Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 126425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 421(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 421(@300wpm)
And then people will take sides.
The #FraudTwins or Leslie Munch with her bloody face and sob story?
I don’t need to guess how this is going to work out. I’ve seen it happen… oh, probably hundreds of times in the past ten years.
Everyone loves a scandal.
Maybe it’s better that Cordelia and I didn’t exchange numbers?
Maybe I should just… let her go?
Because if she sticks up for us, they’re gonna get her too.
That’s how it works these days.
Guilt by association.
Which I know and understand because I’m in the public eye and you’d have to be living under a rock for the past decade to not understand that guilt by association is the thing right now.
But it never occurred to me that it would transfer to our parents. Like… their pride in us, or lack thereof, is a lot like guilt by association. Or success by association.
I picture Mike’s parents listening to him explain his dream of acting and LA. And I get it. That was probably something that made them anxious. Made them worry. I mean, how likely is it that he realizes his dream?
Of course, he’s kinda living his dream life. He did marry my sister.
I pause here to smile.
But she came with my lie. And dammit, this stupid fucking lie has ruined so much.
If Mike hadn’t had to lie for me, he could’ve told his parents that Essie was just a really nice woman who enjoys DIY and quirky real estate investment. They could’ve let the parents take that journey with them. And then they could’ve all looked back together and nodded their heads with satisfaction. Because Mike and Essie basically have a beachfront trailer-park empire and they built it all by themselves.
But instead of that satisfaction, his parents are still filled with worry, thinking that their grown son has never realized his full potential.
I sigh. Because that’s what I did to my parents too.
Essie was making her own way. She had a weird dream about fixing up trailers on the beach and she made it happen.
And then I stole that from her. And Mike.
Not only that, I stole the journey my parents could’ve taken with me. I stole all their proud moments.
I mean, I always knew that my lie was a bad thing. But I guess I never understood just how much it affected everyone around me.
God, I’m a real piece of shit.
I sit there on the beach for a while, just watching the stars come out and enjoying the sound of the surf. But the tide is coming in and I need to face what I’ve done. So I get up and walk back home.
I could just slip into my lower level and pretend no one else is here. But I can hear them talking upstairs.
So instead of hiding like a coward, I go up. All the way to the roof because Mike and Essie are grilling in the outside kitchen.
They are talking and even laughing a little when I come outside. But then they see me and go quiet.
“Steve,” Mike says. “Come on. Sit down. We’re having ribs.”
And ya know what? I am so happy that Mike is here. That Mike is my brother-in-law. That Mike is… Mike. Because he’s holding us together in this moment.
He has been doing that all along.
I let out a long breath and accept his invitation, taking a seat to my dad’s left. Then I look at him. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugs. “It’s fine, Steve. Essie kinda filled us in.”
And ya know what? It probably is fine. He’s my dad. He loves me. In his eyes, maybe I’m a fuck-up, but he’s still there for me.
So I keep going. “I… I had a dream, ya know?”
“Honey.” My mom reaches across the table for my hand. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine, Mom. I had a dream of being a great sci-fi writer and I was having a difficult time breaking through, so I… saw the romance writers being so successful, and got super jealous, and—of course—figured if they could do that, I could do that. And I… just… sold out.”
“You didn’t sell out, Steve,” Essie says. “That’s ridiculous. You wrote something no one else had done before. That’s why it was special. You were the first to do Choke.”
“I haven’t read them properly, but I did skim,” Mom says. “Master Choke is quite enamoring, Steve.” Her smile looks genuine.
“Oh, my God,” I mumble, covering my eyes with my hand. I cannot believe I’m having this conversation with my family. “The point is, I ruined everyone’s journey just so I could take mine in a more comfortable car, ya know?”
“No.” Essie is shaking her head as she cuts me off. “That’s not even true. You didn’t twist my arm, Steve. I said yes and I didn’t really do that for you. I did it for me. It was fun. I lived the last ten years of my life as a famous writer.” She laughs. “Like… what a dream come true, ya know?”