Page 80 of Electric Blue Love
“See ya,” I said and watched my baby brother walk toward the door.
“Hey, Leo,” I called, and he turned. “Maybe just spit in his coffee once for me if you get the chance?”
He laughed. “Sure thing.”
Aknock atmy front door pulled me from Arnold taking down bad guys and winning the girl. It was Sunday, my binge-watch day. The one day of the week I didn’t leave the house if I could help it. And I couldn’t remember a time anyone had ever shown up without calling. Pressing pause on the movie, I sat forward and waited to see if they’d go away. Maybe it was a wrong door or a solicitor.
Another knock. This time louder and a few raps longer. I stood and moved to the door, more annoyed than curious. I peered out through the peephole. The woman on the other side wore perfectly ironed slacks and a pink cardigan. She bit at her lower lip and shifted uncomfortably, but it didn’t distract from the air of money and upper class about her. Cursing under my breath, I opened the door to Mrs. Callahan Sterling.
She gave me a shaky smile when I didn’t greet her. “Hi, I’m –”
“I know who you are,” I said.
“Oh,” she bit at her lower lip again as if unsure about her decision to come here, but then straightened. “Could I come in for a moment?”
I opened the door wide by way of invitation and she entered the apartment walking straight to the kitchen counter and placing her purse on top of it as if she planned to stay awhile.
“What can I do for you Mrs. Sterling?” I asked, staying close to the door and crossing my arms over my chest.
“Please, call me Mercy. I’m sorry to just drop in, but I was in the city and I wanted to introduce myself.”
That struck me as funny and I smirked. “I don’t mean to be rude here, but can we just skip to why you’re really here?”
She smiled at me and sat on one of the barstools looking far more comfortable than I would have guessed
“Okay, then.” She removed a folder from her purse and placed it on the counter with a light slap. “Now that Mrs. Winters is no longer under your father’s care he,” she paused and corrected, “wewanted to see if there was any way we could work out an agreement to keep this all under wraps.”
“What do you mean she’s no longer under his care?”
“The family requested to be transferred to another doctor located here in New York.”
Color me confused. Of all the things I expected her to say, that wasn’t even on the radar.
She stood and drew her purse up to the crook of her elbow. “There’s a check in the folder, a non-disclosure agreement, as well as some personal affects he thought you might like.”
“I don’t want his money.”
She narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t fathom any other reason I’d done this to their perfect family and I just felt sad for her. Money didn’t buy happiness or loyalty. People that were easily bought were easily manipulated, too, and I wasn’t someone they could play games with.
“I’m sorry for what happened to you.”
“But?” I asked because she looked like she wasn’t finished.
“I’m just not sorry enough to put my own family through this kind of ordeal.”
I nodded. I got that. It made sense. I didn’t like her much, but I understood her at least. She was protecting her family. I wasn’t hers to protect. But I had been his.
She strode over to me and stopped. “He became the man he is today because of you, because of her. I’m sure that doesn’t make you feel better, but you’ve always been the driving force behind his motivation to do good in the world.”
I scoffed because a) the idea that my shitty life made him a better man just straight pissed me off and b) if she thought their life was a penance then she’d never understand a life like I had been dealt.
With that, she left, not even a goodbye as she shut the door behind her. I stared after her for several long minutes feeling so goddamn angry and hurt and angrier that it hurt because fuck this seemed to be a theme with me now – letting down my guard and feeling the ache of disappointment all over again like I was just a kid.
I moved to the kitchen in a haze, opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. The feel of the cool plastic around my fingers and in my mouth eased some of the heat that sat in my chest and radiated through my limbs.
I spotted the folder and moved around it, eyeing it like a poisonous animal. Curiosity got the better of me. On top was the check. Apparently, Dr. and Mrs. Sterling thought two-hundred thousand dollars was the going rate for a lifetime of neglect. I used the paper underneath the check to move it out of the way, not even wanting to touch the money that was supposed to make up for the fact he hadn’t wanted me.Stilldidn’t want me.
The non-disclosure had his messy handwriting already scribbled at the bottom and reminded me too much of the way he’d signed me away in the first place.
