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With the shock of learning that my absent father was a real man with a real name and face, I hadn’t given much thought to the family he had returned to until now. The picture crumbled slightly in my grip as I spoke.
“Split with who?”
“The person who sent me here,” Matt said. “Toby Ashbluff, your brother.”
“I… I have a brother?”
3
SCARLETT
The next day dawned with watery January sunlight and a minimal hangover for me. The events of the night before had sent me into a restless sleep after sending more than one drunken text to Lily, trying to ask for advice. Discovering my boyfriend cheating on me and learning that I had a father was a lot to swallow in one night.
Lily, respectfully, hadn’t acknowledged any content in those texts and instead responded with a request that I bring her coffee that morning, and ever the diligent friend, that’s exactly what I did.
The soft chime of the bell above the door jingled as my nose was tickled with a vast array of flowery scents. From roses and sweet peas to tulips and Snapdragons, Lily’s Blooms was an extravagantly colorful place to be and gave Lush a run for its money in terms of unique scents.
“Lily?”
“Back here!”
With two cups of coffee warming my hands, I wove through the various displays and past the counter into the back room, where Lily was surrounded by a dozen beheaded daisies and a bucketful of dye.
“Oh my god, what are you doing?” I asked with a chuckle.
“I have a commission for a bouquet for a birthday and daisies are their favorite flower, but they wanted the colors to match the uh…” Lily paused and glanced over her shoulder, sending a scattering of blonde curls down her back. “Have you ever seen the movie Midsommar?”
“Nope.”
“Oh well, there’s a huge dress with lots of color and—it doesn’t really matter. I just have to dye a lot of petals.” Lily removed her hands from the bucket and began peeling off her gloves, eyeing me with a familiar look of concern. “What happened?”
I handed her the cup of coffee, slowly lowered onto the wicker chair in the corner, and the dam burst.
“I came home, and Shane was in bed with another woman! She looked so surprised, poor thing but he didn’t even seem to care that he was caught. He said that I wasn’t supposed to find out, that he was doing it because I wasn’t taking care of him but Lily, I swear I try. I try until I’m blue in the face but it’s never enough for him. And in my bed, in my own home?!” The tears flowed thick and fast, pouring out all the upset I hadn’t had a chance to process the night before. My fingers tightened on my drink, denting the paper cup as the words flowed amidst soft sobs.
“And before I could tell him to leave, the door went, and some Lawyer was standing there from New York. He was all dressed up and he stood in front of me and told me that I had a dad and by the way, he’s dead and I’m written into the will because he had an affair with my mom but they kept it quiet because he’s rich and I’m sure back then it was all some sort of incredible scandal but he’s dead, Lily, he’s dead!”
My cheeks flushed purple as the words spilled out in a hot rush without pause, and only when I sucked in a desperate gasp for air did Lily move forward and crouch down in front of me.
“Sweetie, do you want something stronger in that coffee?”
I paused my weeping for a split second, and then I laughed weakly and shook my head.
“No, I have a headache from yesterday.”
“Fuck. I’m so sorry. Shane’s always been a scumbag to everything and everyone, but he always seemed different with you. I hoped he was different.” Lily reached out and took my hand, rubbing soothingly at my tense knuckles.
“No, he just… fuck, I don’t know. He needed a place to stay, and I was the only one soft enough to fall for a sliver of attention,” I muttered bitterly.
“Okay no, we’re not doing that,” Lily scolded. “You’re not blaming yourself for this. Sure, maybe Shane wasn’t the best match for you, but actions are his own and whatever twisted power play he set up by cheating in your house is his own business. You dumped him, right?”
I swiped at my eyes and nodded. “I told him we’re over.”
“Good. The fucking rat.” Lily stood slowly with a groan, rubbing at her thighs. Being on her feet all day played havoc with her joints. “Y’know, you should get that hunky George over at the hardware store to change your locks just in case. Maybe he could be a sexy bounce back, too.”
“Lily!”
Lily chuckled; her tongue clenched briefly between her teeth. “I’m just saying.”
