Page 44 of Octane

She turns and pulls Daniel in, but he barely returns her hug. Without a word, he walks off in the direction of Warren’s study.

“Those men and theirbusiness,” she rolls her eyes. “They’re working all the time, it drives me nuts.”

I smile as she leads me to the sitting room. Before she can sit down and pepper me with all of her questions, the doorbell rings. Silently, I thank Daddy and Carissa for saving me, and I join them in the hallway.

* * *

Within the hour,we’re seated at the table and just beginning to dig into our ossobuco. Daddy and Warren are talking business as usual. The rest of us listen on as though we’re actually part of the conversation.

When they pick up their glasses of wine to toast to one another, Sylvia decides to start a conversation of her own.

“Sawyer, Warren told me that you quit your job, is that right?”

I nearly choke on my veal.

“What?” Both Daddy and Carissa question me, concern obvious in their tones.

“Sawyer, you love your job,” Carissa continues.

My eyes jump back and forth between the two of them, then to Daniel, who has a smug look on his face.

“I—with racing coming up, it’s easier.”

“It just doesn’t seem like something you would do,” Carissa counters, shooting daggers at Daniel.

“Really, it’s for the best. I would have only been able to work one day a week anyhow. The task of having someone catch me up each week would create more work for the team.”

I recite what Daniel said to me on Sunday night nearly word for word as bile rises in my throat. My eyes catch his again, and the sadistic desire that I see in them makes me tremble.

“Speaking of racing,” Warren chimes in. I’m thankful that he changed the subject until he finishes his statement. “That’s quite a rigorous schedule you’ll have. You’ll be on the road a lot, rather than at home.”

“Well, I’ll be home Monday through Thursday. Most of Thursday, anyhow. So really—”

“To be perfectly honest, I’m…” Daniel pauses for dramatic effect while he chooses his words carefully, “distraught over the fact that you’d rather spend all of your time on the road than at home with me.”

“I agree,” Warren nods. “I think it’s going to drive a wedge between you guys.”

I almost laugh at his statement. If he only knew there’s been a wedge between us for years.

“She’s going to be home half the week,” Carissa points out.

I smile softly at her, for sticking up for me.

“She’s been working toward this almost her whole life, Daniel,” Daddy adds, “you know that. You knew that before the two of you even got together. You had to have known this was a possibility.”

Tears flood my eyes as Daddy comes to my defense.

“You should be proud of her and support her the way a man should support the woman heclaimsto love,” Carissa fumes, her lips thinned and arms crossed.

Oh shit. Carissa is pissed.

“Howdareyou insinuate that I don’t love your sister. You don’t know anything about our relationship.” Daniel’s eyes narrow and he looks at Carissa like he wants to attack her.

“I know enough to know she’s too good for a scumbag like you.”

Silence descends over the table. No one moves. I can feel the anger radiating off of Daniel next to me.

“Let’s go, Sawyer, we’re leaving,” Daniel barks.

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