Page 62 of Bullet
“You jumped up!” I screamed. “I’ve changed you! I’ve bathed you! I’ve given up the last six years of my life taking care of you and you’re not even paralyzed?” Tears started to streak down my face, but whether they were from sadness or anger, I wasn’t sure. “I can’t believe this. I’m so dumb. I thought you loved me.”
“I do, Celia,” he replied. “I’ve taken care of you this whole time.”
“No,” I said. “I’ve taken care ofyou.”
I opened the box lid and started to drag out the contents one by one. There were medical bills inside, though they were the unpaid bills from my father’s emergency care before he was legally declared dead.
I’d been told he was pronounced dead at the scene.
His obituary was in there, but it was folded behind an article of the accident, the true story of the accident that I saw on the internet, how Darrien had caused it and my father had died for it. Harry’s words skidded across my mind about how my dad was begging Darrien to stop, but he wouldn’t listen.
“Youkilled my dad.”
“No. Harry killed your dad,” Darrien said.
Inside the box as well were the legal documents containing my father’s inheritance. He had a will and life insurance, so when he died, that money came to me. Darrien told me it was a settlement. He also had told me there was only sixty-thousand dollars, but the paperwork detailed a two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar life insurance policy.
“Where’s the rest of the money?” I asked.
“I used it for the funeral,” Darrien replied.
“You gave me sixty and funerals cost a few thousand,” I spat back. “Where is the rest of my dad’s money?”
“It’s gone, I don’t know what you want me to say!”
“You wanted me to get revenge on Harry because you weren’t allowed into that motorcycle club?” I said. “You’re that childish?”
“I should have been let in! I was a better biker than any of them! Who the hell was Harry, just some dumb kid who followed the rules and was a little bit better with numbers than the rest of us? Fuck that. They think they can give him my spot, then he had to prove to me that he was worth it.”
“My dad died because of you!” I screamed. Continuing to sift through the box, I found a letter buried near the bottom. The envelope was worn and tattered and had been opened despite the fact that it had my name on it. “What’s this?”
“It’s nothing,” Darrien said. “It’ll only hurt you to read it.”
I shook my head. “How can you still lie to me after everything? Haven’t you hurt me enough?”
Sliding my finger into the already cut-open slit across the top, I pulled out the note inside. It was just as tattered and old as the envelope and had clearly been handled a few times.
Celia,
The doctors just came in and told me that my chances for survival are not high. I want you to know that I love you more than life itself, my beautiful girl. You are smart, and kind, and funny, and I want you to achieve all of your wildest dreams. Do it and know that Daddy’s up in heaven cheering for you.
Please don’t blame your godfather for what happened to me. He’s just misguided, but he needs your love more than ever, now that I’m gone. Take care of him for me and have him do the same for you.
Use my life insurance to pay for college and go change the world, baby girl! Daddy believes in you.
I love you,
Daddy
My throat was tight with emotions and tears were streaming out of my eyes. “How could you not give this to me? The last thing my dad ever wrote me? Just because it incriminated you? You are the most selfish, careless man I’ve ever known.” Just as I was about to tear into my godfather even more, my phone buzzed. It was still in Darrien’s hand and he looked down at it and then glared up at me. “Give me it.”
Though I should have known he wouldn’t. He pulled back his hand, gave me one last evil look and then threw it against the wall, shattering it. Part of me wanted to get angrier, to scream more, or run over and punch him in the face, but all I could do was stand up.
“I’m so sad for you,” I said. “I’m moving out. Enjoy your life alone.”
“Celia,” Darrien said, but I ignored him and continued for the door. “Celia! Get back here. Celia!”
I left the house, knowing I’d probably need to bring a cop back when I came to collect my stuff. There was still about forty-thousand dollars of my dad’s settlement left, which would be enough for me to move back in with Laura and cover my expenses for a while, but I’d have to make those arrangements later. For now, I needed to talk to Harry and I was really hoping he was at his home.
