Page 70 of Starrily
“They’re not …” Oh, to hell with it. “They’re not doctors. They …” Frustrated, Simon stood and paced to the sofa. “Everett, this is serious. I think I’m dying.”
Everett stared at him.
“I think when I had the car crash, I died. But I was brought back, and now … now it’s time to pay my dues.”
“You’re insane.” Everett laughed. “You can’t be serious. No, no. We’re taking you to a professional to check you out.”
“I’ve already been checked out. There’s nothing wrong with me—nothing the doctors can see, anyway.”
“Then what? How exactly are you ‘dying’?”
“Well, I …” Simon spread his arms. “I’m fading out. I’m turning into a ghost.”
“What on …” Everett sat on the sofa, hid his face in his hands, and stayed like that for a minute. “I knew something strange had happened in the car crash.”
“You believe me?”
Everett held up a hand. “Your supposedly severe brain injuries healed overnight. Makes sense now—the doctors must’ve overlooked something. You’re not well. You never were, since the accident. You’ve been different.”
That’s not because of the brain injuries.But he wouldn’t delve into it with Everett.
“And now it’s progressed to this,” Everett continued. “You think you’re turning into a ghost. Jesus.”
“If you want to see—”
“See what?”
Exactly, what? It wasn’t as if Simon could shift on command. And he wasn’t repeating the white room experiment to prove a point to Everett.
“Simon, my boy.” Everett stood and clasped him by the shoulder. “You’re not well, don’t you see?”
“That is exactly what I’m—”
“But not because you’re ‘turning into a ghost.’ Yourmindis not well.”
“I’m of perfectly sound—”
“I should’ve seen it coming. But I promised your father, so I humored you. I did everything I could to keep this company afloat—improve upon it, even—when you suddenly lost all interest.”
Simon looked at the hand on his shoulder, and then at Everett. There was sympathy in his eyes but also something else. A cold calculation.
Simon shook off his hand and stepped back.
“It’s my fault,” Everett said. “I should’ve insisted the doctors do more checkups. Nobody recuperates like that. And now, here we are, and it might be too late for you.”
“It’s not.”
Everett managed the smallest smile, exuding more pity than sympathy. “Don’t worry. I’ve managed the company so far. I’ll continue to do it. With some changes, of course. All for the sake of better business.”
“Changes?”
“We’re still supporting Dr. Guidry only becauseyouinsisted.”
Simon moved further back until he bumped into the edge of his desk. Everett stood, his hands behind his back. Slowly, the picture of Simon’s trusted mentor dissipated. He’d always said he only wanted the best for the company. And Simon believed he did. The problem was—Simonwas no longer the best for the company and hadn’t been since the accident. He was only a figurehead. An impostor.
Had Everett always known? Or suspected something was wrong? Before the accident, they must’ve gotten along pretty well. Back then, Simon would’ve been as cutthroat as Everett.
Things weren’t as desperate as Everett thought. Simon had hope Callie’s family could help him, while Everett seemed to have already written him off. But that didn’t fix the other problem—Everett, and the company itself.
