Page 21 of The Tempo of Truth
Once I got to my apartment, I proceeded to make a mess in the bathroom while trying to use one hand while keeping my immobilized parts from jostling around.I struggled into a clean T-shirt and a loose pair of track pants.It was my typical outfit for the gym and a stark contrast to a custom-tailored suit and French silk tie.I really couldn’t be further away from the perfectly curated image of the other man Winnie was pictured with yesterday.Once I got my phone activated, I inspected the gossip columns comparing the two of us and decided that I agreed with the grouchy Hispanic guy that there was something about the rich man’s face and the glint in his eye that was unsettling.There was something off about the way he looked at Winnie.Almost like he didn’t see a person standing next to him, but an opportunity that he was waiting for an opening to pounce on.That sort of patient calculation was dangerous.
Lev started messaging me like a madman when my phone started working.He was checking on how I was doing, but more than that, he was looking to pry into how I spent the evening with Winnie and Lowe.If it weren’t so annoying, I’d have been amused that he was working harder at playing Cupid than he had at anything else since settling in the city.He was someone else who was watching Winnie Halliday with opportunistic eyes.She was surrounded by wolves—and apparently, so was I.
I ignored Lev and went to the hospital to check on Mino.I passed his mom and his sister on the way to his room.They were quietly speaking in Korean until they caught sight of me.His mom raised her voice and swore at me in a way that made it easy to understand she was cussing me out, even if I didn’t speak the language at all.Mino’s sister, Annie, tried to calm her down by patting her on the back.Her gaze ridiculed me and kept me pinned to the spot.
“She wants to know if you’re going to pay for my brother’s hospital bills.Mino wouldn’t be in here if it weren’t for you, Ky.It’s just like when you were kids.He never would’ve gotten into trouble if he weren’t trying to show you his worth.”Annie flinched when her mother pulled away so she could slap me, the sound sharp and crisp as my head twisted to the side from the force.
I wanted to rub the stinging surface out of habit, but I refrained and sincerely promised, “I’ll take care of the bill.You’re right.He wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me.He’s always had my back.I didn’t mean to get him in a bad situation.”
“You never should’ve come back to the city.You’re no good.”Mino’s mom bit out the words and stomped off with her daughter trailing behind her.
As pissed as she was at me, I bet my buddy got it twice as bad.Mino was raised by a single mother, just like I was.She worked several jobs just like my mom; the only difference was that she had two kids to care for, and she was much stricter with Mino and Annie than my mom had been with me.She never approved of our friendship and thought I was a terrible influence.
No one could say she was incorrect.
Bad things happened to the people around me.I was like a wrecking ball that smashed through even the most solidly built foundations.
When I finally made it to Mino’s room, I found him flirting with his nurse and looking surprisingly lively for a guy who had just been stabbed.The nurse said something to my friend in a low voice and nodded to me on his way out of the room.
“Did you get his number?”Mino and I smacked hands together in a loose version of a handshake as I found a comfortable spot to lean near the bed.
“I asked him for it.I’m about to get discharged.I told them I couldn’t afford another night in this room, so they needed to spring me out of here ASAP.Did you see my mom on your way in?”
I turned my head and pointed at my red cheek.“She’s not happy with me.Pretty sure she told me to fuck off in Korean.”
Mino whistled.“I told her it wasn’t your fault we were ambushed.She’s just mad I won’t be able to help out at the restaurant for a couple of days.She’s convinced the night manager is skimming money from his deposits.”
I moved my jaw back and forth and probed at my face.“She’s right.You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t at the basketball court with me.I’m sorry.I told your mom and Annie that I would take care of your bills while you’re out of commission.”
Mino moved around on the bed, holding a hand to his side in obvious discomfort.“How are you going to manage that?You’re barely making ends meet as it is.”He looked at the sling holding my arm close to my body.“You’re not in fighting form either.Lev’s gotta be up your ass like crazy.”
“I’ll figure something out.I always do.”
“How about asking the hot heiress for a loan?These medical expenses are nothing to someone with that much money.”Mino closed his eyes and leaned back on the elevated hospital bed.“Fuck those guys who jumped us.Wait until I get out of here.We can return the favor.I hope the pussy that caused this was worth it.”
I shook my head.“She was mid.There is no need to have any ideas about getting payback.This is my fight.I’m not going to ask Winnie for shit.I’m trying really hard not to be a leech.She’s got enough people eyeing her for all she’s worth.It’s like she’s a piggy bank; these people want to flip her over and shake until the last penny drops to the floor.”I narrowed my eyes at him and scolded, “Don’t call her hot.”
“Sheishot.She reminds me of the Greek statue of Athena.All her curves are in the perfect place.Winnie is the type of woman who needed time to grow into herself.She’s only going to get better with age.She’s a classic beauty.”Mino sighed and reached for a pen that was left behind to toss at my head.“Every fight is your fight, Ky.It’s always been that way.It’s like you think nobody else can throw or take a punch.Which is a bit fucking egotistical, if you ask me.”
“I just don’t want to see the people I care about get hurt.”I did my best to protect them and felt like an absolute failure when I couldn’t do it.
“And the people who care about you feel the same way.You aren’t alone, even if you’re not playing on a team anymore, Ky.”
His words hit me in one of my most sensitive spots.I was a kid who grew up feeling very abandoned and alone.One of the main reasons I thrived on a football field was that people with a common goal surrounded me.It was a bond built on competitiveness and brotherhood.Even if I didn’t get along with each and every player, we were still a tight unit, experiencing the ups and downs together.Being a part of a team filled in a lot of the cracks my fractured family left inside of me.And for better or worse, Winnie Halliday and her unwavering belief that I was someone worthy of her love and devotion somehow managed to fill the endless void that was in the center of my heart.
Winnie
“It’s a garbage deal.Halliday Inc.gets its hands on all our assets, and all we get is the use of the Halliday name.It’s unbelievable that Oliver didn’t try to negotiate a share portion for long-term investors.Between him and the girl, things are looking pretty grim for the future of Byrd Enterprises.”
I pulled the plastic skewer out of my dirty martini and popped an olive into my mouth while eavesdropping on the conversations happening at the table next to me..This gathering was supposed to be a retirement party for one of Halliday Inc.’s longest-standing employees.My Uncle Alistair had originally been invited to show respect, but one of his kids got sick, and his wife was out of town.Instead of dragging the ill child across town so Win or I could watch her, I offered to fill in for him at the reception.I planned to dash in, offer our sincere thanks on behalf of the company, deliver the retirement gift, and get home to Lowe before bedtime.Unfortunately, I kept getting dragged into conversations about my plans for the company going forward and had to answer a hundred questions about my personal life.I ended up stuck having drinks with Oliver out of politeness, since one of his family properties was hosting the event, while I was forced to endure a bunch of people who had no respect for me talking about me like I wasn’t even in the room.
“Don’t mind them.They’re all afraid of change.Even if it weren’t you leading the way, someone else who was younger and who had fresh ideas would come along to upset the status quo.And then they’d be talking about them behind their backs instead of you.”
I finished off the olives and pushed away my empty glass.“It doesn’t bother me.Nothing anyone says about me can be worse or more scathing than the things my grandmother told me day in and day out when I was younger.”I slid out of my seat and motioned toward the bar.“I’m going to grab a quick refill, then try to sneak out.I want to get home to my kid.”
Oliver stood in a gentlemanly manner and asked, “Are you sure you want to call it a night?This is one of our hotels.We reserved a block of rooms for the guests tonight.I don’t get a chance to spend a lot of time with other suitable adults outside of work.That’s gotta be even harder for you, since you’re a single parent.”
I waved at his chair and told him to sit back down.Perfect manners would never impress me.They reminded me too much of the parts of my past I’d rather forget.I much preferred someone willing to defy social etiquette and break the most basic of rules.
