Page 229 of Catch Me
“Those are all for clients. Book characters, game characters, monsters. People hire me for these because I’m fuckinggood.”
“Amazing,” Travis corrected casually.
“You know what’s fucked up? When I used to show you what I made, you were dismissive. But then...Thenyou thought it was worthy of hanging on your fucking wall and you don’t even know it.”
“What are you talking about?” Dad asked.
I threw open a drawer in the desk and grabbed the sketches of the players. He took them tentatively and looked through each of them with a furrowed brow.
“The Atlanta fucking Braves, Dad.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I did!”
“You said you were doing a commission for them. You never explained what it was.”
“You never asked.”
“Your art is good, Rome.” His tone had softened, but then his gaze shifted to Travis, and his lip curled. “But you’ve lost yourself. Let me help you. Please.”
I snatched the papers from him and tossed them to the floor with the rest. “Get the fuck out.”
There was a hint of sadness in his eyes as he grabbed his jacket. “When you’re ready—”
“Get the fuck out,” I repeated. “I can’t do this with you anymore, so whenyou’reready, you know how to contact me.”
“Rome—”
“Leave!” I shouted. I was on the verge of exploding, and for a second, I imagined how it would feel to take out my anger on him. He deserved it. But I deserved better for myself.
He shook his head before he headed to the door. It was almost anticlimactic after all this time. He just... left me, and for a moment, I couldn’t dare to breathe.
Not another word. Not a glance. Not a single moment spent trying to understand or accept me—this boy he’d raised but could somehow walk away from so easily.
I felt it, not just this time, but also when he’d left me behind a decade ago to start a new life, a new family. I’d never been enough. I never would be.
For a second, I felt so angry I couldn’t see straight. But suddenly, I was empty. Completely, utterly empty. My dad was gone, and there was no part of me that thought he’d ever see me as his son again. It was my worst fear given life, and every breath carried that bitter loss.
As soon as he was gone, Travis stood. I didn’t want to talk right now, so I retreated to the kitchen and poured myself another cup, even though I’d told him it was too late for this much coffee. It wasn’t like I’d sleep tonight anyway.
“Baby.”
Ignoring him, I took a long drink. It burned my throat, but I didn’t stop until it was gone. I set the cup down a little too hard, then dropped my elbows to the counter.
“What do you need?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
“What are you feeling, then?”
“A lot. I didn’t let myself have any hope about this whole thing, but it still feels like dog shit.”
“Can I touch you?”
After a second, I nodded. He took my elbow and turned me to face him, then brushed his fingers through my hair.
“It’s not your fault,” he said firmly.
