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“I am?”
“I’m just trying to make life easier for you. I know how hard you’ve had it.”
“Yet you left us there in the middle of it. You could have made our lives easier years ago, but you didn’t so much as show your face after Dad died.”
“You don’t think I tried?” he shouts, losing his cool once again.
“Well, did you?”
“That’s not the point.
”
“Well, what is the fucking point then?” I roar. “Because as far as I see it, you’re suddenly trying to control my life, and trust me when I tell you that it’s the last thing I fucking want. I don’t want or need you in my life. I’m only putting up with my bullshit for them,” I point above my head to where I assume my brothers are. “They are what’s important. It’s not too late for them. Me, however, I know I’m a lost cause. And yes, I’m also aware that Remi is too good for me, but so fucking what. Don’t you think it’s about time I had something good in my life? Something that your money can’t suddenly buy?”
He releases a breath and stares at the ceiling for a beat. “If you so much as hurt a hair on her head, I’m warning you, Ace...”
“Why do you care? She’s not your fucking daughter. She’s only in your life because you’re fucking her mother.”
“That’s enough.” His face is bright red now. “I care deeply for both of them, and I will do right by them both.”
“And that doesn’t include me.”
He raises an eyebrow, but I don’t hang around long enough to hear what he might have to say.
I can’t leave it there, though. My anger won’t let me. Stopping when I get to the kitchen, I turn back to him. “Let’s get a few things straight. If it weren’t for them, then I wouldn’t be here. You’re a lying, deceitful cunt, and I want nothing to do with you, even less your guilt money. So from here on out, you stay out of my life and I’ll stay out of yours. I’ll move into the pool house so we don’t even need to see each other.” I walk away with his mouth hanging open in shock.
I’m done with this conversation and the bullshit about him caring about us that keeps falling from his lips. If he cared, then he wouldn’t have left us. Hell, he wouldn’t have put us in that position in the first place. This is all about guilt, all of it, and I want nothing to do with it other than to hurt him just like he did us.
He thinks he’s a pro at manipulation, but he’s clearly not met the master, because dear old Uncle James is about to get a taste of his own medicine.
I storm up the stairs with such force that both Cole and Conner poke their heads out of their rooms.
“Are you ever going to give him a break?” Conner asks. I get why they’re confused—they don’t know any of it, and like fuck am I going to tell them now so the truth can fester inside of them like it has me since I discovered it.
“Un-fucking-likely. He’s a cunt.”
“Really?” Conner asks, gesturing to the house around us.
“His money means fuck all. He’s had it all these years and never done shit to help us before now.”
“I’m sure there was a reason. He clearly cares enough to do all this. He didn’t have to.”
“Whatever.” I turn my back on them both and continue to my room. “I’m moving into the pool house if you need me.”
“You’re what? Why?”
“Because I am. All right?”
Conner holds his hands up in surrender. “Okay, fine. Do your thing. Hey, did you see that photo of Bexley that’s doing the rounds? That shit is funny as fuck. Any idea who did it?” Cole catches my eye over Conner’s shoulder. His sparkle with delight and accomplishment.
“It’s the least he deserves.”
“Agreed. He’s going to get the shit beaten out of him one day.”
“Yeah, and hopefully it’ll be my fists teaching him a fucking lesson.”
“How about you just focus on taking your tension out on your girl, save you getting kicked out of school before Thanksgiving, eh?”
