Dark Redemption - Charlotte Byrd Page 0,50

that you deserve more. You know that I talked to Marguerite about the trust fund? You know that I told her to actually try to get that changed? There's no way that's going to happen if the judge finds out that you went to The Redemption."

"And how the hell is a judge going to find out?"

"Investigators," I say, enunciating every syllable. “Mom's lawyers are going to hire investigators, and they're going to look into every part of your life to make sure that your relationship is actually as great as you all say it is. But of course that's not going to happen. Of course they're going to find out about going to that club. You probably used your own credit card, didn't you?"

"I have another credit card that Marguerite knows nothing about."

"Yeah, but it's connected to your name and your credit report, and it would be as simple as that, and you know it."

He stands at the other Jack and Jill bathroom sink next to me looking at his beat up face.

"You didn't have to go so hard at me," he says.

I shake my head. "You're the one that started it. I did not come here to throw any punches."

"But you did." He turns toward me, pointing his finger in my face. "You think there's something wrong with me going to that club even though you've been there for who knows how long."

"And what, this was your first time?" I ask, tilting my head, ready to not believe him.

"I've only been there a couple of times in the last few months ever since you told me about it. I just couldn't stop thinking about it. It sounded really fun, something I haven't had in who knows how long."

"Why did you have to wait until Marguerite was pregnant?" I ask. "Because when you're together for as long as we have been, things get hard, challenging, you know? Boring. She's working all the time, or she was until she got pregnant, and I work even more. We're tired, exhausted. All we do is talk about work. Nothing else seems to be as interesting or stimulating. You know how boring it is to talk about money?"

"That's what you do for a living," I say, "and that's what I do for a living."

"Yeah, I know. I'll repeat my question," he challenges me. "Do you know how boring it is to only talk about money?"

"No, I don't," I say. "I have my own money problems though. And, I don't know. You shouldn't have lied to me."

"I saw your face," Lincoln says. "That was the last thing you wanted to hear. You wanted me to lie to you. You wanted me to be this perfect husband and soon-to-be father, when in reality, who knows? Maybe I'm a lot more like our dad than you would like me to believe."

"Fuck you," I say, pointing my finger in his face. "Fuck you. You take that back. You're nothing like him. He's a loser and a drunk."

"Yeah, well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.” Lincoln shrugs.

He turns to the sink, turns on the faucet, grabs a rag and starts to wash off the blood from his nose.

The fact that he even mentioned our father makes my whole body tense up. I don't know why I'm so invested in my brother and his personal life.

I'm really not, not forever, but connecting with Marguerite and actually the both of them over those last few months really made me have a lot more sympathy and empathy for her.

Besides, I thought that maybe I actually, or perhaps I just always thought that they were such a great couple, that I didn't want to see anything that would stand in that way.

I leave the bathroom and sit down on the edge of the bed. By some miracle, no one heard us fight. It's still clear by our faces that something happened, but at least now we can come up with some sort of story to make it seem plausible.

"What kind of trouble are you in?" Lincoln comes out of the bathroom and stands in the doorway. His face is getting puffy, and he needs to apply some ice. So do I.

"I don't know if you heard, but Mom found out that I took that $200,000 from my trust."

"You what?" He looks genuinely surprised.

I furrow my brow, uncertain if I can believe him. "You know. Marguerite told you, right?"

"Told me what?" he asks, taking a step closer.

"I thought that she told you,