After about twenty minutes, there was a knock on the door. I let Emery in, and we went to the couches. She sat on one end, and I faced her from the other side.
“Tell me what’s going on, sweetie.” Her presence was such a comfort. I almost stopped myself but decided I needed it too much. I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around her. “Oh, Avalon, what’s wrong?” She rubbed my back, and I absorbed all the love she was offering before finally sitting back.
“There’s so much, Emery. I don’t know where to start.”
She straightened and rested an elbow on the back of the couch. “Take your time. I’m here as long as you need me.”
I tried to prioritize my problems. Since she was no longer involved with the Society, I didn’t think I could tell her about the attacks and the AS involvement, but I simplify it to the children being sent away. But that wasn’t as immediate as things with Juliet. That’s where I had to start.
“I found out about some questionable things involving Juliet, my dad’s girlfriend.”
Her brows rose slightly. “Like what?”
“It all started when my dad found a folder on her computer with my name. He only opened one file then, and it was an address in Cicero. He went there and was somehow knocked out. He was missing for hours and neither Juliet nor I could get a hold of him. My friend’s dad called in one of the Society members to go find him, and they found him asleep in his car with no memory of why he was there or what happened.”
Emery tilted her head back. She was taking me seriously, and I couldn’t believe how relieved I was at that realization.
“We realized that the address was the AS’s headquarters.”
Her brows shot up. “He didn’t know where he was at?”
I shook my head. “No idea.”
“Wow.” She leaned back. “What was Juliet doing with that address?”
I sighed. “Exactly. My dad’s friend had a team investigate her, and things kept getting weirder. At first, they couldn’t find her because she’s been using a fake last name. Once they found out she was really Juliet Grovel, things fell into place. Everyone in her life has been involved with the AS—from her college roommates and boyfriend to past coworkers and her best friend. Her parents are high up, apparently.”
She nodded. “I’ve heard the name before.”
Even she was aware of their involvement? That had to be a bad sign.
“So I’m all but certain she’s also in the AS. The only thing I can’t figure out is what she’s doing now. Does she know about me and who I am? It doesn't seem possible. The Society didn’t know about me until after we moved, and she became Dad’s assistant before we left Malibu. That’s the only thing that makes me think it might be a coincidence.”
She blew out a breath. “I’m not sure, Avalon. That’s an incredible coincidence.”
“But how would she know about me before I even did?”
“That’s the weirdest part. No one knew your mom had a child besides your dad, and he had every reason to keep that a secret.” She pressed her fingertips to her brow as confused as I’d been for weeks.
“Exactly. I can’t figure it out.”
“Have you talked to your dad about this?” She asked.
“A little bit. Not since I really confirmed who she is. I don’t know how to bring it up. He loves her. He wants to marry her. How am I supposed to tell him she’s been lying? That she, her family, and her friends are part of an organization that wants to expose people like me? That they want to put us all at risk?”
I had to stop myself from saying that they were attacking and killing us.
“Sweetie, he will always pick you. You’re his first priority.”
I shook my head. “That’s why I can’t tell him. What if she has no idea about me? What if she truly loves him too? I don’t want to ruin that.”
“If you don’t, you’re going to have to lie for the rest of your life. There will always be something hanging over you. Your relationship with them will become more and more strained as you keep more from them.” She frowned. “You would have to hide who you are and who you love.”
I knew this. I’d thought it through, but hearing it coming from someone else made it more real. I could never let my guard down around her. I’d always have to hold back. That wasn’t the end of the world. The guys and I could move far away to limit how much time we were around Dad and Juliet. It could work, but I’d have to be okay with being far from Dad.
I could do it for him. He’d be happy with Juliet. He’d miss me, but they would have their own lives together.
“Do you know how you’re going to go about finding the rest of the answers about Juliet?”