Playing with fire (Amelia Shepherd) ABANDONED

thirty four

"Yeah," Carina said.

Mallie's phone beeped and she pulled it out, seeing her lawyer had text her saying he was sending a copy of her father's updated will to her house within the next few days. Mallie sighed and locked her phone.

"What is it?" Carina asked.

"My dad called me a few days ago, told me he's got cancer and is gonna die in a year because he's refusing treatment. My lawyer was telling me they're sending over a copy of his updated will to my house within the next few days. He told me he's leaving me, Amelia and the twins everything," Mallie said.

"Aren't you, like, secretly a princess? Maya told me you have a castle," Carina said.

"I'm not a princess, but my family is rich and has been for centuries. My ancestors built that castle and passed it down from Cruz to Cruz. Nobody lived in it for like, a hundred years until we had to move in when I was a kid and it's way too far away for us to ever live there again, considering our lives are here," Mallie said.

"Good point," Carina said. "You could sell it," she said.

"I don't think I'd get any buyers. It's a pretty big and expensive castle," Mallie said. "I could renovate it, rent it out as like a holiday home, but tourism isn't that big over there because it's mostly a religious city, so we only really get religious people or historians," Mallie said.

"Where is it?" Carina asked.

"It's in Cuenca," Mallie said.

"Cuenca's supposed to be beautiful. You could probably do it as a holiday home. I mean, if you're not using it, you might as well, and it's not like you need the extra money from the tourists, so you wouldn't be losing anything," Carina said.

"Maybe," Mallie said.

"Have you told Amelia about your dad?" Carina asked.

"Not yet. I will, 'cause the papers are coming, but things have been chaotic with Meredith and everything so I didn't think now was the best time, you know?" Mallie said.

"Yeah, I get you," Carina said.

Mallie sighed and looked around the apartment again.

"We should probably make some headway before Maya comes home," Mallie said.

"Yeah, probably," Carina said, leading her to her bedroom. "Any plans for the rest of the day?" she asked.

"We're waiting for Mer to be discharged, so I'm just picking her up whenever Maggie calls me," Mallie said.

"Sounds fun," Carina smiled.

"Yeah, Zola insisted on Amelia helping her make churros for Meredith, now she knows how to do them herself," Mallie said.

"She's so grown up, now," Carina said.

"I know. I remember when they first adopted her and she was this squishy little baby, and now she's like, a real person. I can't wait for the twins to be like that, even if I'm dreading them growing up," Mallie said.

"They're going to be great people," Carina smiled.

"You think?" Mallie looked at her hopefully.

"With parents like you and Amelia, with cousins like Meredith's kids and with the family you and Amelia have around you, I don't even doubt it. They're going to be amazing," Carina said.

Mallie quickly pulled her into a hug before letting go, turning back to the suitcase on Carina's bed.

"Enough feelings before I cry. Time to pack," Mallie said.