Bully King - J.A. Huss Page 0,105

want to tell my mom and break her heart—again. Right after my dad died. He said, “Then you don’t really have any choices.””

“That’s not what I said.” The words are out before I have a chance to think them through. And I’m glad. Because this is the only chance I’ll ever have to try and make this right. It is not the time to lie or omit the facts to save face.

I deserve this.

And Cadee deserves it too.

“I said, “I think I can rectify the situation.””

As if her problem at the time was a situation to be rectified.

Ax just stares at me. But he doesn’t need to say anything.

I know exactly what he would’ve done to Dane if he had found Cadee that night instead of me.

He would’ve killed him.

“I thought… I thought you guys really liked me. I don’t know. It was dumb, I guess. I thought being with you would make it all better. And it did.” She shrugs. “It did.”

“I did like you, Cadee. I was just—” I look at Mona. “I was just a fucking coward. I wanted to skate through life. I wanted it to be easy. And then there you were. Like a gift. I had a secret and everything in our world runs on secrets. I felt rich. Like a fucking king.” I take my shirt off and point to the tattoo on my chest. “Because they tell us we are kings. They want us to believe it. And I did.”

“And then”—Dante finally speaks—“you threw her away. You got what you needed out of her and you threw her away.”

I want to hate him in this moment. I really do. But he’s not wrong.

And I think I’m probably a little bit jealous of Dante. Because he always understood the game. He always knew how to play it. Like someone gave him a rule book. Like he was cheating.

But he’s not cheating. He’s just… smart.

And I’m not. “I’m an inconsiderate little prick who thinks that this good life I’ve been provided is a right instead of a privilege. I’m also greedy, stupid, lazy, and will never amount to anything.”

Mona sighs. She’s the only one who knows what these words mean.

“My father was right about me,” I say. “He saw it a long time ago and that’s why he didn’t like me. That’s why I was never the favorite. I was weak. And he hates weakness. I was all those things for my entire fucking life. And then one day…” I look at Cadee. “One day another secret was dropped into my lap like a gift. Only this time, I wasn’t going to be a coward about it.”

“Now,” Dante says. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Did you know?”

He nods. “Yeah, I knew. Laurie is my aunt.”

“What?”

“Yeah. She really did get a call from that storage unit. There was a flood. A pipe burst. And they called saying someone needed to come check on things in case they needed to add it to their insurance claim. I was there when the call came in and told her I would take care of it. I had already been up to Poplar Creek. I had already been through all the boxes.”

“Then why did you need me?”

“Listen, Cooper,” Dante says. “You’re not the only asshole in this room.” He looks at everyone in turn, lingering on Lars for some reason. “We all know things.” He nods his head to Lars. “You know why Ax doesn’t sleep at home, Lars. And you do nothing. You just let it happen. And you have been letting it happen for years. So if you’re starting to feel special and righteous, you better take a good long look at yourself first.” Dante looks back at me. “I needed you, Cooper. The only way my plan works is if you’re the one who makes the threat.”

“What are we talking about?” Cadee asks. “What storage unit?”

I explain that day. Tell them what I found in the boxes.

And that’s when they all begin to understand the full extent of Dante’s plan.

I show up at the tomb wearing a pair of faded jeans with rips in the thighs, a white t-shirt that says ‘Your hole is my goal,’ and a pair of black Docs. I raided Ax’s wardrobe for this and I like the look so much, I might keep it. I even like the chain wallet. Lars let me borrow his mirrored sunglasses for the occasion. Because this is one for the books.