Chapter 20
Gatsby
“I’m not trying to live out the book to the T,” I explained Tuth. They were entirely too excited to be officially a part of all this. “It’s just my way of getting her attention.”
I flopped down in a chair as they leaped to pour me another drink from the mini bar.
“Well, obviously. Plus, Daisy isn’t like... Daisy. Okay, that can get a bit confusing. I see what you’re doing. You’re rewriting the story and I’m here for it. God, this is all so fascinating.”
I threw my head back and pinched the bridge of my nose. This was either the best plan of action or the fucking worst.
“Okay, are you ready?” Tuth asked after I drained another glass.
I stood and blinked, my vision slightly doubled.
“Yes. Let’s do this.” I inhaled deeply. “Actually, you go on. I’ll find you in a bit.”
They gave me a look, almost warning me not to run and hide. I rolled my eyes, despite those thoughts being in the forefront of my mind. It was odd—after everything I’d been through, years of abuse and prison, I should have been hardened, but deep down, I was still the scared little coward I had always been.
I waited a full minute after Tuth exited to do the same. I returned to the party, opting to go outside. I mingled with guests who were fascinated by the fountain that moved with the music. There was a small lull where I had a moment to myself, and I felt a presence behind me. It was as if my instincts knew. A slow smile spread across my lips and I turned.
Embodying the character in all its glory, I slid on a mask of confidence to greet Daisy’s cousin, Neal. They weren’t paying me any attention. They bumped into me and spun around, apologizing.
“Sorry, mate. This party is wild!” They lifted their head to the sky and howled. Neal’s pupils were dilated, and there was a sheen of sweat beading on their forehead.
“They’ve been having fun.” Tuth laughed and came from behind Neal. They came to stand with me.
“I can’t believe I hadn’t come to one before. This is insane!”
“Insane?” I smirked, then reached into my pocket for my cigarette case. I lit a smoke and watched Neal dance with some nearby guests. I raised an eyebrow at Tuth, who chuckled.
“Neal, come hang out over here,” they called.
Neal bounced over, offering their hand as they danced. “Neal. I live next door!”
“Oh really?" And this is your first time here?”
They shrugged. “I’m new to the neighborhood. Plus, I got an invitation!” They dug into their suit jacket, removing the folded invitation. When they offered it to me, I took it, unfolding and quickly scanning, as if I hadn’t seen it before .
“Interesting. What do you think it means?” I handed it back to them.
“It means I gotta find this guy. Gatsby!” They motioned to the house.
I grinned widely. Finally, my grand entrance.
“Why, I’m Gatsby.”
I blew Neal’s intoxicated mind. They stopped dancing and their wide eyes grew wider. Up close, I could see the familal similarties between them and their cousin. Neal and Daisy shared the same dark caramel eyes.
“No fucking way.”
I chuckled as they turned to find Tuth.
“Tuth, it’s him! Tuth, I found Ga—” They screamed, and Tuth quickly covered their friend’s mouth.
“Why don’t we find someplace to sit down? Get you some water, hm?” I suggested.
“Yeah, sure. I need to sit down.” Neal looked like they were going to faint. Quickly, the three of us went back inside. I took them to my private elevator, then directed them to my private lounge.
Neal plopped down on a couch and closed their eyes. I went to my mini fridge and pulled out water. They downed a bottle quickly, then sipped the second. Sitting up, they shook their head.
“Man, if I had known it was you, I wouldn’t have been acting a fool down there. I’m sorry. I?—”
“It’s alright.” I raised my hand up to stop them. “You were invited to a party, and you were enjoying yourself. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Thanks, man, I actually was a little surprised to get the invite. I was asking around and no one else got one.”
I licked my lips, my nerves beginning to spike. I glanced at Tuth, who nodded for me to go on .
“Yes, well, I… I… uh…” I started to sweat, tugging at my bow tie and swallowing.
“Gatsby knows Daisy,” Tuth blurted.
“Daisy, as in... my cousin?” Neal blinked.
“Uh, yes.” I exhaled. “Yes, I...” My mind had gone completely blank.
“He needs help. He wants you to set them up.” Tuth looked my way. “Neal hasn’t read the book.”
“What book?” Neal scratched their head.
“Nothing. It doesn’t matter. None of this is right.” I strode over to Neal and offered my hand for them to stand. I put my hand on their back and led them toward the door. “Thank you for your time, but this entire endeavor was absurd and pointless. Please, go enjoy the party. Forget you ever saw me.”
“Wait, I know you.” Neal paused and turned to stare at me. They squinted their eyes and examined my features. “You’re...” They stepped back as their face paled. “How did you... weren’t you on death row?”
“What?” Tuth asked.
I sighed. “I was. Neal, please, hear me out.” I reached for them, but they yanked back, shaking their head.
“Tuth, this guy is a fucking cannibal. He ate someone. He’s supposed to be in jail right now. I remember seeing him in the news.” They turned their eyes back to me. “How did you get out? Are you on the run? What do you want with Daisy?”
“I was innocent. Please, listen to me. I am not going to hurt you, or Daisy, or anyone.” I glanced at Tuth. “If you sit back down, I’ll tell you everything.”
Neal flew to Tuth’s side, staring at me, unsure of my intentions. I sat at my desk, staring at my closed hands, trying to gather my thoughts. Should I trust these two with the truth? Or should I give them the story Dennis told the media?
“I had a rough childhood. My only joy was when I logged onto the internet every night and talked to Daisy. We bonded over our situations. We fell in love.” The weight of my confession caused me to pause and breathe inward. I looked up and found my audience listening attentively.
“We had this dream, where we’d run off together and be happy, in love, and no one could hurt us ever again. But I didn’t have two pennies to rub together. I told her this and she just... wasn’t getting it.”
“Daisy grew up with money.” Neal nodded.
“I began to look for ways to make money. If we were going to leave everything behind, we’d need money. I did odd jobs and saved where I could, but I needed to find something that would put her through school while also keeping a roof over our heads. I was at a loss until, one day, I received an email from a man named Dennis Wolfsheim.”
Neal’s eyes lit up. “Yes! The woman you ate—that was his sister!”
“I didn’t…” I shook my head, and Neal made the motion of zipping their mouth. “Anyway, the email. He’d seen my online pleas for help finding a job and had an offer that was beyond anything I could have ever achieved on my own.” I pushed my chair back and stood, moving to the front of my desk.
“You see, Dennis was sick. Born that way, and all the money in the world couldn’t save him. He had one request before he died, that his sister go before him. If I made that happen and took the blame, when he died, he’d put in his will that it had been him who’d done the crime, and upon my release, I would inherit all of his wealth.”
Neal let out a loud gasp. “So, you didn’t eat her? ”
I shook my head and clasped my hands in front of me. “Not even one little bite. Dennis, however, had a real feast.”
I shuddered, remembering that night. I blinked the memory back.
Neal’s, mouth hung open. “He really did it? Confessed and left you all the money?”
I raised my arms and motioned around the room. “He did. And now, I can give Daisy the life she deserves. I just...”
“Let’s do it.” Tuth took Neal’s hand. “We’ll help you.”
“Help? How do you expect us to—” Neal started, and the two of them began a hushed back and forth. Just then, there was a sharp knock on the door, and Dewayne threw open the door and rushed in.
“Sir, there’s—” He froze when he saw my guests. I noted the sweat on his face and the panic in his eyes. “There’s been an incident at dinner. We need assistance.”
Moving swiftly, I went back to my desk, unlocked a drawer, and removed the handgun I stored inside. I nodded grimly to Tuth and Neal as I left with Dewayne to take care of dinner.
“I’ll be back. Feel free to discuss things.”