One more unpaid pair ofhands who could be bullied into working himself to the bone because he lovedthe horses. Right. Of course.
Maisie was fundamentallyincapable of seeing other people as anything except tools to be used. I knewthat.
I’d just never expected herto go this far.
“This asshole is my friend,”I said. “And he’s not an asshole, either. In this room, he’s a goddamn saint.”
Logan squeezed my handagain, grounding me.
I felt sick. All this so I’d come backhome?
“I’ma saint!” Maisie yelled. “I’vetried everything I can to turn a profit out of those stupid fucking horses outthere withoutanysupport. Do you know how hard this has been for me?”
“Can you hear yourself?”Grandma asked. “I’ve given you enough advice to fill a library and you neverlistened to a word of it. You’ve cut corners and refused to work and now it’sall coming home to roost, and your first instinct is to blame Ashley. BecauseAshley always took the blame, didn’t he? He’s been taking the fall for yousince you first got gum in your hair.”
I had, hadn’t I? My wholelife I’d been blamed for everything. Maisie was the youngest, the golden childwho could do no wrong, and I was a quiet, shy boy who liked glitter a lot.
This had been my entirelife.
I was glad I was leaving itbehind.
Shuffling a little closer toLogan, I took a moment to gather my thoughts.
“You know what, Maisie? You’rea spoiled brat and it’s about time someone mentioned it. You’ve never had areal job. You could have leftany time, like I did, without apenny to my name, so don’t youdareblame your own helplessnesson me. I made my own way. It wasn’t easy, but Ididit. If it reallymattered to you, you’d do it, too. But all you have in your heart is jealousy, andthat’s why there’s not a soul in this town that likes you. They likemebetter than you,and I’mgay.”
“Without a penny to yourname?” Maisie scoffed. “Comeon. We all know Grandma was paying for your apartment.”
What?
“She wasn’t,” I said. “Maisie…I was working an office job five days a week and jumping at overtime. I wasliving a normal life.”
So many of the notes wereabout how spoiled I was, and I’d never understood those ones. Spoiled? I wasworking my ass off.
But now I got it. She’d thought thiswhole time that I didn't have to work for a living.
That wasn’t an excuse, butit did go part of the way to an explanation.
And the rest was that she’d always gottenwhat she wanted by bullying me. Whether my parents consciously intended it ornot, Maisie had learned that I was fair game.
That being better than me,easier to get on with, more lovable… that those things were rewarded. I was thestandard against which she was judged.
This wasn’t really herfault, either.
We were both the people we’d been raised tobe. I just got luckier about who raised me.
“Ashley borrowed threehundred dollars when he left,” Grandma said. “Paid it off over the next threemonths, but I would have given it to him. I would have given it toyou, Maisie. I’d give you kidsanything you asked for because I love you. But I’ve never seen anyone doanythingso selfish andneedlessly cruel. Would Ashley ever have done that to you?”
“He’s not smart enough,”Maisie mumbled under her breath.
“You think this wassmart?” Logan asked.His voice trembled with anger, and if I hadn’t been sure he was on my side, itwould have been enough to make me nervous.
“I think this is all beingblown out of proportion. Being sent a birthday card is hardly a traumaticevent,” Mom said, looking Grandma and then Logan directly in the eye.
Despite her manyshortcomings, my mom was fearless.
“Really now, Ashley, is thisworth getting all upset over? Saying things you don’t mean?”
Logan stepped forward,putting himself between me and Mom.
