The Risks we take

Fifteen

Reed

I don't think I'd ever seen Paige pass off emotion that wasn't faked. This was. This was pure anger. Apparently Logan was the guy she's been dating because he had his arm wrapped around her, her sat on his lap as they formed a plan. The three of them. Seamlessly. Like they'd done similar things before and I realized in that moment just how little I actually knew about Sloane.

When we'd met, she told me she was in University with a journalism major. That she would be working for The Connection and I'd fought back a laugh. Not much talking about family happened. It stuck to interests, food, drinks, movies, hobbies, travel. She only ever referred to her friends that weren't Eden as just that. Her friends. Her travel was limited to 'trips' and she never went into detail about where she'd dived from cliffs or had been snorkelling. I guess I wasn't interested enough to press her further.

Drew came back in, handing her what I'm guessing was an alcohol free drink before dishing out the other glasses to everyone else.

Paige said she'd get her guys tailing my dad, bugging his offices, listening to his phone calls and I understood what she'd said before about her knowing everyone's business. She'd claimed then that she didn't know anything about Sloane and I'm guessing she was trying to see if I could be trusted or not. If I was going to gossip about my thoughts on the new blood.

I don't think anything I'd had happen since Sloane arrived on the scene was coincidental anymore. This whole thing went a lot deeper than I had been told about. I hadn't dived into the rest of this society. 'It's not worth it'. My Dad had said over and over again. Keep yourself to yourself, manage your businesses well and buy as much as you can to grow.

But in doing that, I had missed one, crucial thing. Connections. Connections and friendships that had taken Sloane from a very, very vulnerable position where her life was on the line, to now having the upper hand in a way my father could not win, but he would never even be aware he was being played. No one outside of this room was to be trusted with the knowledge of what was happening and in a few moments, we would all dissipate and carry on with our regularly scheduled annoyance at the whole event. There would be no texts, no calls, no emails. Any communications would be through mail if needed. Slipped into company post to look like any other piece of mail. They'd organize meet ups there, usually at Sloane's since it was apparently in the middle of them all. But since they met up a few nights a week, it wouldn't make much difference.

Logan, Drew, Theo and then Paige left. Leaving me with Sloane as she untied her hair, playing with her curls and lipstick in a mirror across the room.

"You need a job?"

"What?"

"You quit your dad's place. So, you need a job. Right?"

"I'll be fine until-"

"Yes or no Reed." Reed. I love how she sounds when she says my name. It just rolls off her perfect lips, pushes through naturally white teeth. Not the kind of perfect that comes from veneers. No. Slightly crooked with a small gap between her front 2. Natural. Sloane.

"I guess." She nodded.

"Estate News, Daybreak and the Morning Heritage. Take your pick and let me know which you want."

"I don't-"

"You did me a favour, you get paid back. That's how this works Reed."

"I don't want one of your papers Sloane."

"I'm not giving you a paper Lawson. I'm giving you an editor job at one of them. Choose. Sooner rather than later. They need some work. Nothing major but the guys running them right now are pissing me off and I've warned them. Well. Dave has. Choose which paper you want to work on and I'll move them along. Might be a nice warning to the other 2 and you'd be making me some more money."

"You want me to work for you?" She snapped the lid back on her lipstick and took a few steps closer.

"Not really. I don't want to have you around but by the looks of things, I'm stuck with having you in my life in some aspect, if your dad hates me this much. I'd rather have you on my side than against me. Because in all honesty, you know too much now. And making someone look uncredible is a pain in the neck. Too much work I don't really have time for right now."

"I'm not working for you just so you can keep something over my head as a threat."

"Then don't give me a reason to threaten you."

"Sloane." I sighed and stepped forward. "I'll say it again. I don't want-"

"You do."

"No. I don't."

"If it came down to me and you Reed. A gun to both of our heads. You'd save yourself."

"I wouldn't." She rolled her eyes. I'd had enough of this. I wrapped my hands around her, pressing my fingers into the back of her neck with my thumbs settled on her cheek bones. "I'd save you over and over again because, believe it or not Sloane. You have a hell of a lot more to live for than I do. I do not- no- I will not see you get hurt. It's not a matter of I don't want it. It would kill me. My dad hurts you in anyway and I have no problem in sinking every single paper he owns to the ground. I would burn every dollar to my name if it meant you were never harmed. I am sick to death of you presuming you have every idea as to how I feel about you when I am telling you straight up and I have from the beginning. I like you alive, breathing, here. I'm not risking that being stolen from me. I've apologised for being a shitty person before Sloane. I'm actively trying to be better for you Sloane. I don't give a fuck about anyone else but you want me to be better so I'm trying." Every drop of confidence she'd had moments ago was extinguished. Huge, tired eyes looked into mine as the words settled into her bones.

"Prove it."

"What?"

"Prove it." Sloane grabbed my blazer and tugged once, forcing my head to hers as she lifted her chin up to connect our lips in the sweetest kiss I've ever had.