Page 141 of All Too Well
This is all politics, and while the pay is much better, the headache is much greater. I miss the jokes in the barracks, the nights we played cards.
My phone rings, and I’m like a goddamn teenager frantically reaching for it on my desk.
Although it’s the wrong MacKinley’s name on the screen.
“Hey, Cas.”
“What’s wrong with you?”
Okay, I see he talked to his sister.
“Not sure what you mean.”
“Not sure what I ... you’re a fucking idiot.”
I sigh. “I can only imagine what you heard.”
“Heard? About what?” The surprise in his voice catches me off guard. Maybe he hasn’t spoken to Ainsley.
“Nothing. Clue me in on what I’m an idiot about.”
“Your dad.”
I’m a little shocked at that one, since he’s no freaking better when it comes to parental relationships, but I’ll bite.
“What about my dad?”
“You saw him. You saw the garden and you’re still pissed at him?”
One of the things about my friendship with Caspian that I’ve always respected is the ability to call each other out on our shit. Today, I’m not admiring that. I’d like to punch him in the face for it.
“And how are things with the Admiral? Did you stop by after Ainsley and I left?”
“Fuck off. We’re talking about you.”
“I’d rather we talk about you, since you brought it up.”
“I bet you would. How about we talk about the fact that you ended it with my sister?” he offers.
“Let’s focus on my father instead.”
He snorts. “I see. You know, I think we’ll talk about Ainsley instead. See, I’ve always respected you. I thought, that guy has his shit together. You walked away from football for Rose. You bought that house, have a great job, got promoted over and over again. You’ve lived smart and always put Rose first. So I’m curious, when the fuck are you going to do that for yourself?”
“I am doing that.”
“Really? Because I talked to Ainsley. She told me all about her brilliant plan, which I’m one hundred percent sure you’re not worthy of.”
“I would agree. I’m not.”
“Right, well, she’s on her own path to proving her love for you, as though anyone with eyes could miss it, and my thinking is that you’re going to push her away. Since that’s what you always do when you’re worried someone might get hurt.”
If he was in front of me, he’d be on the ground for that one. “If you were anyone else who said that ...”
“Yeah, but I’m not. I’m not going to lie and tell you some lame shit you want to hear. You’re the one who pushed me to go to Nashville. To put myself out there, try, work hard, fight for what I want. I swear all those words came out of your mouth.”
I did. Caspian is talented as fuck, and he can make it in music. He just would’ve never done it if people hadn’t pushed him. Helived under the Admiral’s thumb, always doing what he was told and never stepping out of the box he was made to sit in.
When we got to college, he was fucking miserable.
