I wish I could give her the benefit of the doubt. I truly do. But a burning anger for the woman I’ve seen today has settled in my chest, and I don’t know that any water will ever quench it.
“Are things looking good with your lawyers?”
He shrugs, then takes a seat at the counter. Deep circles line the underside of his eyes. “I don’t know. They say I can probably win based on how she left in the first place, but I’m dreading going through that process and dragging Zoe along with me. It can’t be good for her.”
“I’m sorry.” I take a seat next to him. Zoe is still upstairs, where she’s remained since we got back home. When I offered her dinner earlier, she didn’t want any, so I brought a PB&J sandwich to her room and left her in peace. That’s what I wanted when I felt likeeverything around me was going to shit. Eli probably knows that’s where she is because he hasn’t asked about it.
“Not much else of an option.”
I crack a knuckle, and the sound drags Eli’s gaze to my hands, then up to me with a quirked brow.
“There’s one more thing,” I say. “I think she knows who I am. Liz, I mean.”
“Who you are…?”
“A McIntyre.”
“So?”
“So, she might use that against you.” I feel nauseous. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think we’d come across anyone at the park, but I should’ve expected—”
“First off,” he interrupts again, “you didn’t do anything wrong. You were playing with my daughter. And second, who cares about your last name?”
I give him a look that saysyou know damn well that everyone cares. I didn’t change it for nothing, but here, I’ll never get rid of it.
“That’s your father, Cass. Not you.”
He’s never understood that the two go hand in hand.
“But I do have a record to my name,” I say in a small voice.
Eli squints, and only after a long pause does his expression change with recognition. “That wasn’t your fault. He was bullying you.”
I’ve always hated that word. Bullying. It feels like something you can round every ugly action in. Calling someone names, pushingthem, giving them the silent treatment, making sure they never make friends… Those are all vastly different things. It’s too easy to group them and summarize them with a single term. What my classmates or teachers did wasn’t just bullying or intimidating me. They were ruining my life, day after day.
“It still happened, and it’s never going anywhere.” Even if juvenile records get erased after a few years, locals know about it, and people in Cape Weston don’t forget. I swallow, then turn to him. “And the last thing I’d want is to cause you more problems, so I’d understand if you want me to step away.”
“That’s bullshit. I’m not letting you… I’m not giving any of them the winning point. Fuck that.”
I’m not sure why Eli or the Grants never treated me and my family like everyone else in town. Mr. and Mrs. Grant were never fans of my father, but they were always civil with him and downright nice with my mother. And me? Walking into the Grants’ house felt like entering a different world. I wasn’t the same person there. Ever since I’d walked over to him at ten years old and asked him if I could use his trampoline, it was like I could just be Cassie with him. I waited for years for the other shoe to drop, for him to start looking at me with pity or disgust, but he never did. The only thing he ever showed was interest. He wasn’t my favorite person for no reason.
“I just want you to know that the option is there,” I say.
He leans forward, his elbow touching mine. “And I want you to know I don’t want it.”
“What if it causes issues with the trial?”
There’s a pause before Eli answers, “I don’t see how I could be faulted for hiring an old friend who’s been nothing but kind to Zoe for babysitting purposes.”
“Technically, you haven’t hired me since I won’t let you pay me.”
He cracks a grin, some of the tension eased. “I haven’t paid youyet.”
“You can dream.”
He snickers, and the light sound settles something inside me I hadn’t even realized was brewing. I was scared, I think. Again, he’s found the words I needed before I even knew I wanted them.
Despite all this time, I think Eli Grant is still my favorite person.
