“And do you know what they asked me?”
“To stop being Lightm4st3r and take over the firm, yeah.” Henry cleared his throat and coughed into his hand, shaking his head and blinking as if to clear it.
“And you agree with them?!” Theo sat up again, renewed fury simmering in his stomach. If even his dad thought that—
“No, Teddy.” He shook his head. “You’re a grown man and you can make your own choices. I don’t think anyone gets to tell you what to do.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Your mother asked me not to. She wanted to be the one to break it to you—she was nervous, but she was hoping you’d be excited for her. It’s a big leap she’s taking, you know, stepping down from her life’s work.” Henry sucked in a deep breath of air and coughed again, clearing his throat once more. It must have been from the yelling—he wasn’t in as good a shape as he used to be, and his voice was strained. “She’s worked hard when she didn’t have to. Her father’s firm matters a lot to her. It’s a huge compliment that she and your uncle want to pass it to you.”
Theo stared at him in disbelief. “Don’t you know howbadthat would be?” He spread his hands out in front of him, pleading. “You know about my episode at Yale. Diego called you when I was in the hospital.”
“Yeah. I know. I remember. I took you home.” He grimaced. “You think I’d ever forget that day? When I almost lost you?”
“Then how could you think this was a good thing?”
Henry shook his head. “I didn’t say that I did, but it’s also not my business to interfere. All this? It’s between you and your mother and your uncle. I’m not a Redmond. I’m not a lawyer. And God knows I’m not perfect—no one is. But one thing I’m always going to do is protect your mother and support her in her dreams and ambitions. I think this was her way of trying to tell you that she loves you and that she wants to spend more time with you—she wants to make up for the past. She doesn’t know anything else, and she’s doing the best she can.
“As someone who has a complicated past myself, I understand. I’m comfortable with who I am—and I love her for who she is too, even if we didn’t work together.” His eyes darted over to meet Theo’s, and he wiped more beaded sweat away from his brow. “I still love her a whole helluva lot. I always have, and I always will. There was never anyone else for me, and there never will be.”
Theo’s preference for back roads came from his father, who always took them when going between the city and the Redmond estate. They both hated the freeways and the perpetual traffic, and the views from the hills and forests of the scenic route were far better, even at night.
Henry sped down a winding road cutting into the side of a hill.
They stared ahead in silence.
“You know, Teddy,” his father finally said, “I know you’ve got your own ideals and opinions about things. I know your morals and values—and the spectacular art you make with them—are important to you. But did you know that you can be just as rigid and stubborn as your mother and uncle are?”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Theo grumbled. “You’re one to talk morals,Dad. At least I have them. Mostly.”
Henry laughed, and it turned into a cough. “Hey, fair enough, kid. I might be a bit more flexible in terms of what I believe than you,though it doesn’t make my opinion any less valuable, you know. But let me tell you, after well over thirty years of dealing with Redmond bullshit, don’t think you’re at all exempt from it. You’re not exceptional just for having the Sullivan name instead. You’re one of them too. You’re half. Don’t discount that.”
“I don’t want it. I don’t want any of their goddamnlegacy. It comes with a price.”
“Everything in life does. Nothing’s free. I know you grew up pretty pampered with your trust fund and your fancy prep schools, so maybe you don’treallyknow that, despite my best efforts to teach you otherwise, but it’s true. It’s just a fact of life. So you need to let go of some of this bullshit. Just let it go.” He lifted his hand and rubbed at his chest. “What did I eat?” he muttered. “Heartburn is strong tonight…”
“It’s not like being a Sullivan is a picnic either, you know.” Theo shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning his head on the window to stare out at the black wall of interminable hill outside. The cool glass was bracing on his heated face. His stupid ears were probably still bright red. “I don’t want any of this. I never asked for this, I never asked tobehere, and I just want everyone to leave me alone—includingyou, half the time. I don’t know why it’s so hard to get that.” He sighed. “Why would Mom think this would be a good idea? I’d be a nightmare of a lawyer, and you know this better than anyone. I don’t understand why you’re being so cavalier about it.”
Henry didn’t say anything, and Theo shook his head. “Fine. I get it if you don’t want to talk about it anymore.Idefinitely don’t want to. I’m so sick of this shit, talking everything to death with my parents. It’s like you both still think I’m some little kid, but I’m a grown man, and I have been for a while. I hate being talked down to, and everyone in this fucking family still seems to think I can’t reallyhandle anything on my own. She should have just told me on the phone. She didn’t need to call me out here like this. I…”
Theo blinked.
There was more distance between him and the hill to his right.
They were also going awfully fast. His dad never cared much for speed limits and definitely loved to show off the power of his hot rods, but even this seemed excessive.
And the car was floating to the left. That was odd.
Was it the steering? Had it gone out of alignment again?
“Hey, Dad? You’re drifting into the other lane. You gotta—”
When Theo turned toward his father, he paled. Something was wrong. Henry looked ashen, and his skin was gray. His eyes were wide as he stared straight ahead at the road, and his breathing was shallow, stilted.
“Dad?”
“M-my arm. Teddy, I—” he choked out, and lights from the other side of the road lit up the rest of his face as he clutched frantically at the steering wheel with his right hand. His left fell into his lap, his fingers twitching.
