I stare at her. “He bought the drive-in?”
Her face lights up, and she launches into her story.
I don’t fall asleep on the ride home.
It’s obvious I missed a ton while I was gone, and I want to soak in every detail.
I want to live my life. And be happy with the family I’ve chosen.
And trust that Oliver will still want to come find me after he’s back in his regular element too.
35
I WILL NOT MISS THIS
Oliver
When I arrive backin Manhattan late Friday after getting out of jail and driving myself back across the country, there’s no one I want to see and nothing I want to do here, yet I’m immediately plunged back into a world where there’s too much to do and not enough time to do it in.
Stupid fucking decision to handle leaving the right way.
Even if it’s necessary.
Charges were dropped against me back in Colorado, and it’s unclear if it was the sheriff’s decision or if Tobias Merriweather-Brown saw that he was losing public opinion polls following the videos of our fight going viral.
I’m staying with Archie, and Daphne’s right.
He’s a dick.
He’s a dick who told Margot he was with me when he called to get Daphne’s phone number after Margot wouldn’t answer my calls.
She hung up on him and won’t answer either of our calls now.
I go see my parents on Saturday because time and distance and seeing Daphne’s father has given me perspective.
Maybe my parents aren’t awful.
Not the way hers are.
But my mother spends the entire thirty-nine minutes—as long as I last there—talking about how relieved she is to finally be able to spend money again, and my father talking about how glad he is that I understand he belongs back in the CEO seat, with neither of them saying a word about my own arrest in Colorado.
And I know.
I know that they might not be the same kind of awful as the Merriweather-Browns, but they’re also dicks who are completely disconnected from reality, and I can’t be around them for long periods of time without feeling like I can’t breathe.
Especially after tasting freedom.
Happiness.
Fun.
With a purpose.
When I’m not practicing with Archie what I’m going to say at the board meeting on Monday, I take some time to seek out the social media and news coverage of the results of all of the money Daph and I gave away, and it gives me a sense of peace that reinforces that I’m doing the right thing.
Mostly.
Possibly I’m also being a dick, consideringhowI’m leaving.
