Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Lavender: Tell me it's not true . . . you left?

Sin: It's complicated.

Lavender: You left. What happened to two weeks? You lost the challenge.

Sin: I did not.

Lavender: I'm pretty sure that you forfeited the moment you left.

Sin: It was an emergency.

Lavender: What kind of emergency? Did someone die? If not, you lost the challenge.

Sin: Those are pretty weird rules, lady. If there's no dead body you have to stay in the game? Sounds like The Running Man, The Belko Experiment, or Escape Room. I don't think I want to go back to Kentbury.

Lavender: Ha, that's not what I meant.

Sin: You want a dead body.

Lavender: No, I asked if someone died. That's different.

Sin: No one died, unless you count my father's business. It has been in trouble for a while. He was hoping to sell Grandma Genie's properties to fix the issue but McKay intervened. Back then I was upset, because that money could've been my way out of having to work for him. Now that time has passed, I'm glad she went against Dad's wishes. That said, we had to explain to him that he has to sell or he'll be homeless before the end of the year.

Lavender: You couldn't do that from here?

Sin: Nope, since I'm one of the buyers—plus I have to convince my brother Barnaby to go in with me.

Lavender: Why not Paul?

Sin: He doesn't want to be a part of the soul-sucking-business world.

Lavender: Smart man.

Sin: Who do you think keeps his investments afloat so he can continue his charity work? Me, so don't give him all the credit.

Lavender: Ooh, aren't you a little sensitive, Mr. McFolley.

Sin: No, but I want to make sure that you realize that the challenge is still happening.

Lavender: When are you coming back?

Sin: I don't know if I'll be able to go back before the summer is over.

Lavender: Oh, but if you don't spend at least two weeks here, then you lose the summer challenge.

Sin: You have too many rules.

Lavender: No, just making it fair for both of us.

Sin: What's in it for you?

Lavender: Not sure yet. A friend . . . bragging rights because I was right.

Sin: Right about what?

Lavender: About getting to Division II. I want to see you go from peewee to at least junior league.

Sin: Sweetheart, I'm going to make it to the national league. No, the Olympic team.

Lavender: That reminds me, you never told me about your swimming years.

Sin: I'm pretty sure we discussed them. I'm like a fish in water, but my father needed me to work for him.

Lavender: Ah so that's the pattern. Yeah, I remember you said your ex used to say that you do everything Daddy wants.

Sin: I was afraid that if I didn't do what he asked of me, then he'd drag my siblings into it too.

Lavender: So they wouldn't have to be at his mercy?

Sin: That was the idea. Unfortunately, he still did it.

Lavender: Sorry about that.

Sin: It's not your fault.

Lavender: Hey, I don't want to cut this short, but the contractor is here. We're going to be working on the house. Even Holden Miller came to help.

Sin: Knightly's brother-in-law?

Lavender: Yep. That same one. I'll try not to salivate while he's here.

Sin: You have a thing for him?

Lavender: Yes and no. It was just a kid crush. Twelve-year-old me is dreaming of him. Current me not so much.

Sin: Keep it that way, platonic. I'm still in the running, remember?

Lavender: As a friend.

Sin: We'll see.

Lavender: You're impossible. Talk to you later.