“But that won’t make it okay,” he admitted on a thick mutter. One that was filled with regret and pain.
One that reminded me of how much he’d loved me before.
Of why I’d tried for so long.
Over.
And over.
And over again until that seemingly interminable well of love I had for him had run dry.
“I can be okay with a lot. I just can’t be okay with secrets and lies.” My lip curled into a sneer as I added a forced laugh. “I’m too neurotic.”
I didn’t think it would work, but the self-deprecating joke landed, and he chuckled before sighing. “I want to tell you. Fuck, I’ve wanted to tell you. But he made me swear not to.”
“Who?”
“Your dad.”
“What about him?”
Josh let out another frustrated groan. “Okay, you know how I’ve been working for Chase Majors?”
I started to say yes before catching myself. I’d known he was working for an actor, but his NDA prevented him from telling me who. It had been Maddie who’d told me, so I played oblivious to hide that. “That’s who you’ve been working for?”
“Shit, I wasn’t supposed to tell you that. Don’t tell anyone, okay?”
“Of course.” It wasn’t a lie since I didn’t give a shit enough to say anything.
“I mean it, Greer. If Chase gets looped into this, everything is fucked. Please.”
“I won’t.”
“Good. Okay.” He let out a harsh breath. “When Chase found out that I also work for your dad, he started seeing him for minor upkeep. Botox, peels, jaw work, that kinda shit. He got some scripts for mild pain relief, but then he started asking me whether your dad could prescribe other shit like a real doctor.”
I was pissed at my dad, but I still rolled my eyes in his defense since a plastic surgeon was a real doctor, and he did a lot more than boob and nose jobs.
Josh continued. “Your dad agreed, and it kinda snowballed.”
Maddie had told me as much, but I was still somehow surprised to hear it confirmed. I played it up, letting it bleed into my incredulous tone. “Are you saying Dad is dealingdrugs?”
“Whoa. No. No, nothing like that. He’s just helping people out.”
“With prescriptions.”
“Yeah. But it’s not a big deal, Greer, I promise. Every doctor does it. It’s not like he’s handing out heroin or some shit.”
He wasn’t trying to downplay it. I wasn’t sure if it was because he’d been raised by a mother who popped Xanax like breath mints or because of how commonplace it was in general.
Whatever the case, his dismissive attitudewashis truth.
Explaining the error in his logic would be impossible, so I didn’t try. “Is Dad having financial trouble?”
Josh sounded thrown by my question. “Not that I know of. Why?”
“Because he’s selling prescriptions,” I said.
He blew a raspberry and chuckled. “You know your dad.”
