“I’ll walk you out,” I said to Nick.
Eli came with us as I showed Nick to the door.
&nb
sp; “I meant it about starting to look for more help, especially when you’re gone during the day,” Nick said as we reached the door.
“I’m not listening to you,” Eli said. “You’re an asshole. You hurt my sister—”
“I don’t know what she told you, but she left me, Eli.” He shook his head, and glared at us like he was done with it. Done with me and Eli. In his eyes, I felt like he was saying our father deserved better.
“And stay away from my father,” Eli said as Nick headed out the door.
“For someone who pretends to care about his father, you don’t do a good job of it,” Nick said.
“What the fuck—”
“Eli, knock it off,” I said. “Let him go.”
“No. He just said I don’t really care about my father.”
“He’s just poking at you,” I said, but I had to wonder about the comment too.
“The two of you go through the motions, but when was the last time any of you played chess with him?” Nick said.
“When did you?” Eli snapped.
“Yesterday.”
What? Even Eli jerked back. Nick shook his head and then turned to head down to his car. Every step made me feel like I was losing something important. Like my family was losing something important.
21
Nick
Good riddance, I thought as I got into my car and drove off. My life was shit enough. I didn’t need Eli’s constant haranguing me about being a quack. I didn’t need to keep seeing Mia and know that she was ready, willing, and able to sacrifice me to save her client the hospital.
I knew they loved their father, but even that, I felt they could do better. I wasn’t going to give up seeing Jim, but I was done with Eli and Mia.
It was wrong, the satisfaction I got from Mia’s expression when I told Jim I had a hot date. I didn’t, of course. But as much as I would have enjoyed watching TV with Jim, I couldn’t be there while Mia and Eli were. For one, they needed to spend time with him. But two, considering how they felt about me, I didn’t want to spend the evening feeling uncomfortable. I was having to do that all day at work these days. I couldn’t tell Jim that though, so I told him I had a date.
I saw the flash of jealousy in her eyes. It was her choice to choose her work over me. I knew that this time, she was in a tougher situation. It wasn’t like there was a huge need for medical lawyers in Goldrush Lake. And she’d argue that I wasn’t leaving my job either, which was true. I wanted to have my cake and eat it too. But if I thought she cared for me, if there was a chance to have what we had before, would I quit and do something else? I could open a private practice. I could get a job at the clinic down in Keddler or at any number of medical centers in Reno.
I shook my head, wondering why I was even going there. Mia and I had slept together twice, but nothing about us this time was like last time. It must have been the good memories fogging my brain.
I wasn’t ready to go home, so I drove up to my favorite nature spot to sit in peace looking over the lake. The water was cold, but I decided a late evening swim was in order to get my blood pumping and awaken the senses. I stripped naked, knowing it was unlikely anyone would be by this late in the evening. It was nearly dark out when most hikers were at their campsites or home.
When I was waist-deep in the water, I heard a rustle behind me and I had a moment to worry about the possibility of a bear. Instead, I saw Mia. She had the ability to rip my heart out, but I suppose I had a better chance at surviving Mia than a bear.
“Something wrong with your dad?” I asked.
She shook her head, her eyes staying glued to mine. “I wanted to apologize for Eli.”
I shrugged as I pushed the waist-high water around me. “It’s not like I didn’t know how he felt.”
She moved closer to the water. “You spend a lot of time with my dad.”
I nodded, wondering if she was going to tell me to stop. Certainly, Eli would. “Yes.”