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“If I had left you in charge, there wouldn’t be anything left.” My voice is cold as ice. I always knew it had been hard for him, but I didn’t think that he resented, no hated, me this much. Enough to sabotage our family’s business.
He carries on like I haven’t said a thing. “I got a pittance when your parents died and they cut my salary back to basically nothing when I was pushed onto the board. You owe me!” He’s screaming now and I’m completely and absolutely done with him. My parents left him a pittance? Wouldn’t he rather have his brother back than any amount of money in the world? I know I would. I’m beyond disgusted as I instruct the security guards to escort him out of the building and confiscate his access card.
He pulls out of their grasp and heads to the door with his head held high, like it was his idea to leave.
“Oh, Uncle Gilbert,” I call after him. He pauses for a moment and looks back at me. “You can expect a visit from the cops. Corporate espionage is a federal crime, after all.” Face ghostly white, he scurries out of my office, the two security officers trailing behind him.
Feeling like I’ve just done another triathlon, I collapse back onto the couch. The same couch I had Hollie spread open wide on. Could that really only have been two days ago?
Happiness moves through my body, filling up every empty part of me. Hollie didn’t do it. She was just as loyal as she said she was. Then, my mood plummets down further than before, if it were possible.
The things I said to her.
I didn’t believe her.
I didn’t give her a chance to explain.
The devastated look on her face when I fired her.
There’s that stabbing pain again. She’s never going to forgive me and there’s a voice in the back of my head that says she shouldn’t. I should have trusted her. I always knew deep down she was trustworthy, but the shock of finding out like that and the fact we had just lost the deal clouded my better judgment.
Sure, she kept the fact she was Patrick Shaw’s daughter from me. But now that I’m not being burned by searing betrayal, I can better understand her actions. We barely knew each other, and we’ve only started sleeping together recently. Why would she tell me who her father is? If I’m honest with myself, I remember her trying to stop me and tell me something in Santa Cruz. Fuck, who am I kidding? I remember every single moment of that night. I thought she was going to tell me she was inexperienced, and I didn’t give a fuck about that. If I had listened, trusted her, this entire situation could have been avoided.
Maybe if I’m lucky, she’ll take pity on me and forgive me. All I can do is try. What other option do I have? Live my life without her? Not fucking likely.
Twenty-Three
hollie
“Paige!”
I wrap my arms around my little sister protectively and squeeze a little too tight. Her small body is shaking in my arms and if I could transfer some of my strength to her through this hug, I would.
I glance around the small room that smells strongly of antiseptic and has machines shoved into every corner. A steady stream of whirls and beeps fill the space as they all do whatever their jobs are.
Looking past my sister, I spy the slight form huddled under blankets on the bed. A sigh escapes my lungs and I’m not sure if it’s one of frustration or relief. Probably both.
From the moment my phone woke me from my dreamless sleep at 3 a.m., I’ve been in survival mode, focusing all my energy on putting one foot in front of the other. I haven’t let myself feel any complex emotions. If I did, I would break down entirely and be no good to anyone.
The second my weary eyes saw Paige’s picture lighting up my phone, I knew something was terribly wrong. There was no good reason Paige would call me at that time of morning. I answered, bracing for the worst, and that’s basically what I got.
“What happened?” I ask, while extracting myself from our hug and drift across the room to the occupied hospital bed where it’s obvious Mom is asleep.
Her skin looks like it’s almost gray and the lines on her face are more pronounced than I’ve ever seen them before.
My mother was considered a real beauty in her youth. Men clambered after her everywhere she went. After she got deep into the alcohol and drugs, her good looks had faded and were replaced with someone that looked like life had been rough on her. The last time I visited was only three months ago, and it looks like she’s aged ten years since then.
“I’m not exactly sure.” Paige’s voice is a little shaky as tries to hold back tears. She’s one of the strongest people I know, even at her age, but this is a hard blow. “I got a call from the hospital that she was here. I guess she overdosed, probably on heroin. Apparently, somebody dumped her on the sidewalk outside and then drove off.”
“Jeff.” I mutter the name like a curse. I guess I should just be thankful he even bothered to drive her to the hospital and didn’t let her die in some shitty drug den God only knows where.
She shrugs, looking much younger than her sixteen years. “I had to call one of my friends to bring me over here because the buses don’t run that late. I told her she didn’t need to stay with me and sent her back home.”
My breath hitches in my throat. She needs a car. I left her here with an unreliable mother and no car. My eyes close as the guilt washes over me. I tried to take care of both of them the best I could, but it obviously hasn’t been enough. A change has to happen here, quick.
Now, Paige needs to be my top priority and, as luck would have it, I have no job or boyfriend tying me down.
“I’m so sorry you had to deal with this all on your own. I should have been here for you. For both of you.” A tear slides down my cheek and I quickly wipe it away.
