Lee, on the other hand, sometimes just plain scared me.
He was bossy and, you could tel , used to getting his way.
Shitsofuckit!
When I was about to come to terms with al this, Mace spoke again. “My father’s gonna pay off the rest and give them a nest egg. Whatever happens with your Mom, it’l happen with her feelin’ comfortable.”
My mouth had dropped open again and I was staring at him like he’d just announced his intention to spend the next six years travel ing to Mars so he could set up a colony of super-Mace-humans.
“What?” I breathed.
“My father is gonna make your family comfortable. He’s gonna give them a mil ion dol ars, that’l pay off their bil s, pay off the house and pay for whatever lies ahead.” I stil hadn’t stopped staring at him.
“You’re crazy,” I breathed.
He shook his head.
I put my hands to my h*ps and leaned toward Mace before I spoke. “First, I don’t want his money. I know he’s your Dad, Mace, but he’s a jerk. Second, he’s mean. He’s not going to give my parents one mil ion dol ars. Third, I don’t want his money!”
I ended this on a shout, my body so tense I could feel the muscles in my neck pulsating.
Mace, however, was calm. “It isn’t his money.”
“What do you mean, it isn’t his money?”
“I mean it’s mine and it’s my Mom’s. It’s also Caitlin’s and Caitlin’s Mom’s. He owes us al and the time for him to pay has come.”
I blinked and asked, “Caitlin?”
“My sister.”
My tense body froze solid.
It was time.
Effing hel , it was time.
I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to go to him but I didn’t think that was right. It also wasn’t right to hold my ground. I was at least three feet away from him. It seemed a mile. He stil seemed calm but he couldn’t be. There was no way.
I made a decision, stayed where I was and forced my body to relax.
Then I asked softly, “Her name was Caitlin?” Mace stayed where he was too and replied, “Yeah.” I took in a breath then let it go, tried to find something innocuous to start with, settled on an idea and continued,
“Did she look like you?”
Mace watched me a beat then shook his head once and answered, “No. She was blonde. Blue eyes. Tiny.” I kept my silence and my distance, only my eyes were on him. But my brain was emanating comfort vibes as hard as it could and I hoped like crazy he was receiving them.
He put a hand to the counter and leaned into it.
Then he repeated on a tortured murmur, “Tiny.” I knew in an instant the conversation had changed.
Something about the way he said that word made my heart squeeze.
I waited, eyes on him. He kept his eyes on me.
When he didn’t say anything, I whispered, “Tiny?” When I said the word, his eyes closed, when they opened the demons were there, I saw them, clear as day.
Effing bloody hel .