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“If you really care about them, you’ll let them go.”
“Are you insinuating that I don’t care about them if I fight for what we had?”
“I guess I am.”
“They told me they’d fight for this, too. Even if I begged them not to because that’s what you told me to say, they will. Their absence right now doesn’t mean they’ve given up, and I’m not giving up either.”
“You’re holding them back, Scar. Don’t you see that? What kind of future could you possibly offer them when you can’t even give your whole heart to either of them?”
“A happy one, full of love. Something you will never experience.”
The truth to her statement hits hard. Then again, when I picture my future, it’s veiled in darkness. I see nothing. Not the plans my father laid out for me. Not a wife and kids, or a career. It’s blank. Like an empty page still waiting to be written.
“I don’t need love. All I need is myself.”
“You keep telling yourself that, Neo. And one day, when you wake up all alone because the world moved on without you, I hope you keep yourself nice and warm.”
Scar leaves and I’m thankful my phone rings immediately because I didn’t want to think about the words she just said.
“Yes, sir,” I say into the speaker of the phone.
“You’ve got some fucking nerve leaving this family when your sister is still missing. Get your ass back to Essex and aid in this search or you’re dead to me. Do you hear me?Dead to me.”
“Pretty sure I already am, so what’s the point?”
“Don’t you take that tone with me, Neo. Do you have any idea what this mess will do to my career if Maddie isn’t found? I’ve got search parties out everywhere while fighting to keep this out of the tabloids. If anyone catches wind—”
“Your reputation will be in jeopardy and you risk the election. Yeah, Dad. I get it.”
“Listen here, you little shithead. You’re going to get back here now and help find your sister or I will personally come there and drag your ass back, before kicking it to the curb and cutting you off for good.”
The last thing I need is him coming out here and bringing his search parties with him. So I buy myself some time. “Fine. Give me a couple days. Wherever she’s at, she’s not going anywhere.”
“You’ve got forty-eight hours. Not a minute longer. Oh, and bring my fucking files back that you stole off my desk. We were really close to cracking this case before you stole them.”
“Files?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. I know exactly what you did, and if I find out you’re doing this because that Sunder girl put you up to it—”
“None of this even has anything to do with Scar.”
“Good. Keep it that way.If you let that girl sink her teeth into you, I will cut you off from everything. No more money. No more education. You will be out of this family.”
“I get it, Dad. You’ve reminded me every day for the last ten years of my life. She’s a snake. Stay away. Don’t share our secrets. Don’t be her friend, or I lose everything.”
Fuck.I don’t even care anymore. He can keep his money and his reputation. This conversation has proven that I’ll never live up to his expectations so there’s no point in trying.
“Good. Drill it into your head and keep it here.” His tone shifts abruptly to an even more serious note. “Some words of wisdom, son. You can’t win against someone who loves a challenge.” He ends the call and I slam my phone down on the cushion beside me.
No. But I sure as hell can fool him into thinking I’m playing his game.
* * *
Me: Meet me at The Ruins in one hour. I’m bringing him in. Pissed at me or not, we still have The Academy to run and protect, and duties to fulfill.
Jagger: Fuck off. And keep in mind, if you touch our girl, I’ll slit your fucking throat.
Me: Show me your knife because I already did and she fucking loved it.
