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“Then talk to me. What is going on with you?”
I hesitated.
Will sighed. “Give me a penny.”
“What for?”
He held out his hand. “Just give me a damn penny.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the change I had. “I don’t have a penny.”
“Then give me that quarter. It’ll do.”
I picked the coin out of my palm and tossed it over to the other side of the table.
Will caught it. “Thanks. I’m on retainer now.”
“Retainer for what?”
“I might not practice anymore, but I’m still an attorney. Now I’m yours. We have privilege, so tell me what’s going on. You kill someone? Drug problems? A diagnosis you don’t want anyone to know about?”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “It’s not me. It’s Evie.”
“The skater? You two still together?”
I nodded.
“Haven’t seen her around in a while. The other guys brought their wives to the fundraiser last night. Why didn’t you bring her?”
Because I can’t trust her not to disappear into the bathroom stall like Clark Kent and come out Superdrunk.“Evie’s got some issues.”
“Health?”
I met Will’s eyes. “Mental health. She’s also got a drinking problem.”
Will frowned. “Oh, man. I’m sorry to hear that. Has she tried rehab?”
“Three times. A five-day detox and two thirty-day stints.”
“My old man was a drunk. It’s not easy.”
“Was? Is he sober now?”
Will nodded. “I think he’s been clean about ten years.”
“What made him stop drinking?”
“I’m not sure I know the answer to that question. It was after my mom left him with us, but not right away. Probably two years after. He was on and off the wagon from the time they got married until I was twelve. He’d lose his job, we’d go stay at my grandmother’s with my mom for a while, and then he’d show up clean shaven and sober and convince her to come back and give him another chance. But it would never last.” Will shrugged. “Took more than losing everything for him to get better. All those years he tried for my mom. I think he really did love her. But it never stuck until he did it for himself.”
My face fell.
Will noticed and smiled sadly. “Hits home?”
“Right on the damn nose.”
The waitress brought over our drinks. Will held his glass out to me. We clinked and both took healthy swigs. After my agent set his glass down, he folded his hands on the table and leaned forward. “I’m sorry to hear what you’re going through. I really am. But I’m going to give it to you straight. You need to get your head back in the game, or you’re not going to be happy with your renewal. Management doesn’t know what’s going on, so they’re thinking the worst—that you’re on your way down. I can hold off pushing the contract talks any further until the season starts up again so you can show ’em they’re wrong. But you need to find a way to get your shit together.”
I blew out two cheeks of air and nodded. “Got it.”
