Page 67 of The Dom

“Tribeca?” If I had listed off the wealthiest places around the city, that was in the top three. “How did he manage that? I mean, I know he was doing well for himself in L.A., but that’s…pricey.”

“It’s not his,” Julia said. “Trissa’s roommate, Bevyan, comes from money. I guess when her parents talked her into moving back here, Bevyan asked Trissa to come too. And Trissa asked Joshua…”

“Julia.” David touched his wife’s arm. “Dinner’s going to get cold if we stand out here too much longer.”

“That’s our cue,” I said to Ashlee. “Thank you for the information.”

Julia smiled. “Thank you for taking care of our daughter.”

As Ashlee and I turned back toward the car, I realized that Julia had talked to me more now than she ever had in all the years I’d known her. It seemed I had an ally I hadn’t had before today.

I gave Angus the address, not realizing until then that David hadn’t made a snide remark about the fact that I hadn’t been the one driving. Between that and the joke he’d made, I wondered if he was softening toward me too.

Ashlee took my hand and pulled my arm around her shoulders. Leaning in, she wrapped her arms around my torso and rested her head on my chest. This could have felt sexual, and it would’ve been easy to slide into that role, but I didn’t take it there. I wanted her, but I wanted what we had to be real more. I now understood that real meant waiting until I fixed things with Joshua and until Ashlee knew the truth too. Then I’d make sure she knew that I was all in.

Still, I let myself enjoy the touch, even as platonic as it was.

“Are you sure you want me to go with you?” Ashlee said. “I don’t want to infringe on…family business.”

I kissed her forehead. “I need you there.”

I didn’t offer an explanation because I wasn’t entirely sure if I had one. Or, rather, I didn’t have one I wanted to share at the moment. I still had too much twisted up about her for me to be able to verbalize exactly what was going on with me and her.

She must’ve been thinking along the same lines as me because she didn’t ask me to explain. Though I supposed it also could’ve been her not trusting what the answer would be. That thought made me uncomfortable, but it would have to wait. At least I knew Ashlee well enough to know that she understood why I wanted to talk to Joshua first.

We didn’t talk as we inched through New York, moving from the Bronx to Tribeca, and I was grateful for the silence, but only because I had her next to me. She grounded me, kept my thoughts from spiraling into all the ways this could go wrong. For the first time in days, my mind was blissfully blank.

When Angus pulled up in front of the building where my brother was currently staying, I let out a low whistle. His girlfriend had a friend with serious money. Probably old money.

I told Angus to find a place to park and that I’d call him when I was ready to go. Ashlee took my hand as I helped her from the back of the car. As we walked over to the doorman, I pulled her tight to my side but didn’t release her hand. I gave our names to the middle-aged gentleman at the door and wondered if Joshua would hear my name and tell me to go away.

I didn’t have the chance to find out since the doorman recognized my name for some reason or another and let us inside. As Ashlee and I made our way to the elevator, I wondered if he knew me because of who I was, or because Joshua had guessed I’d stop by. Guessed…or maybe hoped?

Whatever the reason, Joshua hadn’t known I was coming right now because, when I knocked on the door, I didn’t recognize the woman who answered. A little taller than Ashlee, with short dark blonde hair and pewter gray eyes, this woman had the look of someone who was accustomed to people listening to her.

The roommate, I assumed.

“Who are you?” The question was curious, not snotty.

“Nate Lexington,” I said, holding out my free hand. “I was hoping to speak to my brother.”

“Right.” She shook my hand, then stepped aside, motioning for Ashlee and me to come inside. “I’m Bevyan, Trissa’s roommate.” She pointed at me. “You own Manhattan Records, right? I’ve been trying to convince my dad that we need a couple Golden Words songs for a new project he’s working on. I love the man, but he can sometimes need help with what’s current in pop culture.”

Something clicked into place, and I realized who her parents were. TV producer Dennis Kelly and socialite Francie Kelly. Damn. That was some serious clout right there.

“Call my office and set it up,” I said.

She grinned at me. “This way.”

The short corridor opened up into a large main room that I was sure was spectacularly designed, but Joshua was sitting on the couch next to Trissa and seeing him made me realize that I was actually going to do this.

“Hey, I’m going out for a bit,” Bevyan said to Trissa. “Meeting that guy I told you about.”

“Check in when you get home,” Trissa said. “Be safe.”

“Nice to meet you.” Bevyan smiled at Ashlee and me, then headed back the way we’d come.

“I wasn’t expecting you,” Joshua said slowly. He stood and put his hands in his pockets, making me wonder if he was reminding himself not to hit me. Had he held back at dinner only because our family had been there? I reminded myself that he’d reached out first.

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