Page 51 of Darling Beasts

“I guess you could say there are some things about me that put others off. Stuff I can’t change and or hide. I was tired of worrying when the hammer was going to fall, so I left on my own.”

Talia bobbed her head.Racism, she thought. “Look. I get that you’re not excited about the prospect of joining a losing political campaign, but I think you’d help, and the Ranch is sweet. It has two pools.”

“Not really a swimmer, but I might be interested if there was pickleball.”

“Oh my God!” She grabbed his arm. “There is!”

Raj laughed. “That was a joke. It’s a very compelling offer, but it seems like one of those situations where I could end up in over my head. Anyway, it was nice to see you.” He reached out a hand.

Befuddled, Talia shook it. “You too. Remember, you could help people!” she called out as he began to walk away.

He grinned over his shoulder. “That’s what people keep telling me,” he said.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ozzie

Despite what everyone thought, Ozzie wasn’t an idiot. He knew he was being sidelined, but the joke was on them. They’d pawned him off on the TikTok baddies, which was one million times better than getting seethed at by Talia or listening to Gabby eat shit whenever she attempted to speak to another human on the phone.

Thanks to Montana and Bea, he understood TikTok was the best social media platform for campaigning. It had a “high contactability score,” and users were less politically engaged, which sounded bad but made for a huge audience ofpotentialvoters. Plus, Gen Z actually gave a shit and were easy to mobilize.

Montana initially went viral for a “red flag/beige flag” thing she did with public figures and now Ozzie was on the case. He’d spent the morning wandering the Ranch, looking for randoms to quiz about Dad’s opponents.Angie Parker calls herself “your average minivan mom” but doesn’t own a minivan. Red or beige flag?After filming every person willing to answer, Ozzie wrapped for lunch.

As he made his way to the main house, Ozzie scanned the property, really taking it in for the first time since he arrived ten days before. Had there always been two tennis courts? A yoga studio? The recreation pavilion he remembered, mostly because of all the hours spent fucking around in there withGabby. Overall, the Ranch feltalmostfamiliar, like trying to put a name to the face.

Ozzie entered the meditation loggia. He snagged a box marked “ham,” tucked it beneath his arm, and walked back out, munching on a cob as he went. Hooking right, he spotted someone on the far side of the pool.Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in. Marston Gunn, lounging on a cabana bed.

“Hey, Pops,” he said, sidling up.

“Hello, son,” Dad said, and Ozzie bristled. He always called him that.Son. Gabby was Bags and Talia was Tal andsonfelt pointed, like an expectation he wasn’t living up to.

“So...” Ozzie said and discarded his cob in a nearby trash can. “How’s it going?”

“Oh, you know...” Dad said, and Ozzie nodded although he didn’t know, which was why he’d asked. “Soaking in a little sunshine, I guess.”

“Perfect day for it.” Ozzie lowered onto the cabana bed. God. This was weird. Dad outside, by the pool. They’d taken whole-ass trips to Maui where he never stepped foot on the beach or changed out of his slacks.

Ozzie sensed something was up with the big guy, but nobody else seemed to notice, not even Talia who was usually wigging out about someone being mad at her. Ozzie wished Gabby were around so they could talk it through. Well, she was around physically, but mentally was another matter. She’d done the classic Gabby move. When things got tough, she detached.

“So, what’s up with you?” Dad asked, using a hand to shield his eyes. “Are you having fun?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s great. Ya know, I was skeptical about San Diego. Small town. No swag. But the weather is ideal, and the Ranch is fire. I’d kind of forgotten.” Ozzie smiled, pleased he’d ferreted out a nugget of truth.

“Agreed. I regret not spending more time in San Diego,” Dad said. “Have I ever told you that I lived here for two years in high school?”

Ozzie looked at him. “You lived at the Ranch?”

Dad shook his head. “No. Not here. My parents sent me to live with an aunt near Sunset Cliffs.”

“Oh yeah? You got expelled, too?” Ozzie said with a smirk. He’d never been able to relate to his dad, and how ironic if getting booted from their own families was how it finally went down.

“No. Nothing like that,” Marston said, glancing away, and didn’t it fucking figure. “Long story short, my grades weren’t very strong, and they were worried about my chances of getting into Yale.” A stint in a public high school might boost his GPA and make him seem more interesting, his parents reasoned, so they shipped him off to live with his aunt. After spending his sophomore and junior years at Point Loma High, he returned to New York and eventually enrolled at Brown.

“Wow, Dad, I had no idea,” Ozzie said, trying to digest the information. They were both sent away, but his dad’s parents were attempting to create an easier path for their son as opposed to whatever the fuck Dad was doing with him. Ozzie never asked because it wasn’t worth bringing up.

“I loved it,” Dad said, staring out across the pool. “I made great friends and played on the baseball team and in general had the time of my life. That all feels so distant now. I wish I’d appreciated it more.” Dad exhaled, and Ozzie swore he saw tears glistening in his blue eyes. “Time goes fast, and you get so wrapped up in the day-to-day bullshit, it’s hard to see the big picture. Then suddenly you blink, and you’re on the downhill slide to the grave.”

“Yeah. Time flies. And it sucks. Anyhow.” Ozzie patted his dad’s leg and pushed himself to standing. “I’ll let you continue your daydreaming.” He started to walk away.

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