Page 94 of Can't Take My Eyes Off You

He thinks this is funny? I feel like my whole world just crashed to the ground from a high shelf, and it was made of glass.

‘Dad told you I was a piece-of-shit child, and you just believed the man? The same guy who told you to walk off a broken arm when you were thirteen because docking the boat to get you to a hospital would cut into his vacation?’

Mike frowns. ‘I’d forgotten about that. Fair point. But he’s convincing as hell and scary. I’ve seen full-grown dudes cower at his presence. There was no fucking way I was challenging anything he said. Somehow, he convinced me you would ruin us with your rebellious ways. He said you were going against the family. God, now that I think on this, it’s reminding me of those Mafia movies he likes. Jesus.’

I rub my forehead, my brain suddenly throbbing against my skull.

‘Anyway, according to him, he needed to break you, so you’d calm down and do as you were told. That sounded bad, and I didn’t want him doing it to me, so I listened.’ He shrugs like still believing any of this at twenty-eight is normal.

I can’t believe these people.

‘I could help get them out of here if you want,’ he suggests.

‘How?’

‘Last night, as I lay awake wishing the building was more soundproof than it is, I found a place. My assistant is making an offer today. I’m not taking them with me, but I’ll help get them out of here.’

‘You have an assistant?’ Berkley balks.

Mike smirks. ‘I’m a twenty-eight-year-old rich guy who’s never worked a day in my life. Of course I have an assistant.’

Berkley laughs, shaking her head.

‘You seriously want to help after letting me spend a night thinking you were a bigger fucking moron than I thought? You are too good a liar,’ I say. ‘Why didn’t you just tell me you weren’t hit by the IRS?’

‘Uh, newsflash, baby bro: you’re lying pretty convincingly too. If that makes me a dick, so are you. Plus, I wasn’t sure if I could trust you. We’re not exactly BFFs.’

‘Why are you being human?’ Berkley asks a valid question.

He shrugs. ‘A lot of stuff was said up there, and things started clicking in my head. For a long time, I truly thought Will was the problem in our family. But it turns out money can turn people into monsters. I know because I’ve been one. I’ve watched the show, I see it and I’m not exactly proud of it. Get the DNA test.’

Berkley and I exchange glances. He’s admitting he’s a tool and ashamed of it? Well, this is a new Mikey I don’t know.

‘I’ll get the test,’ I say. ‘Now what do we do about the mutants inside?’

A few ideas are discussed and we agree on the one that will piss off my parents the most. As we walk back to Berkley’s apartment, she stops me.

‘Hey,’ she says. ‘You’relimping. I thought you said you were alright?’

‘Another lie. My back still hurts after last night,’ I admit. ‘Worth it, though, Berx. I promise I’ll go have it checked later. First I need to check out of my hotel and move into my new place. Which won’t take that much work considering I’ve only got a couple bags with me.’

Her smile. I want to kiss the hell out of it but I’ve got a couple idiots to torment first.

32

BERKLEY

‘Happy first day to our newest To Be Read employees,’ I say after the drama has settled and everyone is back in the store, making a big deal about it as I flip on the overhead lights in the stockroom, Jacob, Melinda and Mike following behind.

Our plan is to make them miserable for a couple days then Mike and Will will each give them money, boundaries and move them the hell out of here. The idea seems flawless, but I think we all know it won’t be. It took a game of rock, paper, scissors to decide who was stuck with which Adler ‘employee’. Olivia got Mike. Gunner got Jacob. And I got Melinda.

Now everyone is in their assigned departments, except Will, who ran to drop off the DNA test and refill one of his regular prescriptions he uses for his back.

Melinda glances at me silently, both of us standing at the front desk uncomfortably. Besides asking her why she’s such a yuppity bitch, I can’t think of a single thing to talk about.

A woman walks up, setting a stack of books in front of Melinda. She checks the woman’s purchases out, as I supervise over her shoulder, without a single question and she only watched me do it twice.

‘Wow,’ I say, legitimately surprised. ‘You picked up on this quick.’

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