“Ally, I can’t. He’s not here, he wasn’t at the hospital, he’s not answering calls or texts. This is highly unlike Kyle.”
“Is it, though?” Alicia asked as she leaned back, her eyes narrowing.
“Yes,” Julia insisted with a vehement nod. “Ally, you don’t know him.”
“No, I’ve never kissed him, so I guess you know him better.”
“That’s not helpful,” Julia said with a shake of her head.
“Okay, okay. Lay out the evidence for me. Let me pick it apart so you can feel better.”
Julia crossed her arms. “No, I’m not going to give you the evidence to pick apart unless you promise me something.”
“What?” Alicia asked.
“If you can’t pick apart the evidence, you help me find him.”
Alicia winced and wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, I don’t know about that, Juju.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I’m not because I really don’t want you getting sicker. Those two days in the hospital were awful. I don’t want to do that again.”
“I won’t get that sick if you help me. I may get that sick if I just do this myself because no one will help me.”
Alicia held up a hand. “Fine, fine, fine. If I can’t blow holes in your so-called evidence, I will help you find him. Even if Grant kills me over it.”
“He’s not going to kill you. Because he’s never going to find out. Not if I can help it.”
“He’d better not.” Alicia patted her sister’s leg. “Now, lay it on me.”
“Okay,” Julia said as she fidgeted in the bed. “Kyle does not let things go, okay? He just doesn’t. Especially with me.”
“Ohhh, someone thinks they’re important.”
“Not funny, Ally. I’m not joking, though. He’s not the type to let things simmer. He’s got to confront things head-on. No matter how much you tell him you need space, he doesn’t do space.”
Alicia arched an eyebrow.
“Listen, the first time he kissed me–”
“First time? There was more than one time?”
Julia winced, her mind flitting back to the photo leak. “Yeah, there was. Once was…organic. The next was when Lydia insisted he get some damning photographs of us.”
“What?” Alicia squealed.
“Yes, and she got it, too. A few pictures of us kissing that have now been sent to Grant’s board. It’s a nightmare, and that’s what the fight was about. Grant was upset. He accused Kyle of kissing me because he wanted to, not to prove himself to Lydia. And Kyle argued with him. It just blew up from there. Their relationship isn’t easy.”
“Okay, so, the kid ran because he got into it with Dad.”
“That’s not normal for Kyle. They’ve argued before. He’s still been around and usually spends more time with me. Anyway, the first time he kissed me, he and Grant had a major argument and Grant threw him out of the house.”
“Did he leave?”
Julia nodded, recalling his departure and attempts to smooth things over. “Yes, but he texted me that night. I told him to give me some space. The next day, he showed up at HarringtonGlobal while I was CEO and insisted he talk to me. He literally waited in the parking lot.”
“Wow, that’s…stalker behavior, sis.”