A girl chasing her dream. A boy looking for the light.
When Florence Nyx started her internship at a Formula 1 paddock, she expected a lot. Fast cars. Exclusive impressions most people could only dream of. An entire array of skills she'd acquire...
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"How are things going?"
"Okay." I sighed, holding the phone to my ear. "We just got here."
By "here" I meant the café his mother had chosen; a small place in the outskirts of San Francisco. They only offered four wooden tables outside, one of which was currently occupied by Phoenix. He stared out into nothing, and adjusted the cap on his head that protected him from both unwanted spectators and the glaring sun.
"Has he looked at the folder?" Amara asked warily.
I shook my head, so deep in thought that it took me a second to realize she didn't see me. "No. You told me not to, so we agreed to look at neither yours nor Connor's..."
My best friend exhaled. "Good. Thanks. I just think it's better if you've talked to his mom before you get too deep into this."
Secrets weren't my thing. I hated having to lie or not being able to talk about things, especially now that we were trying to be more transparent. It irked me that we were meeting his mom unprepared, but I trusted my best friend and her judgment. "How bad is it, Ames?" I asked nonetheless.
The silence she offered said more than she ever could. "Well... It's bad. We know about the fraud allegations, about the bank statements that support them. We even have witnesses to more heinous crimes, such as attempted sexual assault or harassment..." She sighed. "And somehow, that's not even all of it. There's a lot more to it."
Amara had insisted neither Phoenix nor I looked at the research her P.I. and Cem had done, always saying it's for the best if we found out after the talk to Phoenix's mom. She had filled me in on the countless crimes Sebastian Williams had been a part of, though. Some of which had happened within the past ten years, which meant Phoenix's mother and her relationship with him was an issue, as well.
"Then why don't you want me to know?"
"Because it's not my secret to tell. I'm sure Phoenix wouldn't appreciate you knowing about this before he does, and his mother should be the one to break the news to him."
I sighed for the nth time today. Truth was, I appreciated Amara's care for my relationship amid all this chaos, all those lies and schemes. She knew what I valued most: Honesty.
"Thank you."
"Sure thing, Flo." Her voice was soft, calming the short stretch of silence that followed. "Besides, I know how you'll react."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll see. Now go, it's almost two. That's when she's coming, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Okay. I'll call you when this is all over."
"Obviously. Love you."
"Love you, too."
Ending the call, I made my way over to Phoenix, who was still sitting in the same seat I'd left him in, not having moved a muscle.
"Hey." I squeezed his shoulder and took the seat next to him.
