Chapter Nineteen
WEST
Glancing around the room at my brothers, Ricky, and Chase, I have to admit it. Grandpa was right.
I needed this.
We’re stuffed full of Grandpa’s gumbo and homemade cornbread, but that’s not enough to stop us from talking shit around the pool table.
As usual.
“Six. Side pocket,” Dane Calls out, tapping his stick where he’s aiming.
“From that angle? No chance,” Sterling shoots back with a laugh.
Ricky laughs too before goading them into a wager. “Why not put your money where your mouth is?”
“Bet,” Dane agrees, which already has Sterling pulling cash from his wallet.
“Fifty says you won’t make it.”
“Same,” Chase pipes up, matching Sterling’s bet. “Sorry Dane.”
“All good. I’ll gladly take your money,” he laughs.
Ricky places his cash down next. “My money’s on Dane. He’s got this. Easy.”
I keep my wallet in my pocket and keep quiet, observing.
“Does everything have to be a damn pissing match with you two?” Grandpa scolds, volleying a look between my brothers.
“Yep,” they say in unison as Dane lowers to make his shot.
The room is quiet and all eyes are on him. He pulls the cue back, then slams it into the ball, and we’re all locked in, watching as the shot unfolds exactly as Dane planned. The six sinks into the side pocket, and his hands go up.
“Anyone else wanna fucking doubt me?”
Laughing, Ricky collects the cash and divides it evenly between him and Dane.
“Lucky shot,” Sterling grumbles, resting against a stool to watch Dane go for the eight ball.
“Eight ball. Corner pocket,” Dane says, and no one bets against him this time.
A few seconds later, the game’s over, and Sterling’s resetting the rack. Chase and Ricky have next. They’re chalking the tips of their cues, getting ready to play, and without the distraction of competition, I feel both sets of my brothers’ eyes on me.
“Something you two want to say?” I ask, knocking back the last of my soda.
They’re quiet at first, which means I’m right, but Dane finally speaks up.
“It’s been a few weeks. Just wondering if there’s any news about your shoulder?”
I knew that was it.
My body sinks deeper into my spot on the sofa, and I sigh as Grandpa stares from a couple cushions away.
“Went for an MRI a few days ago, but I won’t know the results until tomorrow. Doc says we’re basically playing the waiting game. He gave the swelling some time to go down, so I’ll know where I stand after my appointment.”
The room falls quiet again, and I hate this, being the center of attention, knowing they’re probably all thinking the worst.
“So, just how much shit has Reed been talking with these couple wins under his belt?”
I don’t actually want to know, but I have to fill the dead space somehow. Honestly, it kills me a little that the team’s been kicking ass without me. Not because I don’t want them to do well, but because it sucks feeling unneeded.
My brothers don’t answer, but I lock eyes with Chase. He tries to break his gaze, but he knows he’s caught in the hotseat.
“About as much as you’d expect,” he answers, and I smirk.
“I fucking knew it.”
“But for what it’s worth, it never goes on for long. Your brothers always shut it down pretty quickly.”
I open my mouth to ask for specifics, but Grandpa cuts in before I get the chance.
“Enough of all this football talk. How’s that great-grandson of mine, Sterling? That kid’s a future heartbreaker. You know that don’t ya?” Grandpa teases.
Sterling’s face lights up like it does every time Jax makes his way into a conversation.
“He’s good. Just saw him a few days ago. Lexi finally let me get him from her place instead of her parents’.”
Dane and I shoot him a look at the same time, because it’s a well-known fact that Lexi tries to keep her personal life separate from Sterling as much as possible. Which is why she made it a rule that they always hand-off Jaxon to one another on neutral territory.
“For real? How’d you manage that?” Dane asks.
“Trust me, it wasn’t because she wanted to switch things up. She was running late for class and didn’t have time to take him to Benny, so she had to let me stop by.”
I arch a brow when he clearly wants to say more. One thing my brothers and I can never seem to do is hide our feelings from one another. Not sure if it’s a triplet thing or just because we’ve always had each other’s backs.
“So… how’d it go?” I ask.
“Fine, other than the fact that she’s living in a shithole.”
I feel my brow tense. “How? With what I’m sure she’s getting in child support, she should be living damn-near as comfortable as we are.”
“No shit,” he bites out. “Yet, she basically has my son living in a shoebox.”
“Well, did you ask her about it?” Grandpa chimes in. “Maybe she’s got good reason.”
“I asked,” Sterling sighs, “but it’s Lexi.
There was only so much she would say before she shut down.
Didn’t help that her sister’s staying with her now, so we had to keep our voices down.
But she just fed me some shit about not wanting to live off my money, which is supposed to be the whole damn point of me giving her tens of thousands of dollars every month.
I mean, right? Or am I missing something? ”
“She say where all the money’s going?” Ricky asks.
Sterling lets out another frustrated breath.
“I asked if she was using some of it to pay for school or saving for a better house, but she ripped me a new one for even thinking it. All she said is that she doesn’t need a bigger house and that she’d never use money meant for Jax on herself.
She got so pissed she stormed off and grabbed a bank statement to show me it’s all in an account for him. ”
I arch a brow. “All of it?”
“Based on all the fucking zeroes I counted, yeah. She can’t be using more than a grand a month of what I send her to take care of him. The rest of it’s just… sitting there.”
We’re all quiet, and I’d never say what I’m thinking out loud, but I’m sure as hell biting my tongue.
And maybe even fighting a smile.
While I get why Sterling’s frustrated, I’ve gotta respect Lexi’s stance. She’s making sure it can never be said that she’s taking advantage of Sterling, or that her being able to thrive and get through school is because of anyone’s financial help.
It’s all her.
“Did she at least say what she intends to do with all the cash?” Grandpa asks. The corners of his mouth are tense, and I don’t think I’m the only one fighting a smile.
“All she said about it is that it’s Jax’s money, not hers. And when he’s old enough to be smart with it, she’ll turn it over to him.”
I’m biting my tongue again, but that only lasts for so long this time. “And… you think all this is a bad thing?”
“You’re missing the point,” he sighs. “They’re not safe there. And the last thing I want is for my kid to come visit me, to see how me and Tiff live, then go back to his mom’s, thinking I’m not taking care of shit there. And let’s not even talk about how Pandora would spin this shit…”
“I don’t know. I think you’re looking at this all wrong.”
He rolls his eyes. “So, tell me, West. How would you suggest I look at it?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe like she’s raising Jax to be levelheaded? Humble?”
Grandpa Boone points at me. “I think you’re on to something.
No offense, but you boys were born with a silver spoon in your mouth.
I’m not judging you. My girls were raised not knowing anything about the struggles most people face.
But maybe, just maybe, Lexi’s trying to see to it that Jaxon has balance.
Soon enough, he’ll be old enough to understand who his daddy is, and the space he holds in this city, in this world, and maybe his mother just wants to make sure his foundation is sound before any of that happens.
You know, to give him a fighting chance to not become an arrogant asshole,” he adds with a laugh.
“Like we are?” Sterling asks, looking genuinely concerned that this is what Grandpa thinks of us.
“No, you idiot. I was thinking more along the lines of your father. That asshat wasn’t born into money, but he sure as hell wanted the world to know he struck it rich down the road.”
I think about it, and his logic makes sense. Lex has always been grounded, and I can’t see her wanting anything less for Jaxon.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Damn straight, I’m right,” Grandpa brags. “Jaxon couldn’t be more perfect, and that’s a testament to what a great job you two are doing with him. Stop worrying so much.”
The mood lightens, and you can visibly see Sterling’s stress melting away. The Tiffany situation might not be an easy fix, but there’s no need for him to complicate things with Lexi, too.
Chase excuses himself to use the restroom, and Ricky straightens after taking his shot. We lock eyes, and he looks serious.
Too serious for where our conversation just left off.
“Not to bring the mood back down, but I’ve been waiting to talk to you three without Chase around.”
My stomach sinks, but I hide that the look on his face already has me scared shitless, and he hasn’t even said much yet.
“I haven’t brought it up in a while, because there’s been enough going on without adding to the drama. But Diego and I have still been working on the Pandora thing,” he says, confirming my fear.
Shit’s about to hit the fan.
“Did you find something new?” I ask.
Ricky nods. “Diego’s been wanting to stakeout that coffee shop Shauna’s guy pinged for where Pandora’s account got hacked. I thought it was a longshot because so many people go in and out of that place all day, but I finally gave him the okay. And, well, turns out D’s hunch might’ve been right.”
My brow tenses, feeling the stress creep right back into the room.
“Something interesting happened,” Ricky continues. “Turns out April Lawson frequents the shop often. Like, every single morning often.”
I sit straighter in my seat, trying to process what he’s suggesting. But before I get the chance to wrap my head around it, he shoots a concerned look Sterling’s way.
“Three of the seven days she showed up… she wasn’t alone. She was meeting up with Tiff.”
Ricky’s words linger in the air, but they aren’t sitting with anyone as heavily as they’re sitting with Sterling.
“That doesn’t mean anything,” he says, letting out a nervous chuckle the next second, but the smile fades quickly. “What the hell are you trying to say?”
Ricky puts his hands up. “I’m not saying a word. All I’m doing is conveying information. Do with it what you will.”
Sterling drops back, letting his back rest against the wall as he sways the cue back and forth while he thinks. “You’re saying Tiff is Pandora? That’s bullshit.”
“Like I said, I’m not trying to say anything. Just conveying info.”
“Fuck this,” Sterling snaps, placing the cue back on the rack. He grabs his phone and keys off the table next. “Look, I’ll be the first to say Tiffany isn’t perfect, but she’s not capable of shit like that.”
“I never said she was,” Ricky says gently, taking a step toward Sterling. “But… is it possible Tiff’s unknowingly feeding April information? Confiding in her, thinking they’re friends?”
Sterling doesn’t say a word, but he’s clearly reeling. “Thanks for dinner, Grandpa,” he says, flexing his jaw when he gets tense.
Then, the next second, he’s gone without a single word to the rest of us.
Chase returns to a silent, tense room. There’s so much that will have to go unsaid for now, but you can feel the shift in the air.
Grandpa stands, taking control of the space again.
“All right, gentlemen. I hope you enjoyed dinner, but I think it’s time to call it a night. West has an appointment bright and early, and I want him to get a good night’s sleep.”
His announcement has the guys gathering their things without protest. Grandpa is bombarded with hugs and handshakes, then we walk upstairs to let them out, and now it’s just us.
We straighten the kitchen with very few words exchanged between us, maybe both thinking how tonight brought just as much fun and peace as it did stress.
But I’m starting to think that’s just how life works.
You have to take the good with the bad, the ups with the down.
We shut the house down and lock up, and I find myself back on the living room couch, staring at the ceiling like I’ve done so many nights lately. Just to torture myself, I check my phone.
No calls.
No texts.
But that doesn’t stop me from sending one of my own. It’s a redundant message, but I’m beyond caring if my wife knows I’m desperate. Dignity is a thing of the past at this point.
West: I love you. I miss you. Please call…
I close my eyes and drift off waiting for a response, knowing I’ll be awake again in an hour or two, tossing and turning.
As much as it hurts, as weary as I am, I won’t give up.
*
@QweenPandora:
Looks like the #GoldenBoys and #SexyBeast had a boys’ night at the royal palace. None of the ladies were spotted, so was this a little pick-me-up for #KingMidas?
From pics of #NewGirl still slumming it with #PrisonBae after two full weeks, I’m guessing our king needs all the support he can get.
I don’t know, guys. It’s starting to look pretty grim for the King and Queen of Cypress Pointe.
Later, peeps :)
—P