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“Nothing new has developed, but there was another letter sent out. It was addressed to Dad, but it came to me. Did you guys switch the formal business address to my cabin? Or has Breathline Energies tracked me down?” I asked.
“No, we switched it. Don’t panic. I was going to call and tell you, but I haven’t had the time. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“What happened with forwarding the mail to you guys down in Florida?” I asked.
“You really don’t watch the news, do you? This hurricane season’s supposed to be rough. Your father is up to his usual panicky antics and he switched the forwarding address to your house. So we can make sure someone gets the mail. He thinks everything halts when storms blow through.”
“Sounds like Dad. Anyway, it’s another threatening letter from Breathline. Government action and all that shit.”
“Language, sweetheart.”
“Sorry, Mom. And all that stuff. I’ve got an informal sit down with Richard on Saturday for lunch to figure out what we can do about getting them to stop. Richard says they don’t have grounds to involve the government and that we might have some avenues we can take to get them to stop for good.”
“Well, keep us in the loop honey. I’m so sorry we aren’t there to handle this,” she said.
“No worries. You guys enjoy your incapacitated time together. I just wanted to update you on what was going on since I had to call the family lawyer.”
“Thanks, sweetheart. Let us know how Saturday goes.”
“I will. And Mom?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t kill Dad. We need him,” I said.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he’s just fine.”
“I can still hear your grin.”
“If you keep questioning me then I’m going to start prodding you on why your voice sounds so chipper.”
“I’m not chipper,” I said.
“Even with the stress you’re shouldering with this letter, you sound much better than you did the last time I talked with you. You don’t want me asking question, then stop teasing me about what your father and I do on vacation,” she said.
“I’m not teasing. The two of you are celibate saints,” I said.
“Uh huh. Keep your head up. And if we need to come back early, we will. Okay?”
“No need. I’ll call you guys after lunch on Saturday,” I said.
I hung up the phone and shook my head. In retrospect, I was lucky to have been raised in the family I had been. My mother and father had no issues with showing affection toward one another while they were around us. They hugged and kissed. My brothers, Jasper and Leo, had the stereotypical “walking in on their parents” moments when they were younger. I had enough sense not to bother them when they were both behind closed doors, but my twin brothers were idiots growing up.
Thank fuck they turned out to be decent human beings as they got older.
I knew I needed to call them with this, but I held off on it. I sat on the couch and closed my eyes, my mind racing back to Ava. I wish I had gotten her number before she left. So I could check in on her and make sure she was doing okay. I had no idea why I was so worried about her, but I was. I didn’t know why I couldn’t get her off my mind, but I couldn’t.
I reached out for the empty space on the couch, imagining her there. How she looked lounging around in my shirt with her supple legs draped over the couch cushions. I opened my eyes and looked over, watching as her form faded away into nothing.
I wasn’t aware of how lonely I had been until she had crashed landed into my life. But now, I was painfully aware of how alone I was.
And I didn’t like it one bit.
Fifteen
Ava
I made my way to the library that morning to check out some new books. Today was the first day I was going to show my father I meant business. Ever since our very heated discussion where I figured out my brothers were just as miserable as I had become, I was determined to stand my ground. My brothers looked up to me just like I looked up to them, and I figured starting with something small would make a good case. My father always checked the books I brought home from the library, but this time he would find a sack of books he didn’t approve of. Books on business and investments. Books on energy and gasoline. Books to educate me on the family business and books on sustainable energy.
