Page 132 of Bad Wolf

“Seventy-five thousand dollars! Just like that.” He snaps his fingers and it makes me wince. “I’m on the streak of my life and want to share it all with you. We can get some place nice. Oh! Or take a trip!”

“I don’t understand. You haven’t been to rehab? You haven’t stopped gambling?”

“No, and can you imagine if I had?” he says, like the idea is insane.

“Wren, I’d have missed out on the windfall of my life.” He’s so giddy. So hopped up, he’s practically vibrating.

My mind spins so fast, nausea washes over me. Utterly horrified at the words coming out of his mouth. He’ll never, ever stop now.

“I can’t do this with you right now,” I say fumbling with the zippers on my jacket.

“I can pay you back now. I mean, I didn’t keep track but now we have more than enough.” He shrugs.

Knox’s face turns even redder and I can hear his molars grinding.

“Please don’t stay in New York. You need to go as far away as possible.”

“Don't be like that. All our worries, all our hard times, it’s all over.”

I scramble to stand, the chair scrapes across the tiled floor and my hand hits the cup, spilling the rest of my drink all over the table. Knox rights it, mopping up the spill with the napkins we were using as coasters.

“Hey, calm down. What’s gotten into you?”

Knox’s eyes snap back to my Dad’s and he goes to speak but I get there first.

“Me?” I gasp. “You need to go back to Miami or move somewhere new. A fresh start. Take all the money, I don’t want any of it. I just want you gone.”

“Birdy, no.”

“Yeah, Dad.”

“I…you can’t cut me out of your life like this. We’re a team. I did this for us.”

“I can, and I just did. Kn—”

“You always were more interested in yourself,” My dad grumbles at Knox.

“Don't do that,” I snap. “Don’t act like he hasn’t worked hard for what he’s got or didn’t have everything to lose.”

“You’re all just so ‘Holier than Thou’, like you never do anything wrong.”

Knox’s eyes flare, and I jump in.

“They don’t, Dad. That’s just it.” I say jumping in before Knox shuts him up himself.

“They don’t use each other, or anyone else. They just aren’t built that way.”

“You’d choosehimoverme?” Dad rages.

“Yeah,” I swallow over the burning in my throat and the stinging behind my eyes, “I would. He’s everything to me. But mainly, Dad, I choose me.”

“Stop. Please let’s talk some more. We can make plans. I’ll take you on an all-expenses paid vacation.”

“No,” I shake my head, more determined than ever. “I have to go.”

As I scurry to the door, burrowing into my jacket even further, shaking, heart breaking, I take one last look at my dad. Knox still sitting there staring at him.

“Can you do one thing for me? Actually two.”

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