Page 66 of I Blame the Club

Despair wells up inside me, “It’s not a competition! We just lost the heart of this family and you’re acting like her death is something you can delegate. What if Stella needs you right now?”

What if I need you?

He shakes his head, “I can’t deal with you right now. Go check on your sister while I deal with the lawyers.”

Jonathan turns to go and I jump forward to grab his arm.

“Don’t go. Please don’t go.”

Ripping his arm from my grasp, my father whirls around with a snarl, “I didn’t teach you to beg, Maurice.”

He hisses the words, each one sharpened to a point, “Grow up and be the man I raised you to be. Your mother thought you were strong enough to take over this family, so now it’s time to prove it's true.”

I flinch and take a step back. His words sink into the fleshy tissue of my conscience and I feel my body stiffen. My mother’s soft voice and laughing eyes flash through my mind one last time before I lock them away, pushing the heartache into a box so I can focus on the problem at hand.

“Understood.” I meet Jonathan’s cold stare with one of my own and he gives me a nod before walking away. I watch his jacket disappear down the hall, my teeth clenching against the swell of emotion fighting its way back to the surface.

Are you strong enough to take my place?

I close my eyes, forcing myself to count to ten before walking into my sister’s hospital room. Deep blue eyes, so like our mother’s, meet mine and Stella promptly bursts into tears. Frowning against the lump rising in my throat, I swallow thickly and walk closer to the fragile frame shaking under her hospital gown.

“Mom’s g-g-gone.” Stella sobs, the wrecked noise piercing through my armour. Unable to speak, I make calming noises as I grab her hand, rubbing it softly.

She hiccups, squeezing my fingers painfully, “W-What are we going to do?”

Forcing myself not to look at the bloodied bandages peeking through the slit of her hospital gown, I meet her eyes.

“We’re going to do what O’Briens do best. Meet the challenge head-on.”

Stella continues to cry and with each tear that hits her cheek, I feel pieces of my freedom slip away. My priorities begin to re-formulate in my head, a numbness washing over me as the margin for error narrows to the point of extinction.

There is no space for imperfections and there is no time for mistakes. My sister needs a loving brother and my father needs the perfect son.

It doesn’t matter what I need anymore.

Pressing a kiss on her forehead, I whisper a promise into Stella’s matted hair, “We’re going to get through this, Stel. You and me.”

Her bottom lip trembles, “I’m scared, Mo.”

My lips pull into the smallest smile as the weight on my shoulders multiplies by tenfold.

“That’s what I’m here for.”

Chapter 19

Present day…

Mo

I adjust my headset and try not to roll my eyes.

Steven is on another tangent, his data no more impressive than it was in the office. This is my first meeting back with the Vancouver team, and even though I’m attending remotely, it’s no less painful than it was in person.

“Thus, given our predicament I think it would be best to review the entire fourth quarter.” He peers into the camera as if the missing data is hidden inside.

Idiot.

Unmuting myself, I address the concern every financial advisor present is feeling.

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