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.He raises an eyebrow.Just because I ve never mentioned myfamily doesn t mean I don t have one.If I were smart, I would hang up and block the number, becausethis phone call will suck me back into the world I ve tried so hard to leave behind.But she s mymother, and as much as I want to ignore her, sometimes I just can t. Your father s had a heart attack.He s in the hospital.We don t& they don t know& Please come.We re at Piedmont Hospital.He s coming out of surgery soon, I ll let the nurses know to direct you tohis room when you get here. There s a level of panic in her voice that crosses the phone line andinfects me. Sure thing, I reply.No matter our differences, Emmett Gardner is still my father.Even if he is aswindling bastard.I end the call, already sliding out from behind the bar, my pulse speeding.I grab my jacket fromthe counter and head for the door.It ll be just a quick in and out.I ll go see my father and be back intime to sling drinks tonight.I make it about four steps before I remember: keys.And when I turn back, I m face to face withmy friend. I gotta go, I say.There s not much more I can tell him.Keys.Keys.I pat my pockets and then backtrack to the bar to grab them. Your mom okay? Ryder asks.Mentioning my mother was a mistake.Ryder may not have the school bought pedigree of Jacksonor Parker, but the man connects the dots faster than anyone.Not to mention he hates liars, and lying sall I seem to be doing about my family. It s nothing, I say, trying to get past him. I mean it s serious I gotta go. There isn t time toexplain what s happening or going on, because it ll raise more questions.And more questions aboutmy past is the last thing I need right now. I ll grab the car.You re about as able to drive as a drunk at last call. He gets up and grabs forhis keys, finding them instantly. No. The last thing I need is for my friend to get involved with my parents.I d have to explaineverything, and I can t stomach that. I mean thanks, I just& Cash, man, whatever it is, Ryder says, taking a seat again.He s a better friend than I deserveright now. You don t have to go it alone.If I stick around it s not going to end well.I ll spill everything, and then they ll hate me when theyfind who I am and where I come from.Ryder s confused by my fast exit, but doesn t chase after me.When I get to the door, I know why.Jackson s just come in. Where s the fire? he asks. Another girl, I say, brushing past him. You know the drill, I lie.My parents poison everything good in my life.Now they have me keeping secrets from the guyswho are supposed to be my family.We all worked our way up to something, and now, just like theyalways have, my parents show up to destroy it. I ll be back later, I tell them, ignoring the concern on their face. Don t worry.* * *Peidmont is close to the bar, and it doesn t take me long to get there.I hate hospitals, and evenwith all the money my family has it still isn t enough to mask the smell of disinfectant and death.Mentally, I start to prepare myself for the one thing I ve wanted and now can t face: my father sdemise.He deserves it.As head of the investment company that screwed thousands of people out of theirlife savings, his karmic payback should be a good one.I was in college when it all went down: thecollapse of my whole life, everything I took for granted my whole childhood: the fancy house, thecars, the vacations.One minute he was respected, a stock market genius, they said.The next, thecompany went under.Risky investments, bad loans, whatever you want to call it, one minute themoney was there, the next, it disappeared into thin air.Not our money: theirs.We were protected, of course.Limited liability, legal loopholes, a milliondifferent ways for my family s lawyers to say fuck you.Hard-working people lost everything, theirpensions, their savings, even their homes, while my parents sailed through it all, unharmed.We keptthe big house, and the cars, and the vacation home by the lake.He never paid a dime in compensationeither.Sure, they tried to press charges, but the court case collapsed on the second day of the trial.He walked, scot free.And I vowed I would never live another day off the dirty money from allthose people s despair.I cut them off, took out loans to finish college, and turned my back on theshame of my family s greed.You would figure maybe that would make my father wake up to whathe d done, but you d be wrong.He started a new company, raked in the money again, and a few yearslater, it was like nothing ever happened.I get those checks from the family trust every month, and Isend them on, to the people who lost everything to him.It s not enough to pay my family s debt to them, but it s all I can do.The waiting room s empty, except for the fancy and uncomfortable chairs that wait for visitors. Emmett Gardner, please? I ask the no-nonsense nurse at the front desk. 2167.I nod in appreciation and head in the direction she s pointed.Outside room 2167, I stop and take adeep breath.This is it.Get in, make sure he s not dead, and get out.I shove open the door and freeze.The room is large and spacious, my mother sitting by the bed.There s dear old Dad, sitting up, reading the paper, eating and complaining about the lunchthey ve served him.No tubes.Barely an IV.What the hell?My panic fades replaced with anger.If it weren t for the paper-thin hospital gown he s wearing,he could be lounging by the pool at the country club.Mom sits next to him, perfect in her sweater setand pearls.She spots me as I try to back out of the room without a word, and she rises, coming afterme.I turn away but she grabs me and pulls me in for a bone thin hug.Whatever diet she s mainliningthis month isn t doing her any favors. Do not make a scene, Cassius.You will not embarrass us here, she whispers. You told me he was dying.He s fine.I don t need to be here. No, I told you he had a heart attack, and he did.I didn t know what to do, Cassius. Mom You think it s just about you and him? My family is split apart.I worry about you night and day,and then your father just drops.I didn t know if he d make it.I needed you.Is it so wrong that Ineeded my son? To know that the two most important men in my life are safe? Do not play this crap with me.You could have picked up the phone anytime.I didn t stop you.This is just your way to force my hand. The doctors say it could happen again.Do you want to go through the rest of your life hatingyourself for not fixing this stupid rift? Let it go, Cassius. Stupid? Mom, people lost everything. And we did, too, she sniffs.I clench my jaw and try to remain calm. Last time I checked, your bank account was just fine.But my comment rolls right off her. You ve never known pain until you ve had someone you love walk out on you and you miss thechance to make up with them.Someday you might, but I hope you never have to live with that regret.Talk to him before you miss your chance.It s time to put the past behind us. I have half a mind just tokeep walking and never look back.That s been my way of dealing with it since the beginning.Once Irealized what he was really like, I wanted to be nothing like my father.Nothing like the man who lostmillions of other people s money and then saved everything for himself
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