I don’t want you to have June back, my fucked up, twisted mind says.
“So, what’s the plan?” I ask instead, trying hard to ignore the nagging voice in my head. He grins at me and sets the empty bottle down. We’re gonna be so hungover, it won’t even be funny.
“That’s where you come in, brother,” he says cheerfully. We’re about twenty minutes away from him breaking down and twenty-five minutes away from me barfing down the toilet. But at least our argument's fucking forgotten—for now, at least. Until Parker oversteps again. Knowing him, it won't even take him a week.
“We need a plan?” Parker reminds me.
I sit there stewing in my own drunkenness, and I wonder what I should tell him. He’s had enough of it’s-gonna-be-okays and we’ll-sort-it-outs. Instead, I opt for something else. And the words just keep coming when I open my mouth.
“We need that money back,” I say, and Parker nods animatedly. “It’s our dad’s company, too, and she has no right to get all of it. And you miss her, but you want the money more, right?”
He looks thoughtful for a moment, and I don’t let him answer. Maybe it’s because I’m afraid he’ll choose her over the money. Over me.
“There’s no way we can get it,” I hurry before he can answer. “Unless …”
I’ve got his attention, and his eyes shoot up to look at me. “Unless what?” he asks curiously, and I know this is the make-it-or-break-it moment.
He might agree with my plan if I present it in the right way. Or he might call me crazy, depending on how greedy he’s feeling today.
But I've been thinking about this for a long time. Hours, at least. And my hazy fucking mind is telling me the plan is gold. I get June, Parker gets June, and we all get to share the cash.
I just hope Parker gets it. The truth is, I’m not even sure whether I’m doing this for the money or just for June.
“There’s something we could do,” I say, and Parker edges closer on the couch, listening intently. I know I’ve got him now, and the words come rushing out. It’s done.
“There’s no way we are getting that money without doing something bad,” I explain.
“I’m not gonna kill June, Kade,” Parker interrupts immediately, and I’m shocked that he even thought I would think of something like that.
"Are you fucking crazy?" I snap at him. "I'm not going to fucking kill her."
"Then tell me," Parker urges.
“We’re not blood relatives,” I remind him, trying to ease him into the idea gently. “She’s not related to us at all, right?” I ask him, and he shakes his head, encouraging me to continue.
“What if,” I ask, building the tension before I finally pose the big question. “What if one of us married her?”
Parker looks revolted and like he’s about to speak up, but I hurry up with the explanation. This moment is crucial.
“What if one of us married her and then divorced her a few months later? Can you imagine how much money we could get? She would be heartbroken, so it would be easy to take it away. And then we would split it between the two of us…”
Parker looks at me silently. “I thought we didn't want to hurt June.”
Oh, brother, I want to do many, many things to June, and hurting her is in the top 5.
“Fine, fine. We’ll explain it to her,” I say to placate him. “And we’ll leave her with enough money to take care of herself, won’t we? We can all go back to being friends because the money issue won’t be there anymore, will it? We'll split it three ways, then.”
Parker thinks it through, and I imagine the cogs in his brain turning as my heart thumps in my chest, waiting for his answer. This could be it, I think. I could do this and marry her—and get over my obsession. I’m sure once I have her, it will pass. And all that money… Fuck, I wouldn't need to worry about anything ever again. And I'd be free of Parker. Parker, who still has no idea I have no intention of divorcing June. Once my ring is on her finger, she's fucking mine. Forever.
Something about tonight has brought my deepest, darkest fantasies out to play. I never should've spoken up. Parker's troubled face says it all. Yet I can't stop myself from hoping. Hoping I can convince Parker—and myself—that this is a good idea.