The Insiders by Tijan
TWENTY
Matt had two drinks down before Quinn showed, with Cyclone coming ahead of her and Seraphina following at a more sedate pace.
The movie hadn’t helped.
I’d been restless the entire time.
Matt went from drinking coffee to now drinking alcohol. I couldn’t blame him.
I was used to my little cousins trying to act cool and subdued. There was none of that with Cyclone. He was just himself.
It was refreshing. And Seraphina just seemed kind, excruciatingly kind.
Cyclone launched himself into the chair next to Matt, panting slightly. He smiled at me before turning to his older brother. “When’d you get here, Matt? What was going on last night, with all the guards and Miss Bailey in Marie’s room? Is she going to die? Is everyone okay? Mom said everything was fine, Miss Bailey was cold and she just needed a hug to warm up? Is that because Kash isn’t here?” A breath. A pause, and he wasn’t done. He slid to his bottom on the chair and started with me. “How’d you and Kash meet? Why isn’t Kash here? Did you guys have a fight? Are you the kind of friends like Mom and Dad? Do you kiss, then walk away from each other? I thought Kash was with Dad?”
Oh, sweet Jesus.
The kid really was the Tasmanian Devil.
No one else seemed perturbed. A cool smile came to Quinn’s face as she lowered herself to the seat across from me and next to Matt. Nodding to one of the servers, who brought over a drink for her, she replied, “I don’t think Miss Bailey is that type of friend with Kash. I think she’s the kind like Victoria is with our family.”
He frowned.
Matt shook his head.
Cyclone said, “But Victoria is always hanging all over Kash.”
Matt coughed to cover up his laugh.
My eyebrows went up.
Seraphina was watching her little brother as if she’d been given sour lemonade to drink.
The only one unaffected was Quinn herself. She barely blinked, no joke. “Maybe we can focus on eating instead of asking twenty questions?”
Cyclone. “But why? Marie told me to always ask questions if I don’t understand something.” He pointed at me. “I don’t understand who she is. If she’s Kash’s friend, why isn’t he here? If my friends are here, I don’t go and leave them alone. Marie said that’s bad manners.” His head popped up farther. “You said that’s bad manners too, Mom.”
Matt cleared his throat, sliding out of his chair. “I need something stronger than this. Excuse me.”
I wanted to go with him. I wanted to hide under the table like I was the ten-year-old.
Instead, I moved to face Cyclone better. “So, have you ever known someone who was sad about something?”
He nodded, his eyes so rapt as he listened to me.
“Well, that’s kinda what I’m going through.” I hated lying. Hated it. And still, I was so damn good at it. “So I used to love someone, like your mom and your dad love each other, but that person decided he didn’t want to be with me.”
Cyclone was still silent.
“And there was a reason I couldn’t stay where I used to live, because I’d see him. He was around a lot, and a friend of mine is Kash’s cousin. She suggested I come here to stay with him. That’s what is going on. Kash is here for me, but he still has to do his job.”
I was talking to him like he was younger than ten. I got that. But sometimes when something’s confusing, that’s the best way to handle it. Strip it down to the bare bones and go from there.
And because I didn’t want to get sympathy from my little brother for a lie, I distracted him. “How are you doing with the robot rabbit? Has your dad helped you with your switchboard at all?”
It worked.
His eyes grew wide, wider, and the widest. He whispered, awed, “You know about switchboards?”
“I do.”
“How?”
That was it. Hook, line, sinker. The rest of us didn’t even need to be there as we ate because Cyclone was shooting question after question at me, all about robotics, engineering, switchboards, and what kind of wiring would make the most cohesive connection. I could almost see the rest glaze over in boredom, but no one was protesting.
Matt seemed to be getting a kick out of the whole conversation. He kept watching Cyclone, me, then swinging his head to Quinn and smirking. By the end of our last course, which was just two spoonfuls of sherbet with a mint leaf over the top, Seraphina was yawning. She lifted her hands to rub at her eyes. Quinn caught one, stopping her.
“Don’t mess your eyes up, darling.” She swept the table, lingering on me, then Cyclone. “Honey, your own tutor is coming as well. You have just enough time to go to your room, have a play or a nap, before Benjamin arrives.”
Cyclone’s nose wrinkled up. “I want to work on my robot. Can Bailey stay and help me?”
I was Bailey now, not Miss Bailey.
I felt a nice tickle in the back of my throat at that one.
“No.” Quinn was no-nonsense, standing from the table as Theresa came in to start collecting the rest of the dishes. “Benjamin travels a great distance to teach you German. He’s very expensive, so we don’t want to waste his time. Seraphina, sweetheart…” She ran her hand down Seraphina’s hair, tucking the end of her braid over her shoulder. “Victoria will be here soon. Are you ready for your lessons of the day?”
Seraphina, who I still hadn’t heard say a word, snuck a look at me, then nodded at her mother. “Hmm.”
“Pronounce your words, dear.” Quinn cupped her daughter lightly under her chin. Her tone was disapproving, but the smile was all love. “That’s the basics of being a lady in our society. The world will expect you to use your words. Understand?”
She squeezed softly.
Seraphina smiled, whispering, “Yes, Mother. I understand.”
“Good.” Her hand dropped, but her smile spread bigger. “You’ll do amazing.”
“Thank you, Mother.” Another whisper.
Quinn nodded to me, that smile dimming. “It was lovely to have you for lunch. I assume that Matthew will see to you from here now?”
Matt stood, his gaze a little dark and locked on his stepmother. “But of course, Quinn. Being such good friends with Kash, and coming here in her time of need, she’s practically family.” He paused a second. “Just like the Bonhams.”
Quinn’s eyes snapped to his, and she froze in place. Her face took on a haggard look, then a blink, and she was smiling again. “Drew and Amanda Bonham are wonderful friends of ours. I don’t think Miss Bailey will be the same. She’ll return home before long.”
Where was the popcorn?
A slow grin spread. Matt added, “Yes. I’m aware how close the Bonhams are with you, and you never know with Bailey. I won’t let her down.”
I waited. Seraphina and Cyclone paused too. Quinn and Matt were at an impasse, but Quinn forced out a wry chuckle. “Yes. Of course. I’ll see you both later, hmm? I’m off to a charity meeting.” She turned, a bit clipped in her movement. “Seraphina, let me know when Victoria arrives, would you?”
“Of course, Mother.”
Quinn left the room.
Tiny arms wrapped around my waist. Cyclone tipped his head back, looking up at me. “We have family movie night when Dad comes home from his trips. Kash comes too, sometimes. Would you come without him, if he didn’t?”
He was inviting me to family … Emotion ripped through me. “Of course I will.” My little brother asked, so I was going to make it happen. I grinned back down at him, hugging him. “If you need help with your robot, you can ask me. I’ll see if I can help.”
“Thanks.” And he was off, running from the room. “Bye, Matt!”
Matt chuckled, coming to stand next to me. “The kid’s in love with you.”
Another small hand fitted in my hand, and that warmth skyrocketed to something deeper. Seraphina wasn’t looking at me. She stood at an angle, half turned away, but I heard her whisper, “It was nice meeting you,” before she squeezed my hand again, just so softly. I tried to form the words, but she disappeared from the room almost as quickly as Cyclone had.
They were like air, there on the inhale and gone on the exhale, and I wanted to keep breathing them for the rest of my days.
That lunch. That squeeze from Cyclone, the hand-holding from Seraphina—it was all worth it. They were worth it.
“Thank you.” I ran a hand over my face.
“So.” Matt regarded me with a cautious half grin. One of his hands went into his pocket, and the other raked through his hair. “What’s on the agenda now?”
“You telling me about the Bonhams.”
