18. Rei
When I needed answers, I took to the internet, where every problem that had ever existed already had an answer. Preferably in a short-form video so I didn’t have to read a super long article. Problem was, the answers I needed couldn’t be found by typing words into a search bar. (I tried.)
So after I changed out of my golf outfit and stress-cleaned my already-clean closet, I drove to Jada’s house for the second time that day.
No matter how long I had to wait or how much whispering we did, I needed an explanation for what had just happened with Quentin and what it meant for her and Bryce.
When I reached the end of the driveway, I saw Bryce sitting on the front steps. His elbows rested on his knees, hands clasped around an insulated tumbler. His breath lifted in puffs of fog, disappearing into the gray air.
When I parked the car, he met my gaze through the windshield. His eyes conveyed a weariness that looked soul-deep instead of purely physical.
I turned off my car, got out, and took a few steps toward him, waiting at the bottom of the steps.
“He told you,” Bryce said with a weary tone to match his expression.
There were a million words I wanted to say, but all I seemed able to manage was a nod.
“And you want to know if Jada and I share the same agreement Quentin proposed,” he said, sadness on his face.
“Do you?” I asked, though I could sense the answer. I wrapped my arms around myself, the chill in the air seeming even more intense. I was shaking from the cold or the situation or some combination of the two.
“Come on inside,” Bryce said, getting up and walking back to the front door. “The girls are awake, so we don’t need to be quiet.”
I followed him past their threshold into their beautiful home built on a heap of secrets.
At first glance, it seemed like the perfect place.
Soft music played from the living room, a garlicky smell filled the air from the slow cooker on the white quartz countertop.
A photo of the three of them at the hospital was on display above the fireplace mantel.
Going farther into the living room, I saw what the couch had been hiding.
Jada sat on the floor leaning against the base of the couch.
Twyla lay in front of her on a quilted blanket.
Jada was bicycling the infant’s legs while Twyla burbled her sweet baby coos.
I felt like an intruder in their house, and yet I couldn’t leave until I had answers.
Bryce gestured toward the chair. “Have a seat.”
My legs felt numb as I did.
“So you know,” Jada said, still looking at Twyla.
I nodded.
Bryce said, “I’ll let you two talk.”
“Hell no,” I piped up. “You’re not getting out of this.”
He pressed his lips together but nodded, going to sit on the sofa behind Jada. His knee nudged her shoulder, like her touch was a comfort to him.
My eyes tracked the spot. “When did this wedding stuff start?” I asked, figuring we should get this over with.
They exchanged a glance, and Jada finally said, “Bryce told me about the contract in September.”
I quickly did the math, staring from her to Bryce, and then to my goddaughter. “September?”
They exchanged another glance, answering the question for me.
I covered my mouth. “Oh my God.”
Jada said firmly, “Bryce is Twyla’s father.”
But as an adoptee, I knew that word held so many meanings.
She said, “Bryce and I may not have gotten together for all the right reasons, but we’ve stayed together for the right reason.”
“Why stay together?” I only half-joked. “You barely know the guy, and according to Quentin, you stand to get a lot of money if you divorce.”
Bryce scratched his neck awkwardly. “Quentin’s net worth is higher than mine. He’s good with numbers, investments.”
Jada and I both stared at him.
“But she does stand to gain a lot of money if she leaves me,” he conceded.
“I’m not leaving you.” Jada reached behind her, putting her hand on his knee. Looking me straight in the eyes, she said, “I’m staying with Bryce because I love him, but yes, I signed a version of the prenup Quentin told you about.”
“A version?” I asked, thoroughly confused. So much was happening here that I felt overwhelmed.
Jada and Bryce exchanged another look, and he nodded.
“I negotiated our contract,” Jada said. “I had him agree that any child I had would be taken care of, as well as my grandma, even if we separated and assets were tied up in the legal system.”
My lips parted. It was the first time today I’d thought of asking for something from Quentin.
But I quickly shook the thought. What was I thinking?
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I said finally, wrapping my arms around myself.
“It’s like I went on this cute date and all of a sudden, down is up. ”
Jada grinned, eyes squinting. “So the date went well?” Her face scrunched with embarrassment. “Sorry I fell asleep on my phone earlier.”
“Yes, the date went well, until he proposed!”
Jada shook her head. “Look, I can’t tell you what to do, but I can say marrying Bryce has been the best decision of my life.”
With a soft smile, he bent to kiss the top of her head.
“Ugh, gross,” I muttered, leaning back in my chair and drawing my knees up.
Bryce chuckled, but his shoulders were still tense.
“What do you think you’ll say?” Jada asked. Like I was responding to a job offer or examining a used car for sale. Not a marriage proposal.
“I mean, there’s a lot to consider,” I said, tapping my chin dramatically. “Simon’s been attacked twice, my best friend turned her marriage into a business deal without telling me, and who knows what else has happened behind the scenes!” I gave them a pointed look.
Jada’s gaze flicked down. “It’s a lot.”
Bryce shook his head. “If you’re really considering this, you should know that we’re being spied on too.”
Jada and I both stared at him.
“Spied on?” she said sharply.
Bryce sighed, rubbing his temples. “Quentin found a bug—a recording device—in his office just before Rei arrived here.”
My jaw dropped, and a shiver clattered up my spine. If Quentin found it, that meant they were going to search for who placed it.
He took it as me being cold and got up, passing me a throw blanket from a ladder leaned against the wall. “Jude wants us all to work from home until the building can be inspected.”
“Fuck Jude,” Jada said roughly.
I stared at her. She never talked about people like that. Hardly ever cursed, really.
“Sorry,” she said. “He tried to have Bryce voted out of his position.”
“That’s fucked up,” I managed.
“So who do you think put the bug there?” Jada asked Bryce. “One of Simon’s kids?”
Bryce shrugged. “They haven’t been in the building for a long time. Security’s reviewing footage now. Soon we’ll have a list to investigate further.”
A cold trickle went down my spine. Shit. Shit. Shit. If Quentin found out I’d been the one to bug him, our cleaning contract would definitely be cancelled. I needed to tell him what was going on. But I didn’t want him turning me in to the police or using it as leverage either.
Jada said, “You don’t need to worry about your safety, Rei. Once you get married, Simon’s kids won’t do anything to prevent it.”
Bryce nodded. “And if you continue dating Q, we could get you a full-time guard starting tomorrow if you want.”
A full-time security guard. That could be another layer of protection against Conrad if his behavior escalated... especially if he suspected that I’d tipped off Quentin about the bug.
My mind tried to twist it all into place, forming an ugly, misshapen pretzel of a plan.
I pressed up from the couch. “I need to get home and think this all through.” Without waiting for them to respond, I turned away and walked through the kitchen, out the front door.
Only when I reached my car did I hear the front door open and Jada call, “Rei, wait!”
I turned just for a moment, blinking my stinging eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Don’t be mad at me,” she pleaded. “Haven’t you ever kept a secret?”
“I have,” I managed, getting into the car. As I drove away, I thought, If I can forgive her, maybe it’s time I tell the truth about my past.