Page 68 of The Next Chapter

Noah has stopped talking, but instead of silence, there’s a ringing in my ears.

‘Lily, is everything okay?’

Chances are, I look like I’ve been drugged. It’s just so confronting. My parents. Lola. Clearly Lola now is fine, a nice person. I’d get that from her affinity with animals if nothing else. But what Noah’s saying makes it seem like she’s been a nice person for ages, like she really tried to help him. But she hardly tried at all with me. Her own flesh and blood.

The urge to start wallowing in self-pity is strong.

I really have to work at the smile I set on my face.

‘It’s no wonder that you want to help her out so much now,’ I say, wanting to be genuine and less conflicted about this.

‘Yeah, she’s the only family I have really.’

God, this is some fucked up situation I’m in. Noah’s still talking.

‘So, you think the plan for the hotel is decent? And pointers? You’re running a successful business with Seb, you must know your stuff.’

‘What? Oh yes, we’re super successful.’ I make a show of looking down at the list again and not mentioning that chances are I’m now entangled with not one but two struggling businesses. ‘Fairy lights,’ I say finally, ‘fairy lights go a long way.’

Noah is nodding. ‘Got it. You know—’ He taps his pen on the list, our risotto long forgotten. ‘Point two.’

‘The guest experience,’ I interject.

‘That’s right. You could always let me know what it’s like to stay here, as a guest.’

I really should be working at becoming less, not more embroiled in the affairs of Lola and Noah. The more I involve myself, the bigger the betrayal will be if, no when, they find out who I am.

‘Er…’ Again I’m stumped. How are we meant to say no?

‘I know you’re already helping with the article; I don’t want to put on you…’

‘I wouldn’t have to do all of the hotel experiences, would I? I’m not too good with planes but…’ Shut up, Lily. I’m not good with planes. Or throwing myself out of planes. Or throwing myself out of anything really.

Noah laughs. ‘It’s not Lola offering the skydiving, she has an agreement with Skye by Sky. I’ve already done it.’

‘Well, it’s just such a shame that one of us has already done that. Because I would have loved a good bit of skydiving. I’d have been all over it,’ I say, smiling a huge smile of relief.

‘It was a long time ago, though.’

‘Still, done. Checked off the list.’

He laughs again.

‘So, you’ll help?’

I shouldn’t. I know I shouldn’t. It involves more lies. More deception. To Noah but also to Lola. How does one say, Hi, I’m your daughter and also the person who has been involved in low-level subterfuge regarding the saving of your hotel?

The thought makes me start breathing fast.

Plus, there’s the fact that Noah probably doesn’t know that Lola’s planning to sell her memoirs to the highest bidder to raise money for the hotel. He doesn’t even need to do all this stuff.

But then, I think of how uncomfortable Lola had been at our first session. How much she has shied away from the limelight ever since her Beyond Baton Rouge days. Maybe if the hotel was doing better, she wouldn’t need to…

The thought process makes me realize that a part of me does want to help Lola. Lola as I know her now deserves the help. And the building, its history, I want them to thrive too.

‘Okay,’ I tell him. ‘I’ll help. But we’ll need a proper business plan. Something that we can present to Lola formally.’

I’m imagining a boardroom type scenario here. Chances are that the three of us wouldn’t all fit in Lola’s office.