Page 30 of Fall Hard

“I just mean that there’s very few things in my life that aren’t replaceable, and even fewer that I’m sentimental about.”

Oh.Oh.“Bryn, are you trying to tell me that your family is well-off?”

“It’s usually better for me to tell people sooner rather than later,” she said in a rush of breath. “Otherwise they feel like they’ve been lied to or something.”

“I don’t think it’s really anyone’s business unless you decide that it is,” I said firmly and she stared at me. “I mean, thanks for telling me and all. But I’m not exactly a stranger to money.”

She laughed and it sounded forced. “Right.”

I stopped her with a hand on her arm. “What am I not getting?”

“Nothing.”

“Bryn.”

“Oh, hey, looks like Jamie texted the group back—”

“Bryn.”

“People treat me differently! Once they know,” she said more quietly, “they expect different things from me, or they want to be my friend for the things they think I can do for them.”

“Okay.” I frowned as a passing car revved too loudly for me to speak over. “But like I said—”

“Liv, there’s having money and there’s havingmoney.”

“Well, do you mean like the living-comfortably kind? Or the buy-a-small-island kind?”

“The latter,” she muttered and I huffed.

“Huh. Well, I guess that explains why you had so much therapy. Rich kids can be dicks.” A startled laugh flew out of her and I smiled. “It doesn’t matter to me. I guess you’re not becoming a lawyer for the money then?”

“No, I’m going to start a not-for-profit firm. Pro bono.”

“That’s amazing,” I said, truly impressed and she waved a dismissive hand in front of her. I checked my messages and saw Bryn had been right. Jamie and Kat had both replied in the group chat to say they’d meet us at the mall. That wasn’t the only notification waiting for me though, there was one more.

Missed call.Dad.I swallowed past the lump in my throat before dismissing it so it wouldn’t show up on my phone again. I wasn’t going to lose control this time. My parents didn’t get to impact my life and make me feel like this, not any more.

Bryn nodded when I showed her the message from Jamie and we stood to walk up the sidewalk that led to the mall as I did my best to put my dad out of my head.

The mall was slightly further out of town than the bars and restaurants, but still easily walkable and that was one of my favorite things about Sun City. There were still some cars on the road, but most people walked or cycled to get around so it felt generally more peaceful. Bryn’s apartment sat between the mall and the football stadium, but it was still noisier near there than where Jamie’s was thanks to the main road that led into and out of town.

“So what are you going to get?” Bryn looked at me out of the corner of her eye and I decided to play dumb.

“Oh, you know, bits and pieces…”

“Olivia,” she said tauntingly and I sighed.

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it.”

“You wrote it,” she protested and I pouted.

“Yeah, but it was late at night and I was clearly suffering from late-night-hysteria.”

“That’s not a thing.”

“It could be.” I blinked innocently at her and when she continued to stare, I relented. “You guys can pick.”

“That’s not the point of the list! You’re supposed to choose it for yourself.”

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