-HIATUS- ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇᴍ - ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀᴡᴛʜᴏʀɴᴇ ʟᴇɢᴀᴄʏ (ꜱᴇQᴜᴇʟ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɢʀᴀᴍʙꜱ?) -HIATUS-

Chapter 39

Who does Zara think she is? We just need to look at it for a bit. Borrow it. What about the letter? If we gave it to her could she have given us the ring? Even if it is just for a little bit? I'm stalling. I should have never told them about Toby.  They finished talking and we sit in silence, they're waiting for me to tell them. Tell them about Toby. I need to break the silence.

"So, what's the plan?" I ask and everyone is still silent looking at me, cause I broke the silence. "What? Someone had to say something."

"You're right. Sitting here in silence isn't going to get us anywhere," Xander says looking around. 

"Five million dollars. Does Zara honestly think that Alisa is just going to agree to cut that kind of check?" Avery says from beside me. What? Five million dollars?

"FIVE MILLION DOLLARS?!" I say surprised. Avery nods and I can't help but stare at her in disbelief.

"She's playing with us," Jameson said sounding meditative. She definitely was, five million dollars for a ring?

"What did you guys ask for? The ring itself? Or-" I start.

"Some time with it. Five minutes," Jameson replies and I lay back against the couch. Five minutes? Five million dollars?

"Perhaps it would be wise to-" Grayson starts tilting his head to the side.

"I can get the money," Xander blurts. His brothers stare at him. But I know where he is going to get the money from. Nash would never allow it.

"You want to pay Zara five million dollars to show us your grandfather's wedding ring?" Avery says stunned. Does she know?

"Xan Deer, are you out of your mind? He would never allow it!"  Nash is Xander's trustee. He had invested in cryptocurrency. This is Xander's money, not the estate's. Xander's. "I know that I have only known him for a month or two now, but- just be in his shoes, he won't allow it."

"Wait. Who? You have five million dollars?" Grayson says narrowing his eyes, he looks at me and then at Xander.

"He actually has way more than that," I shrug getting a look from Xander.

"Look, ash-hole, nobody is giving anybody five million dollars. We'll just have to find another way to get the ring." Max says pointing a finger at Max.

"You're still a minor. If Skye finds out you have that kind of money..." Grayson says his voice low.

"It's in a trust. Nash is the trustee and Skye isn't getting anywhere near it." Xander assures Grayson and probably Jameson as well.

"And you think Nash is going to let you write Zara a check for five million dollars?" Avery asks her voice sounding incredulous.

"I can be very persuasive," Xander says. He is persuasive but he shouldn't have to pay five million dollars for something as small as this. I shake my head at him.

"There's another way. We'll set up a trade." Jameson says with a look on his face, he looked... I don't know what it is but he looks... hot. Oh god! What is going on with me?!

"And what, precisely, do you think our aunt would trade for her father's wedding ring?" Grayson says from beside me. 

Jameson smiled as he looked around the room. "Her mother's."

"Her mother's" I repeat. Where would we get her mother's? Nan inherited her mother's jewelry. "We need your great-grandmother," I say getting a nod from Jameson.

"Our great-grandmother," he corrects, a smile wants to appear on my face but... Toby.

"Amber, I am sure I speak for others when I say this. What do you mean Toby isn't fine?" Avery asks me putting her hand on mine. I should tell them, but what would happen to my phone? What would happen if they found out that it was The Sheriff?

"Okay, well. While Rosie and I were escaping this place, I got a call. Unknown number, so I pick up," I say smiling.

"Amber, stop talking to strangers," Avery says from beside me, her face is stone.

"So, I'm like hello! Then they tell me that getting out of this room is dangerous and I tell them that I don't think it is, then they say keep Rosie close..." Rosie nods she was understanding why I cried when I thought I had lost her. "Then I ask them why. Then- they call me Queen. Avery that is what Harry called me. Toby. I tell him not to lay a finger on him and then he said nothing bad is going to happen to him then he hung up... The thing is he might just be tricking me but he knows about Toby. He knows that Rosie was with me. He knows and I don't know who he is. I'd try to get the phone number but when I checked my call history it wasn't there and I just don't understand..." I stop. "But I know that it is all my fault," I say in a whisper.

"It isn't your fault," Avery whispers back.

"Except for the fact that it is..." I sigh. "So any comments? Thoughts? Plans?" I ask looking around, everyone seems to be thinking.

"Number one! Stop picking up calls from random numbers. Number two! I think that there is someone on the inside. Number three! I think that you actually know who that person talking is. Number four! You knew this would happen. Number five! This links to number four, this is why you said don't trust anyone. Number six! We shouldn't keep you alone in this room. Number seven! You are coming with us. Number eight! We're taking your phone. Number nine! We're telling Oren. Number ten... we won't tell Oren, because that is exactly the reason why you haven't been telling us anything." Xander says and I nod. He understood, he knows. He got everything right.

"Number one, I should probably stop, but I am doing it just in case it is him. Number two, there is definitely someone on the inside. Number three, I do know who called me. Number four, I knew this would happen. Number five, that is why I said don't trust anyone. Number six, I have no comments because I don't really care. Number seven, thank you. Number eight, don't take my phone. Number nine, don't tell Oren. Number ten, you're right. Well done Xan Deer, you figured me out." I smile at him and he smiles back. He has questions, but then he looks at Avery and his brothers and shakes his head. 

"I want to break this silence by asking everyone what they want to be when they grow up! Or what they plan on doing!" Rosie pipes up. "Starting with me, I want to be a designer!" No one replies... 

"Statistical risk assessment," Avery shrugs. I have no clue what I want to be. 

"Anyone else?" Rosie asks looking at us. I shake my head and the others do the same. I'm sure Grayson already decided right? I mean he just pushed the university back a year to work a the foundation. If he is going to university doesn't he know? Jameson... I really don't know. "Amber? Come on you do theatre stuff." I chuckle.

"But I don't know if that is what I want to do, it feels more like a hobby than a dream," I say and she nods. "Wow, this is a big question, I haven't really thought about it before. Rosie, what happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" Rosie asks me tilting her head.

"You usually ask the most stupid questions, the last time you asked about your brother." I laugh, but no one else does. "Don't you all have somewhere to be?" I say and everyone nods.

(1271 words)