Page 8 of Always Us

“Garret?” Jade turns over and notices I’m gone.

I lean down and kiss her. “I’m just using the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” Her eyes are closed and she curls herself into a ball and goes back to sleep. I stand there a moment and look at her. She’s smiling as she sleeps. She’s so freaking happy right now that she’s smiling in her goddamn sleep. All I ever wanted was to make Jade happy, and now she is, but it’s all going to come crashing down if I don’t fix this shit with my grandfather. Or if my dad doesn’t fix it.

That’s why I got up. I need to call my dad. I need to know if he has a plan. I go in the bathroom, shut the door, and call him.

“Dad, what’s going on?” I ask when he picks up. “Did you decide what to do?”

“Garret, I told you I’d take care of it. I don’t want you involved in this.”

“I already am involved. So just tell me.”

“This is between my father and me. I told you that yesterday. I also told you to stay out it. And I mean it. Do you understand?” He’s got that threatening tone he always used when I disobeyed him in high school. I can’t stand that tone. I always feel like a kid when he uses it.

“No. I don’t understand. This isn’t just about you. This has to do with—”

“I am NOT going to say it again!” His threatening tone is replaced by something darker, more ominous. It doesn’t even sound like him. “Stay the fuck out of it.” He pauses, but I hear him breathing. “Now I’m asking you again. Do you understand?”

My heart’s pounding in my chest. I notice my hand’s shaking a little. What the hell? My hand never shakes.

“Garret. Answer me.” He lowers his voice, but it’s still fucking scary. “Do you understand?”

“Yes. I understand.”

“When this is over, we’ll talk. Until then, don’t call me.”

“When is it going to be over?”

“I will see him tomorrow. We’ll be having a conversation.”

“You think this is going to be settled in one day?”

“It will be the start of what could be a very long battle if he doesn’t cooperate.”

“Why can’t we talk?”

“Rule number one, Garret. You’ve already broken it several times during this conversation, which is the reason we can’t talk. I can’t answer your questions, and all you have are questions. You haven’t said one thing to me on this phone call that doesn’t relate to your grandfather.”

“Because this is all I can fucking think about!” I said it too loud. Shit. I hope Jade didn’t wake up.

“Have a nice Thanksgiving, Garret. Tell Jade to as well.”

And then he hangs up. Just ends the call. No goodbye. Nothing. I call him right back. I know he said not to, but he pissed me off by hanging up like that. His phone goes straight to voicemail. Great. Now my own father won’t talk to me. I slip my phone in my pocket and go back to the bedroom and lie next to Jade.

“Who were you talking to?” she whispers. Her eyes are closed so I thought she was asleep.

“My dad. I just wanted to wish him a happy Thanksgiving.”

“Why? Aren’t you calling him tomorrow?”

“No. We’ll be busy with everyone here, and my dad’s having my grandparents over for dinner so it was just better if we talked today.”

“Don’t you want to talk to Lilly tomorrow?”

“No. Katherine will just be a bitch about it, so I’d rather avoid all that and call Lilly some other time. I didn’t talk to her last Thanksgiving and she was fine. It’s not a big holiday for her. She doesn’t like turkey.”

“Really?” Jade leans back into my chest. “Who doesn’t like turkey?”

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