Page 94 of Forever Fighting
Forest is on the phone, leaning against the glass wall with a serious expression on his face. None of us asks a lot of questions about what Forest does for work. He’s an attorney and for years worked for his mom’s stepdad in LA. But he’s more than that, and his job out there consisted of more than that. He doesn’t talk about it, but we know what he is.
A fixer.
I just don’t know how you fix this. Not when it’s already out of control like it is.
“Come sit and eat something,” Crew instructs around a mouthful of pizza as he points to another box. “We got your favorite.”
“Hot honey pepperoni with mushrooms?”
“Yep.”
I could cry. I almost do, and I don’t know what’s up with all these tears, but I’m so over it. Who cries over pizza?
I come and sit beside him and help myself to two huge slices even though I ate a little on the plane. He pours me a glass of wine to go with it, and I think I’m going to be okay. I have this. I have my people. Even Katy and Wren texted this morning to make sure I was okay and asked if I needed anything.
It would have been us here with Adam before. That’s what’s still getting me. He wasn’t as close with everyone else as he was with Roman and me, but still. He was part of us, and now he’s so removed, and I have to accept that. People surprise you. Sometimes in the worst of ways. That’s what Adam did, but watching Roman talk to Forest, noting the intense look on his face, I have to believe Roman will only surprise me in the best of ways.
“So… you and my guy?” Crew quips.
“I didn’t know you had a thing for Roman?”
His lips curl up into a sardonic smile. “Nice deflection, babe. I guess I can throw that back at you.”
I shrug as I take a bite of pizza. “I didn’t know I had one either.”
“But you do?” he persists. “Because Skylar told us she gave him the warning, but now it’s my turn to give it to you. He loves you. He’s ready to blow shit up for you. Don’t break his heart.”
I smile at my friend. “I won’t.”
He nudges me with his elbow and takes a bite of his slice. “This won’t hold,” he tells me. “You know that. Between Roman and Forest, they’ll handle it.”
“And that means Adam,” Hayes throws in, testing my reaction.
“I could just come out and tell the truth about it,” I suggest, and everyone pauses to look over at me. “What? Do Fritzes and Central Square people never do that? I realize I’m on the outside of that and have the least public persona out of all of us but…” I trail off, leaving it hanging at that. I don’t exactly want to do that. I don’t want more attention on me or this. Maybe it’s a dumb idea. But I can’t let my name or Roman’s be tarnished either.
Forest and Roman exchange glances.
“Who would we send it to?” Forest asks, considering this.
“I don’t care.” I take a sip of my wine and glance over at Skylar and Quinn, who are whispering to each other. “Who should I tell it to?”
“Intertainment,” Skylar suggests, and Quinn nods.
“They broke the story.” She agrees.
“Yes, but that’s a bit of a red herring,” Forest states.
“How so?” Hayes questions.
“I just got off the phone with my LA guy. They were fed the story from an anonymous source, except that the anonymous source created the email account using real information, and my guy was able to trace it.”
Roman looks like he’s going to murder someone when he says, “It’s Anne Sharpe.”
I scrunch my nose. “Who?” But something about that name is sticking to me, tickling a recessed part of my brain.
“She’s the TV person who came to me in Vegas about doing the show. She works for Boston Nine.”
I stare at him for a minute. “You never mentioned she worked for Adam’s company.”
