“Jamison’s just being modest,” Casimira interjected. “The school pursued him after the work he did with the program he wrote for his robotics club. He’s just upset about the whole thing because he wanted to take a year off to travel, but they would have retracted the offer if he did.”
Right, I’m sure that’s what happened. Something told me mommy dearest was the one who didn’t want him to travel.
“Guess that makes two of us. I wanted to do some traveling after I graduated. Instead, I got mafia boot camp,” I shared before I popped a piece of fish in my mouth.
“Yeah, well, I figured with him having you, I could be free to do what I wanted,” Jamison mumbled.
The fork I’d been holding slipped out of my hand and clattered to the plate.
“Jamison,” his mother snapped. “How dare you say something like that to her? It was rude, mean-spirited, and I won’t stand for it. Apologize,” Casimira ordered.
Jamison just crossed his arms and glared at his mother. “Seriously, we need to cut the crap. We don’t do family dinners like this. You know I hate fish, and I’m not going to waste the time getting to know a person who’s been MIA my whole life. And don’t you think being compared to someone you’ve never met is just bullshit? She can have it all. I never wanted anything to do with the mob or the shit that comes with it.”
Daddy’s face looked like a thundercloud of anger as his hands balled into fists at Jamison’s outburst. “That’s quite enough, son.”
“Why couldn’t we do this at our house instead of needing to be here? It’s the weekend you always stay with us, and Mom would have cooked something normal,” Jamison grumbled, shoving his plate away. “Bro, come on, back me up here. If we’re supposed to be getting to know each other, why not at least let it be the truth?” Jamison demanded, talking to Liu.
Bro? Another house? Weekends? What the actual fuck is happening right now?
“While I won’t know what a real family looks or acts like, having been abandoned by mine, I’d say you’re all making the truth of the matter loud and clear,” I stated, rising from my seat. “I’m going to finish my meal in my room. It seems thefamilyhas some things to discuss.”
“Astin,” Daddy barked.
I lifted my gaze to his and shook my head. “No, I’ll take whatever punishment you feel I deserve, but I won’t sit here a moment longer. When no one else is going to look out for you, then you have to do it yourself. That’s what my family taught me.”
Picking up my plate, I headed out of the room, shutting the door behind me. Needing a second, I leaned against it trying to compose myself.
“Jamison, how could you? We told you time and time again we needed to be sensitive to her feelings?” Casimira yelled.
“Why the fuck am I getting in trouble? It’s not like she wasn’t going to figure out what was going on. There’s no point in all this fake bullshit. How is this my fault?” Jamison shouted.
“Don’t you raise your tone at your mother, boy,” Father snapped. “Astin has no knowledge of my second residence where we live or that Liu is really her adopted brother. I didn’t feel it was fair for her to be slapped in the face with all of that at once. Thank you so incredibly much for dispensing with the bullshit and blindsiding her. I’m sure this will help matters move along so much faster.”
“You should’ve been honest from the beginning. Did she think you weren’t going to have a life just because she didn’t?” Jamison shot back.
Unable to hear anymore, I pushed away from the door and headed up to my rooms, where I’d be blissfully alone once more. All I’d wanted for fifteen years was to return home, to be with my father and uncles—the three men I believed wouldn’t let me down. Then right there before my eyes, the one man I thought I could count on to forever be in my corner lied and abandoned me just like Ryker.
Entering my room, I kicked the door shut and went to my office. I knew there was a wet bar in there, and I desperately needed a drink. When I opened the door, I found Mathis sitting there holding out a glass to me.
“You lasted longer than I thought,” he commented. “Who spilled the beans?”
“Do you really need to ask that question?” I mumbled, snatching the glass and gulping down the amber liquid. Setting my plate on my desk, I dropped into my chair and slid the glass over to my uncle for him to refill.
“I suppose not. The twit has never had anything going on between his ears,” Mathis said with a sigh.
Crossing my leg over the other, I placed my hand on my lap, glaring at him. “Why didn’t you tell me? You were with me for four years, you’d think it would come up in conversation.”
“Really, you think with everything else we were putting you through, it was a smart idea to take away your driving force to make it to the end?” he challenged.
Shooting to my feet, I slammed my hands on the desk. “I think it’s a smart idea to tell me I might want to allow for the possibility that my father was moving on,” I shouted. “Here I am, the poor little abandoned girl thinking my dearest father is still mourning over my mother’s loss and taking comfort in her best friend who, oops, they had a kid. The old man was upfront about that. Why couldn’t he tell me he decided to buy a normal house and live the fantasy with a white picket fence and the two-point-five children? Which now I get how that math can happen… if you adopt someone, then they’re only half yours, right? Not your DNA but you treasure them in your heart.”
“Squirt,” Mathis groaned. “Don’t make this worse.”
I burst out a harsh laugh. “It can get worse? Please tell me how it can get worse. Do I have more siblings? Am I adopted? What, is my mother not really his treasured wife who died in the valiant effort to protect me? Please, I’d love to know if my entire life is a complete and utter crock of shit.”
Mathis poured his own glass and tossed it back then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Casimira wasn’t just your mother’s best friend so she was around all the time, she’s your father’s second wife.”
My brain stalled for a moment as his words hit home. “Run that by me again?”