Page 147 of Just Let Go

“I’ve gotta think about all of this,” Grady said. “After I get home, we’ll talk, okay? But first I need to make it through the next few weeks of training and traveling and competing.”

From across the table, his dad scoffed.

“What was that for?” Grady heard something inside him snap.

Dad looked at Benji. “I told you he wouldn’t go for it.”

“I’m not saying no. I’m just trying to figure out how this is going to work or if this is even what I want.”

“Do you hear yourself?” Dad’s fork fell onto the plate with a plunk. “You’ve had a whole life of getting what you want. What about your brother?”

“Of course I want Benji to have what he wants—that’s all I’ve ever worked for. That’s why these games are so important.”

“Don’t try to sell that line here, Son.”

“It’s the truth.”

“We’ve all seen the stories about your fast life. Don’t pretend you live this way for anybody but yourself.”

“Is that what this is really about, Dad?” Grady dropped his silverware on the table. “You still blame me for what happened, don’t you?”

“You guys, stop,” Benji said. “It was a long time ago—can we leave the past in the past, please?”

“It’s not the past, Benji,” Dad said. “Not when you’re still living in that chair every single day.” His glare lasered in on Grady. “And you think throwing money at him will make it all right.”

“What else do you want me to do? I can’t take it back. I’ve apologized a thousand times. I’ve spent my life trying to make Benji’s dream come true, and you still can’t stand to look at me.” Grady pushed his plate away and stood. “When will it ever be enough?”

He stood frozen as the air turned thick. Then, knowing his father wouldn’t respond, he stormed out of the restaurant and into the parking lot, aware of the attention he drew as he did.

He didn’t care. He was tired of paying for the past.

And yet, somehow he felt like a lifelong penance was exactly what he deserved.

CHAPTER

38

QUINN SAT STILL AS A STATUEat the table with Grady’s family.

His “preemptive apology” wasn’t so off base after all. Clearly there was a painful history here, and she felt like an intruder sitting in the middle of it all.

“Why did you have to do that?” Charlene dabbed her eyes with her napkin.

“I told you this was a bad idea.” Randall pressed his beefy hands against the table.

“It wasn’t a bad idea until you started in on him.” Charlene turned to Quinn. “I’m so sorry, Quinn. We don’t make a very good first impression, do we?”

“Don’t worry about me.” Quinn covered her plate of half-eaten food with her napkin. “I’m going to go look for Grady.”

“Check the bars,” Randall said.

She met his eyes. “Your son is a good man, sir.”

“She’s right, Dad,” Benji said. “Grady has paid long enough for something that happened when we were kids. It was an accident. It’s time to let it go.”

“But he still acts like a rebellious teenager, doesn’t he?”

“Not so much anymore,” Benji said. “He’s done all of this for us, to try and make us proud. But you’re so intent on keeping him humble, you beat him down. You always have.”

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