I punch the wall again with my right hand, bloodying my knuckles even more. Again I feel nothing.
“Damn it, Brock, you’re going to fix that.”
“Why don’t you fix it, Dad? After all, you fixed everything else. You and Uncle Bryce unilaterally decided what was best for the rest of us.”
“That’s my job, Brock. I’m your father.”
“Yes, you’re my father. But as you just reminded me, I’m a grown man. It’s not your job to keep important information from me. And it certainly wasn’t your job to keep it from Uncle Talon and Uncle Ryan. Uncle Talon got shot, Dad. Fucking shot! Maybe this all could have been avoided if—”
“Shut your damned mouth, Brock Steel. I didn’t raise you to talk to me that way.”
“No, you raised me to stand up for what’s right. To be a man. Well, I’m a man today, Dad, and I’m calling you out on this bullshit. Your brother was shot, for God’s sake. Now, what the fuck are you going to do about it?”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Rory
“Oh, for God’s sake,” I mutter, silently thanking the universe that Jesse and the others already left.
“Just ignore them,” Callie says.
“That’s your advice? You’ve never ignored anything in your life, Callie.”
“Of course I have. I’m the one who used to walk around under an invisibility cloak. Remember?”
“That invisibility cloak was always in your own head, and you know it.”
“He called me an ugly duckling. He called me your ugly duckling sister.”
“Seriously? That’s where all this is coming from? That’s what convinced you that you weren’t as beautiful as I am?” I shake my head. “Callie, you’re smarter than that.”
“Yeah. I know. True enough.”
“We can’t let him get to us. We have to be strong.”
She nods. Funny how my self-assured sister isn’t nearly as self-assured as I always thought she was. Only recently, we discovered that we’ve each been envying the other.
I guess it’s true that everyone is their own worst critic.
“Let’s change the subject,” Callie says. “Tell me more about Brock.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“So he’s okay with your bisexuality?”
“We’ve been on two dates, Callie. We haven’t really discussed my bisexuality.”
I hate lying to Callie. We actually discussed it in depth. Still, I want to keep this private. Special and private.
“Okay. Fair enough. But you’ve told me that your last three relationships have ended because your partner couldn’t accept that part of you.”
“That’s true.”
Two women and one man. All of whom I loved with all my heart. I see now that none of them were forever loves. Especially since they were all so insecure.
“I guess I don’t understand,” I say. “I’ve had three partners, and all of them were afraid that I would leave them for someone of the other gender. Does that even make sense? Do straight people constantly worry that their partners are going to leave them for someone else?”
“No. Not in a perfect world, anyway. I suppose there’s an element of jealousy in every relationship.”
“When I’m in a relationship, I’m committed,” I say. “Why don’t they ever understand?”
“Do you think Brock is different?”
“Callie, I’ll repeat myself. We’ve had two dates. I don’t know if Brock is any different. All I know is that he’s twenty-four and he’s probably not looking for anything serious, which works for me right now. Except for the whole wanting to have a baby thing.”
She smiles.
“I’ve got to say, you and Brock would make a gorgeous kid. There’s something about that rugged, dark bad-boy type.”
“So you chose a blond nonrugged type?”
“I had a major crush on Dale when I was young,” Callie admits. “Now there’s a bad-boy type if there ever was one. Donny, not so much. A womanizer for sure, but not rugged like Dale. Or Brock.”
“Just because he wears a suit and tie doesn’t mean he’s not rugged.”
“I suppose. He’s definitely not the Steel I thought I would fall for, but we have so much in common. Our love of the law, for one thing. And we just… We just fit, Rory. We really fit.”
I smile. They do fit. I’ve seen it. They radiate happiness when they’re together.
Then she stops smiling.
“Good job,” she says. “For a few seconds there, I forgot that Pat and Brittany are here.”
I glance to the side. They’ve sat down at a table not far from us.
Right within earshot. That can’t be a coincidence.
“I suppose it’s time to go,” Callie says.
“Why? We have every right to be here.”
“That’s not the point,” she says in a low whisper. “I don’t want them to listen to us.”
“You’re right.” I take the last sip of my Diet Coke and stand.
“Hey,” Pat says, gesturing to me.
Really? “Well, hello, Pat,” I say sweetly. “Brittany.”
“How’s it going?” Pat asks.
Callie rises then. “Go fuck yourself.”
I can’t help it. I burst into laughter. I was being sickeningly sweet, but my sister will have none of that.
Callie walks quickly to the wastebasket, disposes of her trash, and walks outside.