"Larry, what is it?" I ask. "Why are you calling so late?"
"Thought you'd want to hear the news," he says in his raspy old man voice.
"What news?"
"Your old man's up for parole."
I bolt up from the couch, my heart feeling like it's lurching out of my chest. "When? When's he getting out?"
"Slow down there, kid. It's not official. He has to go before the judge and all that."
"Who told you this?"
"I got friends," he says, meaning other criminals.
Larry's an alcoholic who used to hang out with my dad at a dive bar in our old neighborhood. The place was full of guys who'd either been in prison or should be. Larry served time for robbery but got out twenty years ago and never went back. I'm sure he's still doing illegal shit but he hasn't been caught. He never had kids but he wanted them, so my dad would have him over to the house sometimes to play football with me. He became like an uncle to both me and Jake, but then my dad went to prison and we didn't see Larry much after that.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?" I ask.
"Like I said, it's not official. They just started the process. So how you doing, kid? School going all right?"
"Yeah. Hey, let me know if you find out anything else."
"Will do."
I end the call, feeling like my chest is about to explode. I can't breathe. Can't think. All I see in my head are images of my dad beating my mom. The blood stains on the carpet. Her body limp on the floor.
The man's a monster. A demon sent straight from hell. And now they're letting him out.
Just minutes ago, I thought maybe I could have a normal life. An actual relationship with a girl I really care about. I felt true happiness for the first time in a very long time. I should've known it would end.
I wasn't meant to be happy. It's not possible.
I'm my father's son. The son of the devil.
Chapter Twenty-One
Brook
"You finally picked up," I say when Chad answers.
It's after ten but I know he stays up until at least eleven. Maybe it's not the best time to do this but I couldn't wait any longer. After having such a great night with Dean, I couldn't keep pretending my relationship with Chad could be saved. I'm not even sure I loved him. We dated for years and yet I feel more for Dean than I do for Chad.
"I thought it was an emergency," he says, sounding annoyed. "Why are you calling so late?"
"It's the only time I can reach you. You're always too busy to talk."
He sighs. "Brook, don't be this way."
"What way?"
"All needy and clingy. You know I hate that. I need my girlfriend to support me, which means being okay with not talking all the time. It's my senior year. My last chance to prove myself to colleges. Getting in the right college will get me into the right law school, and the right law firm after I graduate. I thought you understood that."
"I do. What I don't understand is why you have time for tennis lessons and dinners with Tamara but you don't have time for me."
"So I'm not allowed to have a social life? Colleges look for that too. They don't want to only see academics. They want someone who's well-rounded and in a lot of activities."
"I know all that. You're not the only one trying to get into a good college."
