Crazy = Genius

Chapter 46: Some Kind of Disaster

'You gotta hurt sometimes to learn to heal, you gotta get back up and learn to deal'

Lilianna placed the last of the dishes in the sink before leaning against the marble counter in exhaustion. Jeremiah's words were still running through her mind and the fear they brought to her made her nauseous. How did he of all people in that house know about Emmet? What had Mikale said to him? What would happen if Terrence found out?

"I'm heading out." Terrence interrupted her thoughts as he walked up. She quickly reached up and shifted his tie to be straighter and refolded the handkerchief in his chest pocket.

"Why thank you." He smiled slightly, his eyes scanning her intently.

"Can't have you walking around a mess now, can we?" She teased.

"Professionalism is essential in this business, you are not wrong, Ms. Price."

"It's Doctor, Dr. Price." She corrected him with a sharp look.

"My apologies, Dr. Price." He laughed. "Don't wear yourself out today. Relax or go to the beach. Read in the library with the door locked. Just enjoy your time in this, almost empty house."

"I'll try." She smiled.

"Good, I'll be back in a few hours. Let Mikale or Cas know if you need anything. I love you." Terrence placed a quick kiss on her forehead and was out the door. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Lilianna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Maybe all she needed was some genuine self-care time by herself. No boys, no kids, no worries. Maybe normalizing the situation was what she needed to do to ease the anxious headaches.

Two men stood on the patio by the dining room, eyes glued to the now vacant dock. Jeremiah, Commodore, Brett, Matthew, and Terrence had finally left the island for a lengthy dinner meeting in mainland Italy.

Mikale put out his joint and opened the sliding glass door back into the mansion. "Coming?"

"If I talk to her now it'll seem suspicious. Give it a few minutes to be truly coast is clear." Casper said softly, his attention on his phone as he zoomed in and out of a document in his folders.

"Fine. Just get it done fast. Boss will want to be back before ten." Mikale shut the door behind him as he made his way inside to make sure Lilianna was safely milling about.

He pushed open the door to Hannah's room to find someone other than Lilianna seated on the fluffy rug having a tea party with Hannah and Rochelle.

"Uncle Mikale!" Hannah squealed. She ran over and gripped his hand tightly to pull him over to the teal blue table. "Have tea with us and Uncle Otis!"

"Where's Anna?" Mikale asked Otis who had a bright pink feather boa wrapped around his neck and a matching plastic tiara on his head.

"Taking a day off from being a housewife," Otis explained in a very poor British accent. "More tea please, Hannah!"

"Okay, what does that mean?" Mikale asked as Hannah poured some lukewarm tea into the tiny purple cup in Otis's hand.

"She is either in the library, taking a bubble bath with some fancy candles and the lights off, or she's swimming laps around the island. Either way, she is taking a well deserved 'me' day." Otis explained in more detail, sipping his tea noisily.

"And who gave the all-clear for her to just-" Mikale started in an angry tone before Otis shushed him harshly.

"One, she doesn't need permission to take a mental health day. Two, Terrence told her to take the day off. She's been through it, we all know that. If we didn't give her a day off soon, a day away from all of us, especially Boss, she would've needed her own psychotherapist."