CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX #2
Everything moved so fast. The award ceremony was a blink.
Grandfather stood back while Jacinta cried to every reporter who’d listen, telling them her baby boy was back and healthy again.
She held up her solisTablet, Pop looking on from the feed.
Did he know about all the secrets Grandfather hid in his office?
I fixed my grin for him and read his lips as he said, ‘That’s my boy.
’ I looked around at everyone. I’d never forget this moment.
The city proud of me. I was one conversation away from the sponsorship I wanted, and it was with my best friend’s team.
Yet my smile began to slip. It was hard not to think about what tomorrow would bring.
I piled into the limousine with Grandfather and Jacinta, Gemma already inside with Della Powers.
‘That went well,’ said Della. ‘A win for the Fox family, and a win for Dominion.’
Jacinta agreed. ‘We couldn’t have asked for anything better. There were a few uninvited guests, but security did well to handle it.’
Grandfather beamed. ‘Well done! And donating your winnings to charity? I taught you well.’
I forced my smile to stay in place. ‘Yeah. You taught me a lot.’
‘Hey,’ Gemma piped up. ‘I thought you needed that money to move away from us?’
I rolled my eyes. ‘I found a better use for it. There’s a charity based out of Oakland that helps those with helical disease who can’t become Pain Givers – like Perla.
’ It was the same charity I’d tried to shout out during my interview with Yvonne Meadows.
That felt so long ago, though it’d been a little over a month.
Gemma snorted. ‘Since when does Perla have helical disease?’
I opened my mouth to respond, but Jacinta waved a hand at Della.
‘Find a nice spin for us, won’t you, Del?
There’s an opportunity here with his donation.
The press loved him. Oh, and reach back out to that producer who asked Castor about that reality show for his high school last year.
What was it called? Ah – Hills High. We can pitch something new.
His own surfing show.’ Jacinta cut her gaze to me.
‘You wouldn’t turn that down, would you? ’
I held up my hands. ‘No argument here.’
It’d never happen. They wouldn’t have time to call anyone after my plans for tonight.
My attention drifted to Gemma. Destroying our family meant destroying her life too.
She’d still have her supplement injection line, but no more Pain Giver Comfort program.
Did her involvement mean she knew Dominion hid a cure too?
She caught me staring, and I forced a smile.
‘Don’t be weird,’ she said.
Don’t hesitate.
I stayed lost in my thoughts as we arrived home, only stopping for a hug from Perla before heading upstairs.
In my room, I let the shower run, drowning out my anxiety beneath the spray.
I had to do this. I had to destroy my family.
It was the right thing to do. That last thought nearly broke me.
I couldn’t tell whether my face was wet from tears or water.
If I did nothing, I couldn’t live with myself.
And that was Grandfather’s fault. When Jaiden’s parents OD’d, Grandfather sat with me to make sure I understood what happened.
Not everyone had our life. He encouraged me to volunteer at the opioid treatment centers so I’d meet others from outside my Crestview bubble. He brought this on himself.
Still, I hoped me doing this would make him change.
I hoped exposing Dominion would show Grandfather how far he’d strayed, and that I could be his north star.
I hadn’t told Nova – I didn’t want to disappoint her.
My hope wasn’t me hesitating. It was me realizing you could still love your family when they did awful things.
I hated so much about Grandfather, but I couldn’t bring myself to hate him.
I’m doing the right thing. I’m doing the right thing.
Towel around my waist, I stepped in my room, drying my hair with a cotton tee.
I caught a light blinking on my desk. It was the device Nova had given me – the receiver for the bug.
Grandfather was talking to someone in his office.
I walked over slowly, debating whether to connect the feed.
We had everything we needed at this point.
I was due at Nova’s place in an hour with my holo gaming deck so we could do a few practice runs of the procedure.
I’d listened to a few of his conversations over the past week, but they were nothing other than shallow conversations.
I didn’t need to hear anything else Grandfather had to say.
I flipped the switch.
‘All is well that ends well,’ he said. ‘You know that Nova girl ended up being good for us. Dominion’s approval ratings are the highest they’ve been all decade.
And after today, I know interest in the Freedom System will be through the roof.
Castor showed the world what he could do now that he’s pain-free.
He won his surfing competition. He made the entire city proud. ’