novelxo Twisted Collide: Chapter 79
The following morning, I leave Josephine in my bed to meet Molly. She’s waiting outside her apartment building when I pull up to get her.
We drive in silence, but from where I’m sitting, from the corner of my eye, I can see that she’s just pulled a manila file out of her bag.
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Everything we need to shut our uncle up.”
“Okay.”
“No more questions?”
“Molly, I trust you. If you say you have this, then I believe you.”
“Thanks, Dane. You don’t understand how much that means to me.” She rummages through some papers before she places the manila folder back in her bag. “I’m happy for you and Josie. She’s perfect for you, you know?”
“She is.”
“She’s the perfect sunshine to your grumpy.”
“Sunshine? Wait until you get to know her better, she’s more of a hellfire.”
“I can’t wait.”
I smile as I continue to drive to my uncle’s house. He hasn’t moved. He still lives on the outskirts of town, where he and my father grew up before my dad moved to the opposite side of town to start his own family.
When the familiar white house comes into focus, I slow my car. The place looks beat up. The years haven’t been good to it. What was once crisp, newly painted white wood is now peeling and discolored.
The side window is boarded up, and the screen door seems to hang off the hinge.
No wonder he sees me as a payday, and the truth is, without Molly, he might just get it.
I roll the car to a stop, and then both Molly and I are out of the car and walking to the door. He must have seen us coming because the door flies open once we are on the front step.
“Look who finally came to visit.” He looks at Molly. “And, Molly, you sure did grow up to be a looker, like your mama.”
“Shut the fuck up and do not look at her.”
“You have a temper.” He snickers.
“You’re one to speak,” Molly jumps in.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Why don’t you show us in, and I’ll let you know.”
My uncle pushes the door wider and lets us through.
The small room, which is the living room, smells like an ashtray. The smoke from that last lit cigarette still clogs the air. There’s also the faint smell of weed. I look around, clocking a half-empty bottle of vodka.
Drunk and high, today should be fun.
“You here to pay?” He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Actually, I’m not.”
“Oh, you’re not?” He turns to Molly. “Did he tell you what he did? You both will have no place to live when I’m done with you. Actually, this one will. Jail.”
“I don’t think so, dickhead.”
“Yeah, you don’t think? What will your precious coach think when I tell him? Here’s the deal; you pay me twenty grand, or I will go to the press with every sordid detail of your life. I will ruin you unless you pay me.”
“I think you’ve got shit. You have nothing. And I called around. Your source? The bet . . . yeah, you don’t have that source. Nick’s gone. No one’s seen him, and seeing as that’s all hearsay, I don’t think anything’s going to happen to me, so why don’t you fuck off with your threats?”
“Threats? You think this is just a threat?”
“No, I think it’s blackmail. Which is highly illegal, and my sister here, she heard you—” I incline my head. “So this is how it’s going to be. You’re going to leave me and my family alone. And I’m going to live my best fucking life.”
Molly steps forward, manila folder in her hand. I shake my head at her. I don’t want her hands dirty; I never did. I wanted her here for support. I’d never let her put herself at risk. Whatever picture she has of the bruise he left on her, that’s her story, and if she chooses to do something with it, I’ll support her, but I won’t let her dredge up the past for me.
She nods. She knows me well enough to know, but she does lift her phone. Then she presses the button.
On video is my uncle, clear as day, from thirty seconds ago, and all that’s recorded is the blatant blackmail.
She smiles as we all listen. “Don’t get any big ideas. I’ve already emailed it to my Dropbox.”
“You bitch.”
I take a step forward, towering over my uncle. “And you’re a fucking loser. Stay out of my life. Anything I have ever done in my life was to protect my sister. I wouldn’t change one minute of my life because when I look at her, I know it was all worth it to see the woman she’s become.”
Molly turns toward me and places her hand on my sleeve. “Let’s go, Dane. He’s no longer important.”
“I don’t think so. You don’t get to win, not again.”
“Yet you’ve never understood. It’s not about winning; it’s about love and family, and you have none. I wasn’t going to do this, but just know you have skeletons in your closet, and we own them.”
My uncle’s brows pinch in, and he looks at Molly and then at me.
“My sister is resourceful when she needs to be. Don’t test her or me. You understand?”
We don’t wait for him to respond.
Once in the car, Molly turns to me. “Why didn’t you let me use the evidence from when he hurt me?”
“Because that’s your story, Molly, and only you get to decide if you tell it. I’ll never make you do something you don’t want to do or are not ready to do. When the time comes, and you’re ready, I’ll be here to support you, and if not, I’ll still be here.”
“Thanks, Dane.”
“Anytime, Mol.”
“Now, let’s get you home to your girl.” We both laugh before driving off into the future and closing the door on the past once and for all.