ChapterTen
River
Mara’s eyes are the size of dinner plates as I walk in holding the food I ordered. The look she’s giving me is one of embarrassment, and it makes a little piece of my heart crack. Is she embarrassed that her brother knows I’m here, or that they might find out that we’re together? We are together, aren’t we? In my mind, after all that we shared, it was a done deal. But she’s pulling back inch by inch, and I’m beginning to see that maybe I don’t fit in her plan.
“Uh, hey,” I say, then my sister looks between Mara and me. Her eyes narrow, and then she looks back toward Mara’s bedroom.
“Thank you so much for grabbing those for me,” Mara says.
“Sure,” I answer and place them on the table next to the kitchen. The room has suddenly gone quiet, so I clear my throat and offer my hand to Cillian. “Hey, good to see you.”
“You too.” He shakes it quickly, and then Glenda comes over to give me a hug.
“How’s it going, brother?” Her question is casual, but there’s a tone that tells me she knows more than she’s saying.
“All good. What managed to pull you away from the country?” I try to deflect the situation because it’s clear that Mara is uncomfortable. She’s not even looking at me right now.
“Cillian had business in the city, so I thought we’d swing by and visit you two.” Glenda goes over to Cillian and fits perfectly against his side. Cillian drapes his arm over her in such a natural gesture it makes me green with envy.
“Why did River have your groceries?” Cillian asks Mara.
“Um…” She hesitates, and then she finally locks eyes with me. Now she’s pleading for help, and I’m such a sucker I can’t deny her. Even if it’s because she wants to hide the fact that I was here.
“I was already on my way out, so I got what was on her list. Just helping out a friend,” I say. The last part probably sounded bitter even to me, but I push away from the counter and head toward the door. “Good to see you guys again. I’ve got to run.”
“You’re leaving?” Mara takes a step toward me, and I have to put my hands in my pockets to keep from reaching for her.
“Yeah.” I can feel Glenda and Cillian watching us, so I turn around and walk to the door. “See ya later.”
As soon as I’m away from her, I immediately regret leaving. Why didn’t I just tell them that we’re together? Maybe because I’m not good enough.
Sometimes it’s like my father can predict when I’m at my lowest, because as soon as I walk outside the building, there he is.
“Just the guy I wanted to see.” He smiles, but it doesn’t touch his eyes. It never does, because I don’t think there’s anything that makes him truly happy.
“What are you doing here?” Maybe if I wasn’t turned upside down by the situation with Mara, I wouldn’t be so direct, but right now, all my emotions are on edge.
“Good to see you too.” He straightens his tie and glances around. “It’s about your tuition.”
“What about it?” There’s a burning in my gut, and I think I already know what he’s about to tell me.
“Well, as you know, your trust is broken next month, and your mother and I—”
“I got it,” I cut him off as anger bubbles up in me.
“We think since you come into such a large sum of money, it would only be right for you to use that to pay for your education.” He pauses before he drops the hammer. The real reason he’s here. “And that you should reinvest that in the family company.”
“And how much do you think I should invest?” My temper is just below the surface, but it’s boiling hot.
My dad smiles like he’s got me on the hook and all he has left to do is reel me in. “With the return I can guarantee you, I see no reason you can’t put in ninety percent.”
“All my life I’ve defended you.” I shake my head, and my dad blinks like he doesn’t know what I’m talking about. “With Felipe out of the house as soon as he could crawl and Glenda running away as fast as she could, I was left there alone with you, so I think I know you better than all of them.”