AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thought you could come here and act like a mama and then walk out of my life, again. Get what you need and don’t look back. How long have you been clean?”
There isn’t a bucket big enough for my tears tonight. Used again. Thrown out like the trash that I am.
“Two weeks. I’ve been staying at a recovery home and working to try to pay off our debt.”
I scoff. “How about turning the dealer into the police? No, you can’t do that because in two more weeks, you’ll need the dealer to give you more drugs. No. Just no.” I throw my hands up in the air as I stand, and the room spins.
Sick.
Dizzy.
Dane.
Chapter Forty-Four
DANE
How do I handle finding my dad celebrating his senate victory in the wee hours of the morning?
With Daisy’s dress hiked over her hips? Yep.
I do what any good son would do—I shove my fist into his face. Not because Daisy and I are dating; we’re not. Then through gritted teeth and clenched fists, I say, “I’m telling Mom. It’s up to her on what to do, but I’m setting the rules now. Lettie will keep her sponsorships regardless of our relationship status. You will not attend another game of mine. If you do, I will go public with you screwing your chief of staff’s daughter, who’s decades younger than you.”
Daisy fixes herself and by the time I’m finished speaking, she’s muttering, “I’m sorry. He promised me?—”
I cut her off. “Daisy, I don’t care. Not about you. I care about my mom and how after all these years of marriage, he would do this to her.”
“Son, okay, okay. Just don’t tell your mother, please.”
“What did you say when I was begging you not to come between Lettie and me? I believe it was, ‘I do what needs to be done.’ Well now I’m doing what needs to be done.”
For twenty-one years, I admired my father. Was he hard on me regarding basketball? Yes. But it was something we did together, and I cherished every one of the days of shooting outside together or going to a father-son basketball camp together. He opened doors for me that I may not have gotten being from a small town in eastern Kentucky.
But since he started running for the U.S. Senate, he has caused nothing but aggravation and pain. If he hadn’t held Lettie’s sponsorships over my head, I’m positive that Lettie and I would have gotten back together at Hagan and Adalee’s wedding, if not before. However, her sponsorships pay for boarding Diamond Mine, feeding Diamond Mine, Jasper, the grooms, her travel, and Diamond Mine being transported to the competitions and a dozen more items I can’t recall.
Furious and exhausted, I enter The Stable, and my teammates are awake and eating breakfast, and I haven’t been to bed. They congratulate me on my father’s win and go to shake my hand or fist bump me. I fake a smile and say, “Thanks, I gotta get some sleep before the game.”
Devon and Nick follow me to my apartment. “We thought you would be happy it’s over.”
“Oh, believe me, I’ve never been so fucking happy.” My voice is full of sarcasm.
Devon slouches on the bean bag next to the couch. “Call Lettie. Now that the campaign is over, it will free up some of your time. Isn’t that why she broke up with you? You were neglecting all your shit because of her.”
“Yeah, but that’s not all.” I sit on the couch next to Nick and send Lettie a message.
Things have changed, and I need to talk to you. I’ll come by after my ballgame tonight.
“Are you texting Lettie?” Nick asks.
“Yes, I sent her a message. Now get out of here so I can get some sleep. And I didn’t go through all of this to lose to North Carolina.” The North Carolina Tar Heels are one of our biggest rivals in Division I basketball. Both historic programs.
“Good. Good.”
They press their hands against their legs and leave. I lock the door behind them, set my alarm, and pass out from exhaustion, anger, disappointment, and hope that Lettie and I can find our way back to each other.
I call my mom even though I have no idea how I’m going to tell her that the man she loves cheated on her on the night he was elected to the US Senate.
“Dane, are you okay?”
