Callahan . Leo pats me on the shoulder. “How are you?” “Better.”
He tells me to take a seat before doing the same. “How was rehab?”
“Do you want a polite or honest answer?” I chew the inside of my cheek. “Shoot me straight, son.”
“It was fucking hell. “I can’t believe I paid tens of thousands of dollars to go through that kind of pain.”
The wrinkled skin around his eyes tightens. “I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m also very proud of you, and I’m sure your grandfather would say the same thing if he were here with us.”
“I’d like to think so, since this was all part of his master plan.” Leo’s harsh laugh makes my lips curl upward. “All he wanted was for you to be happy.”
I blink twice. “Actually?” With all the shit he put me through with his inheritance and will, it’s laughable to hear. I knew what kind of position they would put me in with Lana. The least he could have done was give me a second option, especially if he cared about her as much as he made it seem.
Leo makes his chair creak when he leans back. “Is it so hard to believe?” “After everything this summer took of me, yes.”
Leo laughs. “I know your way of doing things seems… unconventional.”
“That’s because it is.” Everything about my grandfather’s will is far from the status quo. As if he couldn’t bear the thought of being considered anything other than unique, so he decided to make his legacy live on long after he did. Rowan’s assignment to work in Dreamland. Declan’s requirement to marry and have a child. Me having to spend the summer at the lake house before selling it even though my grandfather knows how much Lana loves her.
“Whatever the case, he only wanted the best for you. I can guarantee that.
“Even if it means selling the house despite Lana’s and my wishes?”
He leans forward on his elbows. “Do you mind if I give you some advice?” My muscles turn to stone under my shirt. “That?”
He twists the tip of his mustache. “There are multiple ways to buy a house.”
My eyebrows slowly move up my forehead. “Who said anything about me buying a house?” Selling one is difficult enough.
“It does not have to be this way”. Her lips curve upward for a second before falling back into their flat line.
I lean forward. “What do you mean by that?”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Her fingers intertwine. “What other questions do you have for me?”
My brain can’t keep up with the emotional ping-pong match this man is putting me through.
I take out the token I won and show it to him. “I plan to return to the AA group tonight.”
“That’s good. I’m sure it will get me that green chip in no time.”
“About that… I wanted to ask if I can split my time between this AA group and one held in Lake Wisteria?”
His head tilts. “I dont see why not”. My shoulders droop. “Great.”
The landline on his desk rings.
Leo’s gaze slides from the phone to my face. “Any other question?” “Regarding the house—”
“All I can say is follow your instinct.”
“What tripe? “I’ve been winging it because I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“Every choice you’ve made up to this point proves otherwise.” Pick up the phone from the receiver. “Now, if you don’t mind, this client is having his last rites read…”
Jesus.
“I’ll meet you outside.” I take a few steps towards the door.
And Callahan?
I look over my shoulder at Leo. “Yeah?”
I trust you will find a way to solve all of this. He returns to her knock and I close the door behind me.
I trust you will find a way to fix all this.
“What a load of crap.”
 |
After going through another terrible encounter with my father at the AA meeting, all I want to do is call Lana and hear her voice. So instead of staying away, I do just that.
“Hey.” I balance my phone between my ear and my shoulder as I climb into bed.
Lana lets out a heavy sigh before speaking. “California.” “How are you?”
“Good.”
I see we’re sticking to one word answers now.
“And how is Cami?”
“Well.” Her tone is as flat as her response.
My heart beats harder against my ribcage. “Everything is alright?” She lets out a heavy sigh. “Not really.”
I’ll count your two-word response as a victory. “What happen?” I sit on the bed.
Someone made an offer on the house. “Oh.” My stomach sinks. “Yes. Wow.”
“ I’m going to fix this.” I’m not sure how yet, but I’ll find a way.
“So you say.” The sheets rustle on the side of her call. “I’m working in it.”
Iris and I talk.
I swallow saliva. “AND?”
“You and I know that there is no other option regarding your grandfather’s will. And as much as I love that house, there’s no way I’m letting you ruin everyone to keep it.
My chest tightens. “Wool-”
“I need to go to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day with back to school night.”
“Are you starting over yet?”
“Yes. And Cami starts at her new school next Monday.” “Can I go with you?” The question comes out of me.
“To take her to school?”
My racing pulse isn’t doing me any favors. “Yeah.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” “Why not?”
“Because I don’t want you hanging out with her.”
My chest feels like I’m splitting it in half with a crowbar. “Well, I understand.”
“I don’t want to hurt you—” I stop her. “I know.”
“It is just that-”
I don’t let her finish. “Do not trust me”. “No, i do not do it”.
“Then I won’t stop until I give you every reason to.” This time I’m the one who hangs up the phone. Prolonging that kind of conversation won’t help either of us, and I’d rather spend my time looking for ways to prove her wrong.
Instead of going to sleep like I had planned, I pull out my laptop and start researching different ways to buy a house.
Turns out Leo wasn’t just spouting shit after all.
He was right . There are several ways to buy a house, both legal and illegal.
I trust you will find a way to solve all of this.
Leo wasn’t trying to fill me with false confidence, but rather to offer me a clue. Turns out my grandfather wasn’t the only cheating bastard.
Leon is too.
|
I lasted a whole week before giving up on my idea of getting away from Lana. Even if she hates me for it, I can’t go another night without seeing her. Now that I have a solid plan for the house, there’s not much else that will keep me from it.
At least nothing more than her.
Before stopping by the guest house, I make a quick detour to Wyatt and Delilah’s house.
Delilah opens the door. “What are you doing here?”
“Is your husband around?” I try to look over his head, but he snaps his fingers in my face.
“Because?”
“I need to talk to him about something.”
She crosses her arms against her chest. “If the reason you came here is because you want to cause trouble…”
“He is not.” Wyatt pulls Delilah away from the door and tucks her under her arm. His chin tilts in my direction. “You’re back.”
“Yeah.” I open the page
His left eyebrow rises. “Permanently?” “As long as Lana wants her to be.”
Delilah frowns. “Are you sober?”
I show my chip in front of her. Wyatt’s eyes narrow at the chip before looking at Delilah. “Can you give us a minute?”
She stands on tiptoe and kisses him on the cheek. “Good.”
Wyatt smacks her butt as she walks away, earning a half-hearted glance over her shoulder.
“Do you want to go to walk?” She gestures outside.
“Of course.” He puts his hands in his pockets and leaves the porch. “How was rehab?”
“As good as I remember.”
He huffs out a laugh. “Liar.”
“It was torture, but I’m glad I did it.”
He pats me on the shoulder. “Let’s hope it stays this time.” “I was hoping…” My voice trails off, the anger I had before evaporating.
“Would I be your sponsor?”
“If the offer still stands, that is.”
He looks at me from the corner of his eye. “Depends if you tell me why Lana is upset with you for leaving.”
My eyebrows rise. “Did she say something?” Not that he would blame her if she did.
“No, and Dee has been very quiet about it every time I ask.”
Damn. “Does she have it?”
“Yes. And since I didn’t want to put Dee in the position of choosing between her friends or me, I didn’t bother her with it.”
I take a breath. “It’s complicated.”
“Complicated enough to get you drinking?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m finding other ways to cope.”
“As?”
“Well, they wouldn’t let me build a boat in rehab because they were afraid I’d get high on the glue or something, so I read. A lot.”
He backs away. “Wait. Can you read?”
I shove him with my shoulder, causing him to lose his balance. He laughs, which only makes me burst out laughing too.
“Which book did you like the most?”
“ The Catcher in the Rye.”
He rubs his jaw. “I feel like I didn’t appreciate that book as much as I should have when I read it in high school. “Maybe I should read it again now that I’m an adult with more life experience.” “Definitely. I think it’s a new favorite of mine.”
“What did you relate to the most?”
“It’s hard to choose a particular topic, but maybe I should worry about myself before prioritizing others.”
He nods. “And how’s that going?”
“Falling in love with yourself is ten times harder than falling in love with someone else, especially when you don’t like me very much.”
“You’ll get there.”
“Did you used to feel this way?” Asked.
His gaze runs over my face. “All the time.” “How did you get over it?”
“By becoming someone I was proud of.”
We continue walking in silence. Delilah and Wyatt don’t live on the lake like we do, but their neighborhood is quaint and quiet, making it easy for me to get lost in my thoughts.
I’m not sure how long we walked, but my calves are burning when we reach his house. I’ve never had a sponsor before, so I’m not sure what to expect from the process, but a leisurely walk wasn’t the first idea I had in mind.
However, I feel more at peace than ever.
“See you tomorrow at AA?” Wyatt shoves his hands into his sports shorts.
“Absolutely.”
