i carry you around.

MEET MAYA MORENO // A QUICK NAVIGATION.

The only thing Talia could control in this situation was her own response, and whatever she did was going to be with her nieces best interest at mind. It seemed like Maya was planning to stick around, Talia attempting to block that would only do more damage. All she could do was hope that she’d done her part to make the girls strong and able to cope with whatever Maya threw at them. She’d be there for the girls, through good or bad, that was all she could do. She also hoped that Wesley would do the right thing, that he wouldn’t get distracted by the pretty eyes and put together outfits. 

“Look, I can’t do anything about the fact you are here, but I don’t have to spend time with you.” She stated plainly as she stepped back. “Wesley has done an amazing job with those girls, don’t you swoop in and start taking credit.” She turned away from the woman, before turning back, “and if I was you I’d learn to sign, or those girl will be talking crap right in front of your face in no time,” she said bluntly before walking away, signing ‘bitch’ as she did.

Talia had no control over whether Maya became part of the girls’ lives or not, that wasn’t her place, but she also didn’t have to make it easier for the woman. Talia didn’t hold a lot of hate in her heart, in fact she only hated three people. The kid who had picked on her in fourth grade, the teacher in 9th who had made her feel insignificant and Maya, who had abandoned two people who Talia loved with her entire heart. The twins were top of Talia’s list, the best people to ever exist, so she couldn’t even fathom how Maya had done what she did. 

She couldn’t stop Maya staying around, but she didn’t have to waste her time dealing with her. If Maya was going to see the twins Talia didn’t want to be there to see it happen, she wasn’t sure that she could bite her tongue, stop herself from saying anything that was inappropriate. “Fix it?” she questioned, “you must be a fucking superhero if you think you can do that,” she replied. It was obvious that Maya didn’t care what Talia thought, which was just another thorn in the blonde’s side. She’d done everything to make the girls lives the best they could be, she’d been there when her brother needed a break, she’d supplied the female mentor that the girls had needed, but maybe this meant her job was done, Maya was here to take over. “You do what you need to do to make yourself feel better, but if you hurt them again, I will do everything in my power to make sure you never get near them again. 

“That’s fair,” Maya agreed. She had no intention of bowing out now, of ever causing any strife in her daughters life, but if - god forbid - it happened, she’d let them all come after her. She’d been alone with her mother for years, wondering about her father. She knew what it was like to only have one half of those who made you in your life growing up. And it had taken her awhile to realized the hole she’d been creating in their lives, but the difference was, Wesley had family. The girls might not have even noticed an absence, really - not with people like Talia, not with his friends and family who supported him.

They had more than enough. Maya just wanted to be a part of the foundation again. 

“I know you can’t take my word for it,” she said, “but I assure you I have only good intentions for them. And if I hurt them, I’ll allow you - and Wesley, and anyone else who wants to - to kick me out, shun me, do whatever you feel is best. I made a mistake, the biggest a person can make. All I can do is hope you all see that I want what’s best for them too.” 

𝔴𝔥𝔬 — anyone @somertonstarter​​ 𝔴𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 — leaving gym heroes 𝔴𝔥𝔢𝔫 — thursday evening

there was little for him to focus on in his down time, and the gym had become a large part of how he spent his days off unfortunately. it was a bit too much of a trek to use the base gym all the time so the one in town worked well enough. he was just leaving, and the sun was just beginning to set over the horizon. he wasn’t sure what was on the cards for the rest of the night, but fuck did he want something to distract him. his eyes were fixated on his phone as he rounded the corner, clearly colliding with someone else as he did, dropping his phone to the ground and anticipating to pick it up to discover a large crack across the screen. fickle and fragile things they were. “fuck— sorry.” he mumbled as he looked back at the other. “you all good?” he was six foot and three inches, and a very broad man. getting bumped into by him generally made some impact or the other. 

maya had been in her own world all afternoon; she was finally making headway into establishing her life in somerton, a lease had been signed for an office downtown and she was so overjoyed that she just - wanted to do something. unfortunately, all of her vices were out of the question, and she didn’t exactly have anyone to celebrate with just yet. so the gym was her reasonable solution, headphones on and an elliptical for an little while would help eradicate some of the ( albeit, good ) tension she felt in her body. she’d been fiddling with her headphones when she walked into him - tall, good looking, exactly her type if she allowed herself to think about it, but she didn’t. just flashed a smile and brushed herself off; “no injuries that i can report,” she quipped, “but i may need your number in case i have to file an insurance report.” a joke, a tease - sometimes it just felt good to slip into that second skin, the flirty maya she’d left behind to focus on her family. “it’s my fault, i wasn’t paying attention to where i was going - my headphones were wrapped around themselves. again.” 

There was a good chance Wesley’s coworkers had started to linger by the door, listening in on the conversation that was too loud to ignore in the otherwise quiet office. Wesley was entirely the one responsible for causing the excessive volume of the conversation. In his many years working at the firm he’d never done anything to earn himself the title of a hothead, but in one day he was running the chance of dashing that.

Hearing Maya explain that she’d realized it was a mistake right after leaving didn’t do anything to ease his boiling anger. “You realized right after you left Manhattan but you didn’t make any effort to come back or see the girls until now? How does that make sense, Maya?” He scoffed, turning away from her to pace across the office without any goal of where he was going. Moving was his only way to keep from completely exploding.

The man was physically listening to what Maya had to say but the complete picture of what she was saying wasn’t fully processing. He was too wrapped up in the current storm of emotions churning in him. After so long to deal with what Maya had done Wes should’ve had a more controlled reaction.

“I’m supposed to just trust that you’re going to stay. I don’t know how to trust you. Not any more. You broke that a long time ago.” His voice had fallen in volume but the anger was still present in his tone. Simmering under the surface. One wrong word could be enough to send him back over the edge. 

“I’ve been raising those girls—protecting them—and I’m not about to let you walk right back into their lives like nothing happened. They’re old enough now to remember you, to be hurt the next time you decide raising two kids is too hard.” Thinking about how to reintroduce the girls to Maya, how to best protect them for anything and everything that could go wrong had him pacing again. Going back and forth in long strides between two spots in the office. “I don’t know how you could prove it to me that you won’t hurt them.”

She stayed silent, watching him pace. She could remember, almost too vividly, the fights they’d gotten into when they were together. Almost a decade ago. How he would burn excess energy off in this same way, Maya finally reaching a snapping point and telling him not to run a hole in their carpet. But those fights had been easy, stupid - jealousy over someone flirting too much, arguing about where to get dinner from, trying to figure out if they wanted to live in New York or a small town - it was never this. 

It took her awhile to form her words, trying to make sure her voice was even - he could be upset, he deserved to be upset - but she would be the picture of calm, no matter what. She had to do that, for them. If she fed into his anger, into his chaos, there was no hope this could go anywhere productive. 

“I don’t expect to walk right in, Wes,” she said after a moment, trying to keep her gaze steady on him. “I don’t expect you to let me see them for awhile. I know that I broke all trust with you when I left. I know I should have called, should have reached out. I have made every wrong mistake a person possibly could. I don’t even expect to leave here without you still hating me - I just wanted you to know I was here. And that I’m going to try. That I’m going to - “ 

she lost her words halfway through, her shoulders slumped. There was a nagging question that she’d always wanted to know, and maybe it wasn’t the best time but - when would be? If he was going to be angry, he’d be honest, at least, and that was all she could hope for. 

Just a little honesty. 

"You didn’t exactly come looking for me either,” she reminded him, voice gentle so he wouldn’t think of her as accusatory. “No missed phone calls, text messages. No social media interactions. I kept everything exactly the same, Wesley, and you never reached for me. I know this is my fault, I know I fucked up, but even in the days after I left, I didn’t hear one word from you. You took my note at face value and cut all ties with me. Why would I have come back when you never asked me to?” 

The woman’s use of the word I only wound Talia up more, everything about this felt selfish. When she left Talia had labelled her as selfish, and now she was back and inserting herself into the twins lives only for her own benefit, at least that was how Talia saw it. She had to bite her tongue, she wanted to go off on one, she wanted to scream and shout but this wasn’t the place for it, she wanted to list all of the things Maya had missed, all the mother’s days where the girls had had to tell their teachers they didn’t have a mom, all the moments where they’d had to turn to Talia instead, but she kept quiet.

As Maya reached out Talia immediately pulled away, as if one touch would poison her. She rolled her eyes at the mention of her ‘help’. It made it feel so meaningless, like Talia was just a footnote in the girl’s story. It also felt like Maya was telling her that her role was over now, that she wasn’t needed anymore. She scoffed as Maya caught herself, “he is nothing to you,” she replied, “you may have some kind of right to be in the girl’s lives but you have absolutely no right to fuck with his,” she stated. She’d watched Wesley suffer heartbreak the first time, she wasn’t keen for it to happen again. 

Maya knew what she was up against when she made her choice to move to Somerton. She knew that the chances of her ever fixing things with Wesley were slim to none - and that was the positive outlook for it. That didn’t mean she couldn’t have hope, though, and it didn’t mean she was about to give up so easily. Not without a fight. If he was truly done with her - moved on, found someone new, happy - well, she’d be there for their children and hope they could build a friendship one day. 

But explaining herself to anyone but Wesley wasn’t in her game plans. She could give them the short version, make her announcement to stay, and they could take it or leave it. Talia was sure to tell Wesley about this encounter - tell him that Maya had been there, probably color the story with more than a few insults to make Maya sound like the villain. It was....fine. She could bear it. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” she repeated, making sure to say it slow and steady to keep her own voice from shaking. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know if he’ll even allow me back in their lives. But I’m not leaving without making an effort this time, and I’m not backing down. So you can continue to hate me, and I won’t say it’s not justified, but I am going to fix this. My girls are incredible young women, and they have a whole world of people to thank for that. I just want to be involved from here on out, with those who are already in their lives.” 

Talia didn’t feel like the girls had missed anything not having a mom, they had had her and her own mom, they’d had a family, even if it wasn’t traditional. They said it took a village to raise a child and the twins definitely had a village. People had stepped up because Maya had stepped back and it made Talia’s blood boil to think that Maya felt like she could just step back in, sure the other woman hadn’t said that but Talia thought the worst when it came to Maya. 

She grit her teeth as it came out that Maya had moved to the area, that she was sticking around. She scoffed, “what you ruined,” she repeated, “at least we agree on something.” She paused, taking a breath, “those girls do not need your guilt, they don’t need your pity,” she stated. “They are amazing, and it’s not because of you, it’s in spite of you.” 

“I know,” she said quietly, wishing she had bothered to go through with anything - learning sign language to build a relationship with one of the most important people in Wesley’s life, staying for him and their children, getting to raise her own girls - she’d lost so much. “I didn’t come back out of pity. I didn’t come back out of guilt. I came back because I missed them. I missed all of them - I know no one will believe me, but the biggest regret I’ll ever have is walking out of that apartment.” 

She could tell that the woman didn’t recognise her, which wasn’t much of a surprise. She had been 16 when her brother had brought the twins home, even younger when Wesley had brought Maya home to visit. Talia remembered the feeling, the excitement that she was about two get two nieces and a new sister, but it didn’t turn out like that. She was relieved that the woman had at least remembered that Talia was deaf, facing her and allowing her to read her lips, though in all honesty she wasn’t sure that she wanted to hear what the other woman had to say. Her eyes grew wide as she mentioned her brother, “he knows?” she asked, cursing him in her head. How could her brother hide this from her. 

She cursed herself when Maya followed her eye, like she’d given away their secret location, but it also reminded Talia that she couldn’t make too much of a scene, they’d see her. So Maya wasn’t here to ruin their day, but it wasn’t their day that Talia was concerned about, it was much, much more than that. “Adjust to Somerton?” she asked, clarifying that she’d read her lips correctly, “you’ve moved here?” There was still anger in her voice, mixed with surprise. What right did Maya have to turn up after all this time and try to infiltrate their family, they’d coped this long without her, they didn’t need her now. 

Wesley really hadn’t said anything to Talia. She didn’t know how to feel about that; in the years since her absence, she’d seen her face in countless pictures with the girls, knew they loved their aunt more than they’d probably ever love their own mother. She had been there - seen them as infants, as toddlers. Helped Wesley raise them, because Maya had run. 

Her heart ached in a now familiar way that made everything feel upside down, her skin crawling with the need to escape. 

“Yes,” she answered finally, swallowing thickly. “I came back to be in their lives. When Wesley’s ready for me to be. I don’t expect miracles, and I don’t expect forgiveness - I just want a chance to fix what I ruined.” 

Talia loved a parade, it was a visual spectacle and that suited her perfectly. Of course there was also music that she was sure made it even more exciting, but Talia found the noise overwhelming so she’d taken out her hearing aids. Nothing was clear with them anyway and with so many voices around it was all a bit consuming. She’d spent a bit of time with Wesley and the twins and then headed off on her own to get some snacks and speak to her own friends.

She walked back through the people when she suddenly felt herself collide with someone else, she regained her balance and looked up, seeing the woman’s mouth stop moving and knowing that she’d missed what had been said. She went to explain that she didn’t know what the woman was saying when she took in the woman’s face. A sharp intake of breath happened as she realised who she was staring at. “What the fuck are you doing here?” she asked, her voice tinged with anger and annoyance. Her eyes glanced across the way to where Wesley and the twins were before regretting it, her eyes back on Maya. “You have no right to just turn up now. It’s not fair.”

Maya was taken aback by the ferocity in the girls voice; she followed where the other had looked, her heart jumping in her throat - Wes and the girls were there, happy and carefree and not a worry between them. Tears stung the back of her eyelids and she briefly wondered if he’d even considered asking Maya to join them. It wasn’t fair to want it, she knew, but selfishly, she just wanted to be a family again. 

Healing takes time. It was what her mother had reminded her of before she’d left, and she swallowed the overwhelming sense of loss down before turning to who, she could only assume, must have been Wesley’s sister. She’d been much younger the last time they met, a weekend Wes had brought her home to show off their engagement, a few times throughout the pregnancy. Quiet, hard of hearing, she could remember that - she had begun picking up books on ASL back then, hoping to be able to communicate with her. 

She was fucked now. 

“He didn’t tell you I was back?” she asked instead, hoping Talia was able to at least read her lips, though not the despair in her voice. If he didn’t even tell his sister, what did that mean for her? Was the sliver of hope she had useless after all? “I promise, I’m not here to ruin their day. I didn’t even - I’m just trying to adjust to Somerton right now.” 

Her sobriety was something Thea prided herself on. It hadn’t been easy, to kick her drug habit, especially after she was made homeless. But she’d done it and kept it up for five years. Of course, there were still difficult days and that was why Thea was still attending regular group sessions with other addicts. It helped, at least that’s what she told herself, and she’d always been open with her past. There was no judgement in their group, Thea had watched people come and go but the regulars she got along well with. 

It’d just been another ordinary session for her - discussing what life had been like when she was at her lowest, how she’d felt then versus now - the usual things. But the unfamiliar face talking to her wasn’t something Thea had been expecting. The new ones were usually silent, refusing to talk to anyone. And it was true, this stranger had been quiet in the session, but she’d sought out Thea after the session. 

“Thea,” she said with a grin, sitting back in her chair and stretching her limbs out, sighing a little in relief. “New huh? What brought you to little old Somerton? It’s usually pretty small, we’re only a small town after all. You’ll get used to it in no time, I’m sure,” Thea added with a reassuring smile, sitting up again and crossing her legs on the seat beneath her. “Been coming here for five years, so I guess I’m used to the smaller size of the group. Nothing we say leaves this room though.” She paused for a moment, pulling a face. “It’s not one of those stupid groups where everyone gathers around and sings kumbaya either. If it was, I’d have left a long time ago.”

Maya couldn’t help but give a small laugh at that, grateful that the small size was a little daunting but it wouldn’t exactly be the first group she’d joined either. Practically a cult, a man preying on primarily women who were facing difficult situations, and Maya had run far away when she realized whatever sobriety she managed through him would only bring about far worse issues down the line. “I’m glad to hear that,” she admitted. 

She’d been in enough groups where the confidentially may have been expected, but rarely ever stayed. It made her hesitant to expose herself so vulnerably so quickly, especially in a town where everyone knew everyone else. Half-truths, that’s what she was okay with sharing, especially with strangers. 

“I’m here to fix some of my mistakes,” she admitted, knowing she wouldn’t go into too many details. “I hurt someone - some people, really - very badly a few years ago. It’s what sent me into my own dark period. But I’m stronger now, better - I want to try and make things better. I just know I’ll need some support or the challenges will send me right back away.” 

“Oh please,” Caroline waved the woman dismissively, “it’s no trouble at all. We usually get rid of what wasn’t sold during the day, so I might actually still have some on the back,” she shrugged. Being nice came as a second nature to Caroline, she thought it was something she had from her grandmother. Nice, but being able to put her foot down and being assertive when she needed. It came in hand, especially with her children. “If you’re staying around here for long, you might actually need to learn how to drive in the rain, though, I don’t blame you, better be safe than sorry,” she offered as she went behind the counter and picked up a few croissants that were left  and placed them in the small portable oven they had for quick heating. Nothing sadder than a cold treat.

Once that was done, Caroline placed them on a plate and grabbed her refilled cup of coffee, thinking it would be much better if she made the woman some company for the time being, chances were they’d be stuck inside the bakery until the rain weathered out. Taking the seat across from the woman, Caroline made herself comfortable in the cushioned seat. “It’s nice to meet you Maya,” she said, “I’m Caroline, and well, I wish you had found us sooner, as well,” a gentle grin widened her lips, “but I’m glad that you found us now. So, you’re new in town, hm? Where are you coming from?”

“New Mexico,” she supplied, breaking off a piece of one of the croissants Caroline had so kindly heated up for her. “Much, much dryer - not that we didn’t have rain, but it was hardly like this, and much less often.” She had to admit, the food, the tea - even the shop itself was cute, comfortable. It felt like something closer to home than she’d felt since she arrived. She had no doubt it would become a favorite spot of hers in Somerton - unless, of course, Wesley didn’t want her there. 

She was trying not to dwell on how unwanted she was in this town as a whole. 

“I decided it was time to fix some wrongs,” she supplied, before Caroline could ask why she left behind the sun and desert, “and make things right with people I hurt awhile ago. So I’m going to have to get used to the rain sometime - I just don’t think today is quite that day yet.”

“i’d prefer if you kept your distance like you’ve done for the past seven years.” wesley seemed to have reach a good spot for him and the girls and riley was happy to see her childhood friend move on, be happy. having his ex and mother of his children waltz back into their life would do the exact opposite, no matter how well put he was. “don’t say you’ve finally grown a heart.” it was an obvious mean remark, one that required no response. “best offices are in evergreen dock, you should start there. amazing views and far away from all of us, it’s all bonus points, really.”

maya tried not to let the words sting; she knew that the town was protective of wesley, of the girls. they’d all grown up there, had roots, had helped him heal from maya’s abandonment. she could understand it. but she was just - tired. tired of having to play the villain, though she knew it was the role she’d cast herself in anyways. 

it seemed absolutely insane to maya to have a parade in the middle of march, when the weather was still cold and drizzling half the time and you had to wear a winter coat. if spring was anywhere close, she couldn’t feel it, but she was trying to dive into this new environment head first - it would be the only way she’d get used to it, she supposed. 

she had her head down, mind empty as she tried to find a decent enough space to watch from - she hadn’t bothered asking wesley if she could come with him and the girls, sure he would have told her ‘no’ anyways, but she couldn’t help but hope to see them anyways. even from afar - she wanted the chance to see her daughters, to see the flush in their cheeks, see how her darker complexion blended into wesley’s own to create the twins. instead, she was brought back to earth when she accidentally stumbled into a blonde who looked familiar in a strange way, maya quick to apologize - “sorry,” she mumbled, a little ashamed she could be so clumsy, “i wasn’t paying attention to where i was going. are you okay?” 

After spending 25 years in Somerton, Caroline realized how new people stood out like a sore thumb. It also helped that she owned a bakery in town and pretty much everyone who lived in their small community had already passed through those doors one time or another and she had always been good at collecting faces. So, when the elegant woman passed through the doors of her bakery, Caroline’s first thoughts were that either she was new in town, or she had never been there, whatever it was, the red headed received her with a smile on her lips, hoping it would make the woman feel ever more welcomed. 

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, feel free to have a seat anywhere available,” there was a humorous tone in her voice, joking about the fact that there wasn’t anyone sitting anywhere, it was just the two of them there and now Caroline hoped it would stay the same for a while. After the last storm the town had faced, something in her told her that most of the citizens would be inside their own homes at that time of the night.

With a small nod of her head, Caroline was quick to take the kettle with heated water and pour some of it inside a mug. She grabbed the little box containing their assortment of teas and placed it on the table the woman had chosen to seat. “There you go and I promise you that you’re not bothering me, okay? We’re closed, but I’m glad to give you shelter to weather out the rain. Can I get you anything else? I think we might still have some sticky buns stored, or croissants.”

Maya was pleasantly surprised by the woman’s generosity - she didn’t know what it was like to run a small business, but everyone in Somerton was always so....nice. The ones who didn’t know of her or her reputation, at least, and she hoped that she could find some to befriend in town or she’d go absolutely insane. She was grateful for the small reprieve from the rain, at any rate, and even more grateful with a mug of tea - she accepted it graciously, plucking a lemon bag from the assortment and letting it steep as her eyes lit up at the thought of a croissant. 

“Are you sure it’s not too much trouble?” she asked, feeling only a small twinge of guilt, “you’re all closed up - I don’t want to make you do any more work just because I never learned how to drive in the rain,” she said with a small laugh, tucking her soaked hair behind her ears. It was something she’d have to get used to now, whether she liked it or not. “I’m Maya, by the way. I’ve only been in town a couple weeks, but I have to admit, I’ve been looking for a place with good baked goods - I wish I had found you sooner. I’m a sucker for a good croissant in the morning.” 

where: golden flour

when: after hours

with: open starter @somertonstarter​

It was a bit later than she had previously intended to get home, but to be fair, Somerton weather decided to one up them again and the rain was strong against the windshields of the bakery, spring was approaching, she got it. She had closed the doors about two hours ago, sent everyone home and stayed behind to lock up and check on the inventory, as if she didn’t have four children who needed her back home, but truth be told, she was exhausted today. Caroline called in earlier and told them she would be late, hopefully not later than Sebastian, but late nonetheless, and they should probably order something for dinner. They were never mad about ordering something for dinner.

Caroline had grabbed the finances book to take a look at, not that she understood much of money, that was a matter for the people she had hired for that, but she always liked to keep a tight ship, it was how they had survived so far and she knew they’d survive longer if she kept at it. When she heard the ring of the front door bell she looked up, eyes raised. “I would say the bakery is closed, but you’re welcomed to stay if you’re looking for shelter from the rain,” she offered, never being the one to send other people fight off the elements just like that. “Can I get you something? The coffee machine is still running.”

If there was one thing Maya missed more than anything else in New Mexico, it was the weather. Dry and warm almost all year round, Somerton had already showered her in snow and rain and she’d been in town for only a couple of weeks. She knew slipping into the bakery was a risk - if the employees inside knew of Wes, knew of her, she’d probably be chased out - but she’d been at the high school introducing herself to the counseling team there and just needed somewhere to hide for a few minutes before she went back to her empty room at the inn by the shore. 

“I’m sorry,” she greeted with an apologetic smile, “it was just insane out there and I’m not used to driving in weather like this. I didn’t trust getting all the way back home until it dies down a little.” The bakery seemed quaint, cute and cozy and Maya wondered if the girls liked it - came for cupcakes or cookies, if it was a treat for them or a regular event. She’d spent a lot of time wandering around Somerton, trying to figure out the lives of the daughters she still hadn’t gotten to see in person yet. 

“I don’t mean to be a bother, especially if you’re closed but - do you happen to have any tea? Coffee tends to make me jittery, but hot water and lemon even would be incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever been this cold before.” 

CLOSED STARTER. ↪ for maya moreno ( @morenomaya​ ) ↪ at town square

There was one thing that would never change about Riley, no matter how long she spent apart from her friends. She was a loyal, dedicated friend and whoever hurt her people had to go through her. Maya was one of those people. Standing in the middle of town square, glaring at the woman, she didn’t think this day would ever come. Facing the woman who had hurt Wesley and his daughters the same way her mother had done to her. Maybe it wasn’t fair to compare the situations but Riley couldn’t separate her own feelings, not in this. “Look what the cat dragged in.” She folded her arms, looking down on Maya. “What the hell are you doing here, Maya?”

All Maya had wanted from her day was to find a new office so she could stop using the small one the hospital had regulated her to. It felt like the entire world of Somerton was against her - every day, she could feel the glares as more and more people figured out who she was. How could a mother leave her children? How could someone leave Wesley? They were valid questions. She knew that. And they wouldn’t stop until people realized she was here to stay - or until another scandal erupted. Which is why she wasn’t even surprised to see yet another face angry at her - one she’d known from stories told long ago in a Manhattan apartment, images she’d seen from high school days long past. “Riley, right?” she said passively, her fingers digging into her reusable cup full of tea. “I don’t really have time to get into this; I have a meeting with a real estate agent about finding an office space. I’m sure you’ll prefer Wesley’s version of events anyways.”