Page 31 of Starlight

Mom had clearly spoken to him and had failed at making him see reason. Cole added sugar to his coffee, buying himself an extra couple of seconds to think. “I’m aware, however, I also have a life outside of work.”

Or more to the point, he wanted one, not that running off to the cabin to hide from the world was living, but it beat getting up at dawn to get on the tools.

“Not when there’s work on, you don’t. And we have jobs booked.”

“You have jobs booked. I am meeting a friend to go hiking.” Or something. Maybe they’d play that confusing pebble game and drink beer and eat honey porridge. That is not what he’d been thinking about doing with Akai last night in the shower after work. At the time, the fantasy of hooking up with him had been exactly what he needed; afterward, it had left him feeling weird. Who fantasized about being fucked by a monster?

Obviously, plenty of people given the vast quantity of fantasy dildos for sale…

But it was still weird.

Wasn’t it?

He took a drink of the coffee and burned his tongue in the process. “For fuck’s sake.”

“Watch your mouth.”

Fuck you.

“And your attitude,” his father added.

“Or what, you’ll fire me?” Do me the fucking favor already. He held his father’s pissed-off glare. Yeah, I thought so. It’s an empty threat.

“You know I’m not going to do that. I can’t do the work on my own, and my brother…” Dad shook his head.

“Hire another offsider. Someone for the weekends. I’m thinking about going back to school, and I will not be working weekends when I need to study.” Not that he had decided what he was going to do, only that he needed to do something. After all, Akai only appeared in his life to tear it apart and rearrange the pieces. This time, he might as well be proactive in the changes and break a few things himself.

“I don’t want to do that. It’s Denny and sons.”

“Dad…”

“And if you do want weekend work back, I won’t be able to give them to you,” his father continued without listening. It was like the only thing he cared about was the business.

“Dad! I never wanted this job. I was pushed into it.” And at the time, he hadn’t known how to speak up. “I have worked my ass off for the family, but at some point real soon, I want to start my own life.”

“What are you talking about? This is your life. You’re living it. You’re part of this family. We sacrificed so much for you and⁠—”

“And it didn’t go as planned. You do not get to throw my discarded dreams in my face. I live with the fucking knowledge of what might have been every day. I can’t even watch a fucking game. Or have you never noticed? I got out of the hospital and threw it all away because looking at it was too depressing.”

“So you go and mope on your bit of land.”

“It’s my land, and if I want to mope every weekend, then I fucking will. I am leaving Friday night and will be back in time for work on Monday.” His heart pounded, and his breathing was tight. This should have been a calm talk about the future of the business.

His father’s gaze narrowed.

Cole lifted the cup of coffee and took another cautious sip, but he didn’t burn his tongue this time.

“If you do that, I’ll have to cancel the jobs. That’s bad for business.”

“You should have checked with me first.”

“You’re an employee.”

“I’m your son. Our family has been carrying your brother and his family for years. Now he sits out the back and does nothing but drink and mope.”

“Don’t speak about my brother that way. He lost everyone.”

“Yeah, and he’s going to bleed you dry, too. And Mom. How long can you care for someone who expects more and more and more?”