Page 79 of Seeing Grayscale

Flashes blind me, and an overwhelming roar of press demand answers to their many questions while I stand like the good little minion I am.

I hadn’t realized just how much damage control I would be a part of until my dad laid it all out for me earlier.

O’Connell cutdeep.

Not only is he gunning to remove my dad from office, but he’s got recordings that he’s threatening to release to the public. Of course, my dad has a plan for all of that.

Me.

“As you know, my cousin is openly queer and beloved within our family,” I answer the first reporter, demanding to know why there are claims surrounding my dad and his potential shift in stances involving the LBGTQ+ community.

“Fiona Reese?” the young man clarifies.

My throat wants to clamp up as I cover for my dad, knowing everything is a fucking lie. “Yes.”

I watch the reporter take a mental note, a shimmer in the brown eyes hiding behind thin glasses. He knows I’m full of shit. One phone call or email to my cousin, and the truth would be revealed.

“You, miss.” I point to the next interviewer.

“Thank you,” she says before clearing her throat. “What is Governor Kade’s plan for the extreme poverty in Mason County? Unemployment rates have increased by .3% in the past six months!”

I wince, knowing all too well I found Gray in that county. It didn’t used to be so bad. How the hell do I answer this? “I’m not privy to that information.”

“But it’s been hinted that you’ll be running in the next election!”

“Next question,” I bark, scanning the crowd, sweating through my shirt.

It goes on and on like this. Bearing the weight of my dad’s problems is something I’m all too familiar with, but the demands are increasing. He’s never had me tackle the press while he hides away in the courthouse like a coward. Usually, we do this shoulder-to-shoulder. I can’t decide if he’s testing my mettle or abandoning me altogether.

The sickening part of it all is that I’m actively seeking his approval. I do my very best to ensure I don’t tarnish his reputation and answer all these questions to the best of my ability while keeping things civil—downrightlyingto save face.

O’Connell has been nothing but honest. There was nothing slanderous about what he said. My father is a fucking monster, and here I am, on my knees with my palms upturned just to get a crumb of his acknowledgment.

And forwhat?

To say heloves me? That I’m his son?

Four hours go by before my dad permits me to leave. I’m irritable, hungry, and want another shower. There’s a layer of filth clinging to me, and I know it’s all in my head, yet I can’t fight the urge to scratch my skin. I’m so uncomfortable I could scream.

Fishing out my cigarettes from my car, I pop one in my mouth while checking my phone.

Gray only responded to the text about the food, saying he had brought it in.

Alex, on the other hand, has texted twelve times. Meetings are rolling in; someone fudged some paperwork granting us clearance for specific repair equipment. We somehow lost half of one plane’s cargo. It’s a fuckingmess. He’s demanding I come into the office as soon as I can. My gut twists uncomfortably, that dirty feeling intensifying the longer I stand here smoking.

“Damn it,” I growl, sending Gray a text that says I’m going to be later than expected and get in my car.

I was an idiot to think our ‘day off’ would be acceptable.

All of my responsibilities and burdens are piled a mile high. Mylifeis one bright neon sign saying, ‘Pull your head out of the clouds.’

This delusion I’ve convinced myself is obtainable shatters at lightspeed. After I’m done with fixing the mess at my work, I’llhave to fix another one. Gray has to be safe—first and foremost—but he also needs to go.

There’s no place in my world for us.

THIRTY-FIVE

Myphonerings.

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