Entrapped . HS

ONE.

Iva and I had been back and forth about her coming along for my graduation from NYU. It would mean her coming face to face with my family members once again, but hopefully under better circumstances this time. Even after telling her that they would all understand, as would I, that it was a long trip to take from Switzerland at the end of the semester for her, she wouldn't hear about not being there for me. She'd been there for me through a lot over the last year. First Asher getting sick, then his funeral. She even flew to New York to celebrate New Years Eve there with me, watching 2022 disappear and ushering 2023 in with the hopes of it being a better year for everyone.

"Are you sure?" I asked her, wrapping my arms around her slender waist from behind and resting my chin down on her shoulder. She was surveying her closet, trying to decide what to pack for the different parties different the members of my family would inevitably throw while we were back for my graduation.

"If you ask me again, then I'll cancel my ticket. YES, I'm sure!" She moved so quickly that I nearly fell over, since I was counting on her to hold me upright. "Help me pack or we're going to be late."

We made it to the train station just in time for the hour-long ride to Zurich. With his perfect timing, as always, Lawson called as we sit down.

- "What time does your flight come in?"

- "8:30 pm. Dad said he would be there to pick us up. Is that still the plan?"

- "Not exactly. Guin and I are coming to pick you and Iva up. You are going to stay with us for the night because grandpa came to town early."

- "That can't be good."

- "I suspect it's not. At least he's having you bring Iva here instead of putting her in the middle of whatever the latest is with the two of them." My had grandfather recently stepped down from heading up the family business, Sinclair Publishing House. He gave the proverbial keys over to my dad, and Lawson took over dad's old contract editor's position. I haven't spent a lot of time learning the family business because I planned on having almost nothing to do with it, but I guess he was now responsible for overseeing contracts between parties- like managing agreements between publishing houses and authors or their literary agents.

Declan, my twin brother, also worked at Sinclair. He was a senior editor and loved every minute of his job. I was happy for both of them, really I was, but my dad had made it very clear that I had no obligation to follow in anyone's footsteps and that I was to make my own path in life. Hence, I was in the last days of finishing my Masters in Photography from NYU via an exchange with the University of Bern. I also had an undergraduate degree in Ceramics and Photography with a minor in Art History. So, as you could see, I had done nothing in college that would be of much help to the family business.

- "Do you think they are going to be able to behave for my graduation?"

- "I doubt it, but I'll try my best to work with Declan and keep them apart." Iva looked over at me, her bright blue eyes worried about the conversation she was hearing parts of. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

- "Thanks, Law. And tell Guin thank you for hosting us."

- "You two will have to stay in the weird guest room with the two beds. Guin's friend Hannah moved in a couple months ago and she has the nicer of the guest rooms, since she is paying us rent and all. Maybe you know her? She's Declan's assistant editor."

- "I don't think I got to meet her, but there were a lot of people to meet at New Years. How is that working out? I'm sure Lane loves that he has a female assistant editor," I said sarcastically.