Chapter 3 An Autograph. Can't be that hard.

Sloane's POV

Keylan paid me some of the money.

In his words, “you didn't complete the job, sis."

So for the past few minutes, I've been staring at the transfer notification on my phone, praying it was going to change if I looked at it long enough.

It did not change.

Teeth gritted, I typed out three different texts to him and deleted all of them because none of them were appropriate for a sibling relationship I wanted to preserve.

Then I put my phone face-down on my desk and stared at the ceiling, working out the math I already knew the answer to.

I was, conservatively, about two hundred short.

Maybe two-fifty if I wanted to eat this month which…. look, I'd consider

skipping meals for a camera, but I've come to realize I didn't like the woman I became when I'm starving.

The worst part was that Priya had texted me that morning asking when she could swing by to grab Meera.

Whenever! I had replied, while basically clenching my teeth.

But thank God, Priya got held up with practical classes again.

And just asked if I could get Ethan Andersen’s autograph for her since my brother worked for him.

Again, I confidently assured her I could get it when I wasn't even sure my brother would talk to me right now.

So that's why at 4pm today, I found Keylan's building with one single agenda in mind: autograph.

If I could not pay for the camera, I could at least show up to Priya's door with something she wanted more than money.

Even if I didn't really like the guy, Priya did.

So an Ethan Andersen autograph would buy me at least two weeks of goodwill and possibly prevent her from ever asking about the camera until I have it replaced.

It was not a good plan but it was the only plan I had.

I buzzed up and Keylan let me in without asking, again. However, the apartment was louder than usual.

I heard male voices the moment I got to the door and pushed it open.

But I froze at the doorway.

Keylan was at his desk and there were two other guys I vaguely recognized from his work circle sitting on the couches.

But that's not why I froze okay.

Ethan Andersen is right here.

He's standing by the window with his arms crossed, lips pressed into a tight line.

It felt insanely surreal…being in the same room with him.

On the ice that day, he'd looked huge because of the pads and all the stuff he had on, but why the heck does he even look bigger in simple jeans and T-shirt?

Maybe it was his presence…

Anyway, he didn't look at me as I finally shook myself out of my shock and walked in.

Nobody did, actually. They were all too busy talking over each other.

“...three days, Keylan, two days before we were supposed to launch the show, man."

"I know how many days it is, man."

"So what's the actual plan? Because right now we have a show with the main character civilian gone and a director who's already threatening to quit if we don't get our shit together."

"I said I know." Keylan rubbed his eyes frustratedly and turned around in his chair.

His eyes fell on me and he fondly gruffed. "Hey little –” but he cut himself off as his eyes narrowed at me.

Wait.

I knew that look.

I'd grown up with that look.

It was the look he got right before he said, ‘hey so hear me out,’ and whatever came after it was always, without exception, the worst idea anyone had ever had.

"Sloane," he said slowly.

"No," I shook my head immediately, backing up towards the door.

"You don't even know what I'm going to say!"

"You have the face, Keylan. I know the face."

He had the audacity to look offended. "I don't have a face."

"You absolutely have a face."

One of the guys on the couch looked between us with furrowed brows and from the corner of my eye, I realized Ethan Andersen had somehow left the room.

Again, he was kind of an asshole.

Was my presence so repulsive he had to leave?

Whatever.

My brother leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and said, very carefully, "What if you were the replacement?"

The room went quiet and I gaped at him.

"What if I were the…" My brain glitched out and I bit my tongue to pull my thoughts together before continuing. "Keylan. I am your sister."

"Which means you're already vetted, you're available, you're good on camera—"

I cut him off with wide eyes. "I have never been on camera in my life."

"—and you need money." He continued talking like he didn't hear me. "I'll pay you the other half plus a full rate for the filming weeks."

I opened my mouth and closed it, doing the math involuntarily because my brain was a traitor.

But I still shook my head. "Absolutely not. This is insane and you are insane for suggesting it and I'm going home."

I turned around and walked back out the door.

---

I called Priya from the bus.

"Your brother wants you to what?" she said.

"Be on the show. Live with Eth— I don't even… Look it doesn't matter, it's insane and I said no."

There was a pause on her end that I did not like.

"Priya."

"I mean," she dragged out the ‘n’.

"Don't."

"It's not the worst idea."

"It is literally the worst idea. I walked into his apartment to get you an autograph and came out having been asked to participate in a television production. That is objectively the worst idea."

"Okay but hear me out—"

" No Pree!” I cut her clean and the person sitting next to me shot me an irritated look. "I just watched Keylan do the exact same thing and it didn't work for him either so save yourself the energy."

"Sloane." Her voice shifted into the register she used when she was about to be annoyingly logical. "He needs someone he can trust. Like a day after his only candidate dropped out and there's no time to vet someone new. If he doesn't fix this, what happens to Keylan?"

I didn't say anything.

"He's been working with Andersen since before anyone knew who Ethan Andersen was," Priya continued. "This show is the thing that saves that relationship and his reputation as an agent. If the show falls apart because there's no civilian—"

"Pree."

"I'm just saying. What happens to Keylan's job, Sloane?"

I looked out the bus window at February being gray and miserable outside.

"That's not fair," I said.

"I know." She didn't sound sorry. "But it's true."

I pressed my temple against the cold glass and closed my eyes.

My brother had been in my corner every single time it counted. Every time our family got messy and people picked sides, Keylan picked mine.

"Fine." With that, I ended the call and texted my brother.

–If I take the offer, which I'm not saying I have, but if I do, I get a signed T-shirt of Ethan Andersen's autograph.