Rook was quiet, and I waited. “Elliot? Why?”
“I don’t know. I guess my dad is dating his mom and they have this idea that they are a family now. He wants a man to run it.”
“And that’s the only reason he gave?”
“Kind of. I guess this has been going on behind my back for a while now.”
“While you were dating him?”
“I think so.”
“And does Elliot know you have been with me?”
“He knows I’m with someone. He told my dad that I’m more worried about finding a boyfriend than anything else. As if I care. The only reason I met you was because he’s a piece of shit. I never told him explicitly it was you, and I doubt anyone is expecting me to actually date the guy who tried to rob us,” I said. Rook gave a soft laugh, making me smile, but more tears spilled out. “People he knows were at the party and saw us. I don’t know if anyone there has talked to him, though. He’s kind of disappeared from the friend group. Which now, I guess that’s because he’s been too busy taking over my life.”
“You should find out if they know who I am.”
“What? Why?”
“Because there are going to be bigger issues if they find out you are with me.”
“I can ask, but I don’t know how much they are going to tell me either way. I’m out. I’m kicked out of my own family. I’ve done nothing but be there for him. I’ve done everything he asked. I’ve been there to take care of him if he needed it.”
“Take care of him?”
“I never said anything,” I said, more tears coming now. “I never told you because he doesn’t like people to know, but he’s sick. Terminally sick.”
“When did you learn this?”
“Last year, right before I graduated college.”
“And you’ve gone with him to all his appointments, taken care of him, and now this?” he asked.
“I mean, I’ve done what I could, but he’s been so upset about it, he hasn’t really let me in on any of that either. And what do I get out of all of it? A year of my life gone? I have no career, no life. A dad who doesn’t even want to spend time with me and let me take overourfamily’s legacy before he is gone?” The panic rising in my voice was clear, but I was doing everything to stop the tears. “I don’t know what to do.”
“You handle one thing at a time,” he said. “Go talk to them and see if they know it’s specifically me. Make sure you get the fiancée’s name. Then get whatever answers you can and meet me out front. I’ll take you home.”
“I drove.”
“And I will take you home,” he repeated.
“When will you be here?”
“Five minutes. Go do what you need to and wait at your car for me.”
“Okay. I feel so stupid.”
“Don’t,” Rook demanded. “He betrayed you, not the other way around.”
“Is it betrayal, though? Or am I really just that bad at this?”
“I don’t know if this is really any help, but there isn’t a way I could date you if you weren’t good at this. If it wasn’t obvious that you can handle yourself and shitty situations. Elliot is a useless excuse of a human, and I can prove it to you if you need more confirmation of that. Don’t for one fucking second think you aren’t the better choice for running literally any business. Just go out there, ask what you need and demand answers. If you want secrets to ruin your dad, Regan, I will give them to you.”
“For what?”
“In exchange? Nothing.”
“You said secrets aren’t free.”
