She answered too quickly.
“We already did.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“You told me ten minutes ago.”
She looked annoyed at herself.
Kyle waved a hand.
“Fine.
We’ll split the money with them.”
“No.”
“With you, then.”
“No.”
“Jesus, Thomas.
It’s an online listing.
We can change the percentages.”
“You’re still assuming the problem is how the money gets divided.”
He stared at me.
“The problem,” I said, “is that you took control of a property you had no authority to control, tried to convert my parents’ home into income, and told the people protected by the trust that they could live downstairs when your customers weren’t using their rooms.”
Mom inhaled sharply at the word customers.
Julia’s face reddened.
“Stop making us sound like criminals.”
“I’m describing what you did.”
“We’re family.”
“And Mom and Dad are family too.”
That landed harder than I expected.
For a moment, Julia said nothing.
Then she turned toward Mom.
“You told him?”
Mom blinked.
“Told him what?”
“That we brought our things.”
Dad answered before she could.
“I texted him.”
Julia stared at him.
“You went behind my back?”
Dad’s hands stopped shaking.
It was almost imperceptible, but I noticed.
He looked directly at his daughter.
“You moved into my house without asking me.”
Julia opened her mouth.
Dad continued.
“You told me my bedroom made more sense for you because it had the ocean view.”
Mom looked down.
That was new information to me.
Kyle shifted on the couch.
“It’s the largest room.”
I turned to him.
“So you took their bedroom too?”
“We were arranging things.”
“For whom?”
No answer.
I looked at Mom.
“Where are your suitcases?”
She pointed toward the short hallway leading to the small downstairs room.
I stood.
Julia stepped into my path.
