Page 165 of The Obvious Check
“Your dad would literally kill me,” Dash says, wiping coffee from his chin while Henry glares at him.
“But think about it, wouldn't it be so much fun to have a mini us running around?” Madison continues with a wicked grin.
“Yeah, because what the world really needs is a human glitter bomb on goalie legs. That kid’s gonna break the sound barrier and three windows by preschool.”
“Don’t talk about my future child like that,” Dash grumbles.
“Future?” Madison says with a wistful edge in her voice. It’s obvious she’s completely gone for Dash, and I can tell by the way he looks at her, he is too.
“If Cade’s not talking to his parents, is it Coach McKibbon? I’m tired of covering for his ass.” Dash asks in an attempt to change the subject, I assume.
“No…” I drawl out, trying to think of something that won’t out Cade’s antics to Madison. “He’s talking to my lawyer, Ivy. She got a court date to start the adoption process of my little sister.” There. It’s not a lie. It’s the truth, and something I can’t stop thinking about.
“That’s incredible!” Madison practically runs over to me and hugs me tight. “I’m so happy for you, and I can’t wait to meet her. It’s like havinganothersister, which is a much-needed change.” She leans in and points her thumb over her shoulder. “I’m tired of hanging around with these hooligans.”
“Hey! I resent that comment,” Henry says. “The only hooligan of the bunch is Erik. Cade made the right decision to move out. Erik was so loud, we essentially got a play-by-play of every move he did with his hookup last night.” His nose wrinkles. “I’m pretty sure he used his nutcrackers in a less than wholesome way.”
Dash coughs, causing Henry to slap him on the back. “Didn’t you hear it?” Henry asks.
“No. I was at Madison’s.”
“See. This is why I need a girlfriend. If Erik isn’t fucking someone loudly, he and Scotty are arguing over that stupid incident at that birthday party.”
“What happened there?” Madison asks, clearly intrigued.
Before I can hear the gossip, the breaking news banner scrolling across the TV catches my eye. There’s a picture of a burned building with a very familiar chicken joint in the background making my heart race.
“Could you turn that up?” I ask softly, pointing at the remote.
Henry grabs it, and suddenly the room fills with the anchor's voice: “Breaking news this morning: a local bar was destroyedin an overnight fire, and the owner has been arrested on federal charges…”
My coffee mug slips from my hands and shatters on the floor.
“The fire atBehind Closed Doorsappears to have been caused by an electrical fault originating from an old computer in the basement,” the reporter continues. “However, federal agents received an anonymous tip about financial irregularities at the establishment, leading them to investigate the owner's business practices. Luke McCabe was arrested this morning on charges of tax evasion, wire fraud, and money laundering after agents discovered severe discrepancies in his financial records…”
I stare at the screen, drinking in every detail of the destruction. Ash. That’s all that remains of the place that felt like it stole my soul. Beautiful, perfect ash. All those nights I lay awake wishing it would just disappear. All those times I imagined what it would feel like to be truly free of it… It’s here and I’m numb.
“Oh my,” I whisper.
Madison looks around at us all, her brows furrowed while Dash and Henry have gone completely still, staring at the screen.
Inside, I’m trembling, only now able to take in the true meaning of it all. My eyes sting, and tears threaten to fall as I memorize every inch of Luke’s fallen kingdom.
“Okay, what's going on?” Madison asks slowly. “Why does everyone look like they've seen a ghost? It's just some random bar that burned down.”
Nobody says a word. Just Stanley whimpering over the broken mug and the reporter detailing Luke's extensive list of crimes.
Madison's eyes dart between us, taking in our reactions. “This isn't random, is it? This means something to you guys. Wait, were you involved? Does this have something to do with Cade’s injuries?”
That's when Cade finally appears, looking exhausted but relieved. His hair is disheveled, his shoulders look like they’re carrying less weight than they have in weeks.
“You saw,” he says to me.
I turn back to the TV, watching them show the wreckage again. Every beam, every brick, every trace of that place reduced to nothing.
“It's gone,” I say softly, my voice full of wonder. “It's actually gone.”
Madison stares between the TV and all of us, and I can see the pieces clicking together in her mind. “Oh my goodness. How didn’t I see it? I knew you liked to fi—” She doesn’t finish the sentence because even in this small circle, Cade’s fighting isn’t something that’s spoken about out loud. “I thought you stopped?” she asks Cade more tenderly this time.
