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“I do not want to know,” she announces. “But just come to me when you’ve done whatever it is. I want to talk to you and make sure you’re okay.”
That’s my mom.
As a psychologist, she always wants to ensure our mental health is at least attempted to be looked after, even if we don’t always permit it.
“I’ll come by, but I’m fine,” I lie.
Thankfully, she allows me to end the call, but I’m not fine. My aunt always loved all of us like we were her own. Before we joined the family, before we took our vows, my brother, my cousins, and I were always at one another’s houses.
This means my aunt made many a Saturday morning breakfast for us, watched us at the pool and a million other things. She is innocent in all of this, truly, but that does not mean she is immune to the repercussions of what her husband has done. She is his wife. She is part of him until death.
This means she pays for the sins of her husband, even if she has no idea he’s done what he has.
She must answer for his betrayal.
Driving straight to her house, I stop in the driveway. None of my cousins are here, I know, because my father sent them away for jobs. It’s just me and my aunt. I exit the car and make my way up to the front door.
I don’t even have to knock. When I lift my hand, the door opens. She’s standing in front of me, a sad smile playing on her lips.
“I knew it would be you, Coleman. Come inside and have one last moment with me.”
And that is that.
ChapterOne
CLAIRE
My mother touchesthe small of my back, though she doesn’t say anything. Her touch is shockingly gentle, which is typically not her way with me. She applies pressure there to push me into the office. My father has called me in to meet with him. I’m not sure why, and I’m a bit uneasy about the whole thing.
Although I’m sure it has to do with the fact that he’s up to his eyeballs in debt, and there seems to be no way out of it. I’m going to assume this is where he tells me that he’s selling the casino.
I’m an accounting major in college, and I’ve taken a look at his books. Things appear to be beyond bleak. There’s no way he can keep it running at this loss. I’m not sure why he even let me see his accounts, though I have a feeling it was because he’s beyond desperate, and judging by the way he’s holding his head in his hands, he has not found a way out of the crippling debt.
“You wanted to see me?” I ask.
Slowly, he lifts his head out of his hands, his gaze meeting mine, and lets out a heavy sigh. It isn’t just heavy. It’s exhausted.He’sexhausted. He looks it, too. He’s got new lines on his face, and his hair isn’t as dark as it was just a few weeks ago. I can’t believe how absolutely weathered he appears.
“Dad?” I ask.
“I made a deal with the devil,” he rasps. “It was the only way.”
“What do you mean? Deal with the devil? The only way? What are you talking about?”
His gaze flicks to my mom, then back to me, and I see the absolute regret swimming behind his eyes, but only for a moment. Then something else flashes in his gaze that causes my breath to hitch.
I open my mouth to ask him what he’s talking about again but decide to snap my lips closed and instead just watch him. What I see is scary. There is a tinge of excitement behind his eyes, swimming there as he attempts to hold back his smile, his lips twitching before he speaks.
“Claire,” he whimpers, but I can tell it’s not genuine. He’s playing a part right now.
“Just tell me,” I demand, straightening my spine as I stare straight ahead at him.
I refuse to look away. Whatever he’s going to tell me, he has to say it while he looks directly into my eyes. Biting the inside of my cheek, I ignore the metallic tang of blood while I focus on him. He’s going to tell me what it is he’s done, and he’s going to tell me right now.
He clears his throat, his nostrils flaring, likely in anger at my annoyed and firm tone. I don’t usually speak to either of my parents in anything other than soft, maybe even false, sugary sweetness, normally because they will both slap me if I talk back to them. It’s the way it’s always been.
“I borrowed some money,” he murmurs. “A lot of money. A loan.”
This I knew. I saw the deposit when I was looking at the books but do recall that there were not any payments made or even interest-only payments to whoever loaned him the money.
