Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 108531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
His mother put a hand to her heart. “Really? She was such a sweet thing when she was here. Oh, I never imagined she was your girlfriend.”
“Because she’s not.” His brother was full of crap, and he’d likely been filling their mother’s head with it for days. He would butter her up with all kinds of stories of how close he was to breaking through, and then he would go in for the kill. He only needed some money—not much—and then when she gave it to him, he would disappear from their lives again, breaking his mother’s heart. “You know her sister lives here. Ally is often in town. She’s very friendly and I suspect she would bring her boyfriend with her. If she had one.”
Paul sat back, the omelet on his plate untouched. “We’re casual, not serious. We see each other at clubs and when we’re out for dinner. You know I have to focus on my career.”
“I’m sure you would. Again, if you had one.” Quaid was well aware he sounded like his father.
“Quaid, don’t be so rude to your brother. You know he’s in a tough business. It’s not like being a lawyer,” his mother admonished.
This was the other thing that happened when his brother came home. Suddenly Quaid had everything easy while Paul couldn’t catch a break. “Yes, it’s so easy to be a lawyer. It’s easy to work sixty hours a week and be expected to handle every legal trouble this town has. I’m sure going on auditions is much more difficult.”
“You have no idea, brother. You aren’t the creative type so you don’t understand rejection,” his brother replied.
He wanted to reject his brother’s face. “How much do you need, Paul?”
His mom gasped.
“I need a lot of things, brother.” Paul took a sip of his coffee. “If you’re talking about money, I don’t need any. I’ve been careful with my trust fund, and I’m growing my investment portfolio.”
“You never come home unless you need money or you’re in legal trouble, so which is it?” Quaid didn’t want to wait for the other shoe to drop. How many damn times had he been through this?
“Quaid, you stop this right now.” His mother still had the same stare she’d used on them as children. “We are having a nice visit with your brother, and if you can’t be civil then perhaps you shouldn’t join us.”
“Now, Mom, I don’t want to cause trouble,” Paul said, proving he was capable of acting when he wanted to. “Maybe I should cut this trip short.”
And just like that, Quaid was in a corner again. This was what always happened. He needed to remove himself from the situation or he would end up being the bad guy. Again.
He pushed back from the table. “I think I’ll head into the office.”
“Quaid, maybe you should stay there until you can be nice to your brother,” his mother said, her lips pursed.
There was no mention of how he was the one who took care of her, who ensured she maintained the standard of living his father had provided her with; no mention that this house literally belonged to him because he’d bought it from her and then let her stay in the same room she’d lived in for years. Nope. Paul was back and everyone had to cater to him or face her wrath.
Being the dependable one meant nothing.
Quaid stood. At least he had a ton of work to distract him. “Give me a call when it’s all right for me to come home, Mom. Paul, don’t give me a call at all.”
He was feeling tired and mean as he started toward his bedroom. He would pack some clothes and simply take himself out of the equation. His office had a small apartment on the top floor. He would stay there for however long it took for Paul to get bored and ask for whatever he needed this time around.
“Quaid?” Caroline stopped him before he went upstairs. She moved toward him, rolling one of his suitcases along the way. “I packed it the night he came home. I’d hoped you wouldn’t need it.”
He sighed. This woman had taken care of their house since he was a kid. She’d been part-time mom and full-time friend. Caroline had been the one to give him his first science-fiction and thriller books, since his parents thought fiction was a waste of an intelligent man’s time. He took the suitcase with the full knowledge that everything he would need would be in it and leaned over, brushing her cheek with an affectionate kiss. “Thank you, and call me when things go bad.”
She nodded. “I will. Do you want me to make you a thermos of coffee?”
He shook his head, picking up his laptop bag. At least staying at the office meant he wouldn’t have to entertain his mother and her friends, and he might get some writing in. Positivity. He was going to be positive. “Cindy will already have a pot on. I’ll see you in a couple of days.”