I don’t know what any of this is about, and I don’t care.
“I’m going to get some air,” Jagger says the moment my mouth opens, preventing me from saying anything.
He crosses the room toward the door we’re standing in front of, walking around us, and it feels like he makes a point not to touch me.
I try not to take it personally, but it stings.
“You…” Graham bellows, when the door slams, ripping furious fingers through his hair. “If you don’t open your goddamn eyes, you’re going to lose him forever.”
“My eyes are open, son. Are yours? You baby him too much.”
“Baby him…Are you kidding me right now? I don’t fucking coddle him. He hasn’t beenbabiedsince before Mom died. You need to pull your fucking head out of your ass and acknowledgeyou fucked up.You let him down. We both did.”
“I did no such thing. He’s the one who betrayed me. If he hadn’t fucked—”
“Hey,” Casey interrupts the argument louder and more assertively than I thought she was capable. “Why don’t we all go to our neutral corners for now? Today is supposed to be about Noah and Graham. Okay?”
Graham clears the space between him and Casey in two strides, pulling her to his side. “Okay, Sunflower. We’ll shelve it. For now.”
The last part is clear. Whatever this is all about will be continued later, but Mr. Davis seems to brush it aside. “You’re right, Casey. We won’t let Jagger ruin another family event.”
He turns and leaves before anyone can respond, leaving Graham fuming, Casey looking bereft, and my jaw on the floor.
I know I shouldn’t judge. I don’t know the story. Maybe Jagger really did do something to betray his dad. That might be the constant guilt I see on his face. The deep shame he wears like a second skin.
My gut tells me that isn’t the case, yet he’s still made to feel as if he did something wrong.
“That’s not what I meant,” Casey says softly, sounding on the verge of tears.
“His head is so far up his fucking ass…” Graham trails off, shaking his head with a growl. “Don’t worry about any of that. It won’t work itself out any time soon,” he says to Casey, kissing the side of her head. “Go upstairs and get dressed. Or whatever it is you need to do.”
“Come on, Poppy,” Casey says to me, resignation tinting her voice. She starts up the stairs, undoubtedly expecting me to follow, but my eyes drift over my shoulder as I gnaw my cheek with worry.
Graham scrutinizes me for half a second before he jerks his head toward Casey. “I’ve got him,” he mouths. But I’m still not convinced I should follow my friend when Jagger is upset. Everything in me screams I should go to him, even if it will open a whole other can of worms. Casey is halfway up the stairs when Graham grips my shoulder, shoving me toward the landing. “I promise I’ve got him,” he whispers.
But I don’t budge.
Casey pauses, looking toward us. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, Sunflower. I just need to borrow Poppy for a minute. I want to ask her about the restaurant where she works. I’m thinking of buying it.”
Two blond brows dip between her eyes as her head tilts. “You work at a restaurant?”
“Yeah. I catch a shift when I can.” I shrug.
“Why didn’t I realize that? I feel awful.”
“It’s fine.” I wave her off. “It’s not as if I advertised.”
“I’ll send her up in a minute.” He winks, and she gives him a goofy, hazy smile.
Once she’s up the stairs, he turns back to me. A pulsing vein in the middle of his forehead, running between his eyes. Jagger has one just like it that throbs when he’s annoyed or pissed. But I’m not worried if Graham is pissed. I am only concerned with Jagger, and I really want to make sure he’s okay. “Look, I’m glad you’re so concerned about Jagger, because if I thought for a minute that you were less than genuine with him, you’d be out of here, but I need the stubborn shit to end. Now.”
“You need?” My eyes narrow, arms folded across my chest as I tilt my head back and glare. He has money, power, and he’s kind of huge, but I’m determined and undeterred. “No offense, but I’m not the least bit worried about whatyouneed right now. I don’t know what was going on when we walked in, but it’s obvious Jagger needs…” I trail off, not wanting to say me because I’m not sure what he needs. But I don’t want him left alone. “Someone.”
“And I said I’ve got it.”
“If you had it, then it wouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
