Page 33 of Ruin
If there weren’t so many papers, I’d tell him an hour tops. But the printer here sucks, and it’s going to take him a while.
“Keep the door locked,” I say as I move toward it. “You got us on speed dial?”
“Sure do.” He points to the phone on the desk. “And the piece.” He gestures underneath the desk.
I flip the lock on the office door and close it when I leave. The kitchen smells like grease, but it’s a lot cleaner than it was when we first took over. The whole diner is doing better overall.The workers are happier and we’re bringing in more money, according to Noah. That kid’s got a good head on his shoulders. Hopefully life doesn’t take it too hard on him.
“Afternoon, Snapper,” Christian says as he dumps some fries into the fry-o-later basket.
“You know anything about that?” I ask, giving him a stern look.
Christian has been working here since the place opened. He should have been the one to take it over, but he’d rather flip food on a grill.
“News to me,” he comments, keeping his attention on the food.
I watch him for a moment. “Make sure it stays quiet.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Christian is trustworthy enough that I believe him. Had he known something like this was going on, he’d have told us right away. Meaning, Norman was working alone and he was good at whatever the fuck he was doing if Christian didn’t notice. He’s here every day, open to close. This place is his life. Kinda fucking sad, but I’m not one to talk. My life is no different. I’m especially ashamed of myself after the fight I put up against Lucian earlier—or lack of. It wasn’t a fight at all. It was pretty fucking pathetic.
I’d gone there to tell him to leave, hoping with everything in me that I was wrong and he wasn’t the one who’d bought it. But the moment I stepped inside, I just… felt different.
We were alone together in a house. There wasn’t a single person there, but us. No one who would come looking for us. No one to interfere. No one to judge or try to stop it. It was just us. I finally had him all to myself.
But that isn’t really the truth. It’ll never be the truth, because he’s married and I’m sure it’ll only be a short time before his wife moves in with him here.
How fucking dare he.
I should have chewed him out the way I’d planned, but I couldn’t find my words. Something that never used to happen with him. He was the easiest person to talk to and it’s something that made him so easy to love. Lucian made it so I didn’t hate everything about myself. He made me realize that it isn’t me who is the problem.. Things weren’t a fight with him.
At least, nothing but having him.
It doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter.
Lucian and I are done with, and I need to stop thinking about him.
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me Lucian moved into town?” Kaison barks when I walk into the clubhouse.
“Because I have more important things to worry about.”
Kaison walks up to me, getting nose to nose. “What’s going on?”
I shove him away. “Nothing, and I don’t appreciate you assuming.”
His eyes narrow and he looks both ways before lowering his voice and saying, “Did you and him—”
“I will fucking stab you if you finish that sentence.”
It’s unfair because his assumption is true, but the words still come out of my mouth.
Kaison’s eyes narrow more before they widen in realization. “I’m going to kill him,” he says through gritted teeth.
He turns toward the door, but I grab his arm and yank him back. I should let him go. Let him do his worst. If I can’t scare Lucian out of this town, maybe my brother can.
“It was mutual,” I blurt out, hating myself for it.
This is none of his business and I shouldn’t have to explain a goddamn thing. But I can only imagine what Kaison is thinking after knowing what our father did to me. Does Kaison think they did it together? He couldn’t be more wrong about Lucian, and even though I hate him, I don’t want people to think that about him.
