“Excuse me?”

“I want him to start making mistakes, so we can send him to jail. And I think Mom wants him to kidnap her for the same reason.”

Garrett holds his head like he has a headache. “I thought my job was to keep you both safe.”

“I know what I’m planning to do is risky. I’m hoping you and Cooper will help to contain that risk.”

“So tell me this plan.”

“Well, assuming that I’m probably right about Mom, the first thing we need to do is convince her to stay in France. You just can’t tell her the part about me.”

“What is it with you two?” Garrett says, shaking his head. “I thought you wanted everything out in the open?”

I smirk at him. “Well, maybe not everything. So, I have a three-pronged approach. I want to attack Vincent from all sides. He needs to know what it feels like to start losing the things he loves. First, his business. Brooklyn and I are going to work with someone his dad knows to start a hostile takeover of his production company. We’ll form a bunch of shell corporations—probably foreign, so that Vincent doesn’t know who’s behind them. We recently discovered that he’s heavily leveraged. And, more importantly, so is his company.”

“What will buying his company accomplish?”

“Do you know why he’s heavily leveraged?”

“No.”

“Because he’s personally financing a large portion of the remake of A Day at the Lake.”

“Your mom’s movie,” Cooper states.

“But he doesn’t personally own the options. The production company does.”

“And if he loses his company—” Cooper says, as Garrett finishes his thought. “He loses the movie.”

“Exactly.”

Garrett nods. “I like that, actually. It will give him something else to focus on.”

“While we focus on him.”

“How?”

“I know you used to follow him, but I want more. I want inside knowledge. So, I looked at his company website last night and I have an idea. His personal assistant is in her mid-twenties and single. Based on her social media, she’s a regular at a bar called Reggae. I was thinking you might have another employee like Cooper. Young. Good-looking. They become friends. She talks about her job. About her boss.”

“Inside information is always good.”

“What we learn from her will help me decide how to proceed on the third prong of the attack. Garrett, are you absolutely positive that there won’t be any breaches in security at the house in France?”

“We’ve fenced the perimeter of the property. 24-hour camera surveillance. Armed guards. It’s like Eastbrooke, only better.”

“Good, because the second prong of the attack will happen organically. The To Maddie, with Love publicity tour. The worldwide premieres. It all kicks off with the extend trailer premiere during the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.”

“We assumed that’s part of what sent him over the edge to begin with,” Garrett tells Cooper. He turns to me and says, “So what’s the third prong?”

“Me.”

“No.”

“Yes. We’re going to let him see me. Everywhere. When the time is right.”

“When will the time be right?”

“I’m going to audition for a role in Tommy’s next movie and, if I get it, I’ll be filming some scenes in New York City over Christmas break. They can make the crew sign non-disclosure agreements, so no one talks about my role until we’re ready. They start filming the big action scenes that I would be a part of in March, so I thought that’s when we’d announce it. Do a big press release. Flood the tabloids with pictures of me. I’ll become a wild child in the eyes of the press, but it will all be carefully orchestrated. It’ll look like I’m out and about all the time. Different guy on my arm in every picture. Drunk coming out of the club. Smoking pot. Skanky photos. Anything to get on the cover of a magazine. But all Vincent will know is where I was last night. Not where I actually am.”

“And where will you actually be?”

“Don’t laugh, but Cooper and I will be living on a boat.”

“A boat?”

“Well, more like a yacht. There are some details we’ll have to work out when the time is right, but no one tracks boats. Not like they do aircraft. So, in theory, I could drive, or maybe even helicopter, to where the yacht is, and sail to a different location. Never a night in the same place, basically.”

“You’ve really thought this through,” Cooper states, smirking at me. I think he might be proud of me.

“And what about Eastbrooke?”

“I promise that I’ll stay here until March. So, what do you think?”

Garrett smiles at me. “I will admit, your plan has some merit.”

“Oh, I forgot to mention that starting now, Cooper works for me.”

“Is that right?” Garrett asks Cooper directly.

Cooper looks him in the eye. Man to man. And says, “That’s right.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. He hadn’t told me his decision yet.

Garrett slips me a forged doctor’s note. “Why don’t you get back to school?”

I glance at Cooper. “You’re going to stay here and talk, huh?”

They both nod, so I grab my keys and head to my car.

When I get there, I call my mom.

Surprisingly, she answers.

“Hey, Mom. I really need to talk to you. Do you have a few minutes?”

“Sure, honey,” she says. “I’m just finishing up some packing.”

“I’m glad you and the girls are going to France.”

Mom gives me a little, “A-hem,” in agreement. I know her. She doesn’t like to lie.

“This thing with Vincent has been tough on all of us. You need some time off.”

“I’m fine, Keatyn.”

“No, Mom. You’re not. And I know you planted all the stuff in the press about the affairs and about your health.”

Mom lets out a big sigh. “Does Tommy know?”

“Not yet, but he will. Don’t let this ruin your relationship. You have to stop lying to Tommy. And me. We can handle the truth. Seriously. And I am going to handle it.”

“Keatyn, you’re just a child.”

“No, I’m not. My sisters are children. I met with Garrett today. I know about the breach in security. I know Vincent hasn’t stopped sending you stuff. Scary stuff.”

Mom starts to cry. “He . . . He . . . left black roses on the swing set. Four of them. One for each of the girls. He sent a photo of Tommy getting out of a car in the city, and it was photoshopped so . . . so that . . . Tommy had been shot in the head. I can’t do this anymore. If he wants me, then he can have me.”

“But that’s the thing, Mom. He doesn’t want you. He wants me.”

“Well, he can’t have you!”

“He’s not going to. Garrett and I have a plan that takes you and the girls out of the mix. But I need your help. With the press.”

“How?”

“I need you to announce that for your health and well-being, you’re taking a break from the movie industry. If they ask where you’re going or what you’re doing, you’ll have no comment.”

“They’ll ask about Tommy.”

“That’s an easy answer. Tommy will be filming Retribution in New York and you will not be joining him.”

“Everyone will assume we’re not together anymore.”

“That’s exactly what you wanted, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but then . . .” Mom starts sobbing. “I’ve been trying to hold it together. But it’s so hard. I’ve missed you so much, Keatyn. But I’ve been so afraid. Afraid he’d get my phone and find your number. Afraid someone would overhear me talking to you. I needed you to stay safe. You’re my baby. And this is all my fault. I thought if I left the girls safe with James and went on the press tour that maybe he’d just take me instead.”

Tears stream down my face. I had almost started to think that she didn’t care about me anymore.

“Remember New York, Mom? When Vincent chased after me?”

“Yes.”

“He was following you, but it was me that he chased. It’s me that he wants. And that means it’s time for me to take control of this situation.”

“Take control how?”

“Well, to start with, Garrett works for me now. You have to promise, no making up plans of your own, okay?”

“Okay,” she says cautiously.

I can tell she hasn’t fully committed.

“You and I agree on one important thing, Mom. And that’s keeping the girls safe. Go to France. Relax. Eat. Get some sleep. Have fun with the girls. And know that Vincent is going to be busy with other stuff.”

“What other stuff?”

“Well, aside from the premieres and press that’s due to start on your movie, we’re going to mess with his business.”

“Does he care that much about his business?”

“His business owns the rights to remake your movie. The movie seems to be the core of his obsession. If he is at risk of losing it . . .”

“He won’t have time to worry about us.”

“That’s the theory, yes.”

“I like that. It feels like we’re fighting back.”

“I like it too.”

“Does Garrett really think it will work?”

“Yes, he’s completely on board,” I say confidently. Well, okay, like, mostly on board. “So, are you in?”

“Do you promise me that everything you do will be approved by Garrett?”

“Garrett or Cooper,” I reply, not wanting to lie to her.

She exhales heavily, like maybe I’ve lifted a weight off her shoulders.

“Then I’m in.”

“Good. I love you, Mom. I have to get back to school, but call me once you get settled, okay?”

“I will. And I love you too.”

Your arm candy.

Ceramics

“We need to talk about French weekend,” Jake tells me.

“What about it?”

“You and me under the lights,” he says.

“What are you talking about?”

“The drama department is in charge of the murder mystery dinner theater for Saturday night.”

“I know. I think it will be so much fun.”

“But you didn’t sign up for it.”

“I have a date.”

“Come on. It’s good for your improv skills. And you need to play the movie star.”

“But I got the most perfect dress. And I wanna sit with Aiden.”

“You and Aiden really need to work on your communication.”

“What do you mean?”

“He agreed this morning that you should do it, and he even volunteered to play your arm candy. He said something about needing the practice. So I wrote him a part. He’ll play your lover slash arm candy. And everyone is wearing their own clothes.”

“He really said that?”

I smile, remembering how Aiden came to almost every one of my rehearsals. How he said he’d be my arm candy. How he put his hand on my knee. How he told me I lit up the stage.

“Yeah, he did,” Jake says. “We’ll all be sitting in the audience with everyone, eating and pretending we’re on a riverboat going up the Seine together. Then, when someone gets killed, right before dessert, we start.” He holds up a very large clay penis and shakes it at me. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

Bryce laughs and makes a naughty comment about coming and penises.

The teacher walks behind Jake, grabs it out of his hand, and swats him on the head with it. “No vulgarity, Mr. Worth.”

Bryce and I manage to stifle our giggles while watching the teacher take Jake’s art to the back room.

“What do you wanna bet she’s going to put that in her kiln?” Jake jokes.

“Jake!” I screech, laughing.

“Miss Monroe!” My name is yelled from the back room. “Come back here, please.”

“Yeah, come back there,” Bryce says, still cracking up.

I smack Jake on the shoulder as I walk by.

I peek in the back room.

Our teacher is holding my bowl in her hands. “Look!”

“It survived the kiln?!”

She smiles at me. “Yes! And I have a beautiful opalescent overglaze I think you should put on it. It’ll add sheen and highlights without distracting from the craftsmanship.” She digs through a drawer of glazes then holds up a bottle. “Here it is. See?”

“That is really pretty. I’ll work on it tomorrow.”

“Keatyn, I’m really proud of you for trying again. The foundation was the key. It’s why this new version didn’t fall apart.”

I look at my gorgeous bowl and think about Aiden.

When the bell rings, I grab my phone and text him.

Me: Meet me at ceramics!! I wanna show you something!!

Hottie God: Be right there :)

After everyone files out, Aiden steps in the classroom. His tie is loosened, one of his shirt-tails is untucked, and his blazer frames his broad shoulders. He looks like he walked straight off the pages of a magazine. He kisses my cheek in greeting.

“What’s up?”

“Remember my project? How it didn’t survive the kiln because it didn’t have a strong foundation?”

“Of course. It was the inspiration for our love mansion.”