Chapter Ninety-Four
Malachi's POV
I was just coming out of the study after the talk with my father. The conversation had gone on longer than I'd expected. Longer than any conversation we'd had in years, actually.
The fact that we'd talked that long was weird and unfamiliar. Tom Blackwood wasn't known for heart-to-hearts. He was efficient. Direct. Said what needed to be said and moved on. But today he'd lingered. Asked questions about my plans. About Alicia. About what I was really doing back in Silver Lake City.
I'd deflected most of it. Given him enough truth to satisfy without revealing the full scope of what I was planning. But it had been exhausting. Maintaining that balance. Keeping my father at arm's length while not pushing him away entirely.
I was still processing the conversation when I turned the corner and nearly collided with someone.
My mother. Layla.
