Page 88 of You're the Reason

He leaned forward and flushed the toilet.As soon as the last trace disappeared, Seth gripped the side of the sink as sweat poured over him. He’d done it. So many had believed he’d changed, and now he actually believed it himself. He wasn’t the same guy anymore.

He was a new creation.

A new creation with a headache. He pulled the Advil from the cabinet behind the mirror. The swelling in his eye had subsided, but in its place, a nice purple bruise ran from the inside corner of his left eye down his nose and across his cheek. At least Gabe had avoided the mouth.

The memory of the kiss from earlier swept over him again. He’d never let himself believe that he could have the dream. Wife. Kids. House. Two-car garage. But the moment Grace had told him that he was the only thing she was sure about, something changed. And now that he’d passed the ultimate test, the future seemed reachable, tangible. Jon and Grant had been right, the future was his for the taking. His past didn’t disqualify him from a future.

He downed two Advil and stepped out of the room just as a heavy knock pounded on his door.

He grabbed a shirt that was tossed across the chair and slipped it on before answering. Jon stood on the other side, clearly upset about something.

He stormed past Seth into the apartment without waiting for an invitation. “Why aren’t you answering your phone? Grace even called me worried about you. Something about Gabe.”

“My phone hasn’t rung.”

Jon scrolled through his own phone then held it up to show he’d called Seth ten times. It was only then that Jon seemed to take notice of the bruise. “What happened?”

“Gabe and I had a disagreement.” He walked over to his phone and lifted it and tried to see around the cracks. Shoot, he’d left it on Do Not Disturb.

He checked his history. There were the ten missed calls from Jon alone, three missed calls from Grace, two voicemails, and about thirty texts from his mother.

“You’re an adult, Seth. You can’t get in a fight with someone just because you don’t like him. You have responsibilities now. Like bringing the cash box to Mayor Jameson, who was waiting for it at town hall. Waiting all evening. Like answering Grace’s calls so she’s not worried sick about you.”

“That wasn’t—the cash box.” Seth lowered the phone as the memory hit him. “I left it on top of the car. But it wasn’t there, or Grace would have grabbed it when she gathered my keys and phone after she broke up the fight.”

“Are you even hearing yourself?” Jon stormed across the room. “Grown men don’t get in fights.”

Something on the table seemed to catch his attention. Seth followed his gaze to the baggie lying next to his keys. Jon walked over, picked it up, and sniffed inside. That wasn’t good. “Is this a pill bag?” He focused back on Seth, clearly checking his eyes. “I really thought you’d changed.”

“You don’t understand?—”

“No, you don’t understand. I went out on a limb when I hired you. I had to fight the board. The town. Even Grant wasn’t sure you were ready. But I went to bat for you because I believed you weren’t the same kid.”

Whoa. That was a lot to take in.

It would have been easier to take another punch from Gabe.

Seth straightened his back, as his chin tightened. “You had your doubts? What happened to there’s no one else I want for the job? Everyone’s behind you? Was the little furniture handout all an elaborate setup as well?”

Jon flinched at the words. “Not a setup. Not really.”

Seth reeled back. He’d meant it as sarcasm, but the truth was written on his cousin’s face.

“You had already talked to them. Hadn’t you?”

Jon had the decency to look embarrassed. “It had come up.”

“And you made it seem all so spontaneous, Seth the local charity case.”

Jon grabbed the baggie off the table. “Maybe we should continue this when we’ve both calmed down. Just give me the cash box, and we can talk about this later.”

“I told you. I don’t have it. I set it on the car. Gabe was selling to Zane, and I went over to intervene. And everything went south from there...”

But Jon’s gaze had gone to the floor. A little pink pill resembling a piece of candy rested a few feet away. It must have fallen out of his grip when he’d carried them to the bathroom.

Jon picked it up. Looked at him. A hardness settled into Jon’s eyes, and Seth had no doubt Jon wasn’t going to believe him this time.

“It’s not what you think.”

---