“My what?”
“I came as soon as I saw the news. Are you okay?” I ask Calvin. Glancing back at the officer, I ask, “Can I be alone with Daddy?”
“Sure, kid. But make it quick. I can get in loads of trouble for this.”
I smile at him. Full wattage for show. “Thank you. I promise not to stay long. I just need to make sure he’s okay.”
When the door closes behind him, I take a seat at the table. “Christ, Calvin. I saw this go down on social media. You’re trending on KickBack. That kid goes to my school. Why the hell would you go after him in front of cops?”
“The little shit had it coming,” he huffs. “But it was careless of me.”
“Yeah, no shit. Now what? Mom is stuck and unhappy. She told me you were lying low. Are you moving on without her?”
“Why show up now when you haven’t returned a single call?”
“Yeah, about that. Mom’s not here to be the conduit between us. Forgive me for not playing happy family. Why did you contact me at all?”
“Your mother’s worried about you.”
“Bullshit. We both know you’re back at it without Mom.”
“Your mom has nothing to do with anything.”
“Oh. So, Mom took the fall for no reason?”
“Don’t be flip. Your mother couldn’t think her way out of a fast-food joint.”
“How did she set this one up from Henderson?” I pause. “Did she do it before she got herself arrested? I mean, how did she convince the owner to sign, then sell your company the house?”
“Shut your mouth.”
“No, I want to know how much you stand to make while Mom rots? These houses are more expensive than Henderson. How much, like three-quarter of a million?”
“More like a mil and a half.”
“That’s absurd. When you think about those kinds of numbers, you don’t imagine a three-bedroom ranchette,” I scoff.
He shrugs.
“Mom’s going to call me tonight. I wonder how she’d react if she heard about our little daddy and daughter reunion?”
He sits up straighter in the chair. His handcuffs rattle a bit. “Why would you mention me at all?”
“You’re hilarious. You think I’m not my mother’s daughter? She protected you back in Henderson, and you’ve all but forgotten her. What’s in it for me?”
“Come on, you know your mom. She’s easily excited.”
I grin. “I know. And when she’s excited, she talks. Man, you can’t get her to shut the hell up. That ups the stakes, doesn’t it? Once Mom finds out you’re not lying low until her trial, she’s gonna get mad.”
“You’d better quit. You don’t know who you’re trying to fuck over.”
I’ve got to push harder. Make him fold this hand. “Listen, I stayed out of all this back in Henderson, but college is expensive. I can’t afford student housing because Mom makes too much money and I don’t qualify for assistance. I’m living at a retirement center teaching old people how to use dating apps. I want out. You can get me out,” I say, sounding reasonable. “You’re going to make bank on that place.”
“Now, Phoebe…” There’s more strain in his voice.
“Dude, you have zero overhead. Maybe you had to pay someone to walk the papers into the county recorder’s office. That’s the extent of your expenses. Oh, and the cost of the pen used to get the mark to sign the deed to you. Don’t fuck with me, Calvin. I want out of senior central. I deserve the full college experience. Help me do that and I’ll forget our conversation.”
“You’d best lower your voice if you know what’s good for you.”
He’s getting mad, not caving. Shit! Time to change tactics. “Whatever, I’m done. Have a nice life.” My phone rings. Pulling it out of my pocket, my smile goes wide. I answer it in audio mode. The automated recording says: You have a prepaid call from Helen Sharpe, an inmate at the Henderson Detention Center. To accept this call press five. To decline this call push seven. To block this caller press nine.
Making eye contact with Calvin I say, “I’ll tell Mama you said hi.”
“Don’t answer that.”
“Come on, Calvin. Tick. Tock. I’m going to press five and talk to Mama since you have nothing to offer.”
His eyes tighten. “Ignore the call. We’ll work something out.”
“Fine.” Ending the call, I stuff my phone in my back pocket and join him at the table. “Let’s deal.”
“Listen, these things take time,” he pleads.
I stare down at his hands chained to the table. “Get used to cuffs and bars, after my next chat with Mama she’ll remember there’s no silent partner.” It’s a gamble going there when I don’t know for sure. “Good luck digging yourself out of that mess once she recants.”
“Don’t you leave. You’ll regret it.”
“I’ll have zero regrets. I’m giving you a chance to cut me in. Mama is in jail, unable to provide for me. If you get me, Daddy.” Sweat pops above my lip. If he notices, he’ll shut up and this con won’t work. There’s too much at stake. Tiago. His family. Come on, asshole. Tell me what a genius you are at scamming people.
“I have two more homes in this city that will hit the market as soon as we empty them out.”
Yes. “Impressive. Now we’re talking. How much money is in it for me, and how long do I have to wait?”
“I’ll give you one hundred thousand.”
“Not enough. You scammed three houses worth over a million each and you’re going to fork over a hundy for my cooperation? Come up with a better number.”
“I’m the one taking the risk. You haven’t done one fucking thing for this payout. I made it happen. Helen understood. She’ll wait for her payday whether she has to spend a little time away or not. You get greedy, and the deal is off.”
“You know what?” Standing, I say, “Change of plans.” Reaching for the door handle, it opens before me. Detective Cabrillo is on the other side. “Did you get what you need?”
His smile goes toothy and sharp, like a shark staring down at his next meal. “Absolutely.”
“You bitch,” Calvin yells.
I make eye contact with him. “This is for Tiago and his family because you and my mother can both go straight to hell.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Tiago
The police station isn’t the place you want to be when suffering from a brain injury. People heading in and out, shouting their innocence as they’re escorted through the booking process. My head throbs with each new sound.
Staring at my feet, I hear my name called.
“TJ, what the hell?”
I glance at Everest who joins me in the row of chairs they parked me in after taking my statement. “How did you find me?”
“More importantly, why didn’t you tell me what was going on with your family? We’re brothers. You don’t hide something this big. Man, you didn’t need to go through this on your own.”
“I thought I could handle it. What a joke.”
“Start talking. Tell me everything.”
I tell Everest about Dad’s accident and the fact he won’t consider physical therapy because of the cost. Once I open my mouth, I can’t stop. Avó’s slide into Alzheimer’s and finally the house. How she got scammed. He doesn’t interrupt. He just listens. It’s such a relief to let it all out. I tell him how I started hanging out with Phoebe to get info on her mom. Then I tell him how I fell in love and how I’ve screwed up.
I take a breath because my lungs scream for air. “Now you know.”
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. I have to meet the team bus for the UNR trip, but I’ll talk to Coach for you. I’ll explain, buy you time and come up with a plan. We’ll get through this, TJ. That’s a promise.”
I’m left on my own for about an hour until Officer Hollenbeck drops in the chair beside me. His sudden movement nauseates me, and I swallow back the bile that hits the back of my throat.
“Despite your eye and your concus
sion, this is your lucky day.”
“Huh?”
“Charges are dropped. Seeing how you removed something set on your granny’s property illegally. Your case against title fraud just got a whole lot easier, son.”
“How?”
He gestures to his right. “Ask her.”
“Hey, Tiago. How are you?” Phoebe asks softly.
“Ask her what?” I’m trying to read her face for clues of what the hell is going on, but I’m having such a hard time processing.
“Calvin Chadwick won’t bother your family anymore. I’m taking you home to rest.”
My head hurts. I have no idea why Calvin won’t bother me, and I don’t much care because Phoebe’s here and she’s not yelling at me or calling me a liar. “Okay.”
“Can you walk out of here on your own?” she asks quietly.
“Yeah.” At least I hope so. I won’t know for sure until I get upright.
Officer Hollenbeck helps me to my feet. Phoebe wraps her arm around my waist. “Lean on me, Tiago.”
“I’ve been doing that since I met you,” I say, knowing that truth in my heart. I couldn’t stay away from her, even before I realized she couldn’t be involved.
“Well, that’s news to me.” She squeezes my side. “But let’s get you to the car.”
“I don’t have one here.” If I could sit somewhere that’s not the police station with her arms around me, my day would get a whole lot better.
“It’s okay. I do.” When we get to the car, she makes sure I fasten my seat belt. “Tell me where you live.”
“Not yet. There are things I have to say to you.”
She nods. “I don’t want to stay here. Do you have a place in mind?”
“There’s a park not too far away. Somewhere we can sit and talk. Key in Rose Garden into your maps.”
I close my good eye. I’m exhausted. There isn’t any permanent damage to the left eye, but I have an ocular bone fracture they want to heal on its own. It’s swollen as fuck. I’ll need to ice the injury for the next few days, and follow up with the eye specialist I saw at the hospital trauma center.
The concussion will keep me off the field longer.
Who knows, maybe I’ll get cut from the team for breaking rules of conduct. But, that’s a conversation and worry for another day. Besides, Everest might work his magic.
Avó will be released later today after they get a few more blood tests back. Mom said Avó’s memories are like a radio channel that doesn’t quite tune, but she didn’t break any bones when she fainted. Thank God.
We’re quiet on the way to the Rose Garden. Phoebe finds a spot to park near one of the entrances, and we shuffle to a bench near the fountain. We’re surrounded by almost two hundred different varieties of roses. Many bloom through November.
“This place is beautiful, Tiago.”
“I know.” I swallow hard. “How did you save our house?”
“I goaded Calvin into admitting his guilt by using my mother against him. It was the bluff of a lifetime.”
Her mother. I’m trying to process this information. “How?”
“She kept calling me from jail. I recorded the call once. Detective Cabrillo called me while I was in the interrogation room with Calvin. He played the recording to make Calvin think Mom was calling. Long story short, he admitted guilt. And your gran’s house is safe.”
“Thank you. What you did for us, does it make it better or worse for your mom?”
“I’m not sure, and more importantly, I don’t care. She played a part in hurting your family and countless others. My mother and I will never have the kind of relationship you have with your parents. She’s not built that way. And I’ve made peace with it.”
I reach for her hand, cradling it between my palms. I wish there was an easy way to start this conversation, but there isn’t. “I knew about your mother almost from day one.”
She swallows hard. “Please explain.”
“You’d just signed up for the gym, and I found out later the same day. I wanted to get close to see if you were the kind of person capable of fraud or covering for your mom. By then I’d already called dibs.”
“Wait. What are you talking about?”
“Everest’s rule to keep us from fighting over the same girl. A guy has to call dibs, whoever says it first has a clear field.” I risk a glance at Phoebe.
She shakes her head. “Are you Gladiators or cavemen?”
“I know it sounds off. But I’d hate to think of fighting Baloo for you.”
“Does the girl get a choice?”
“Sure. She might stop the guy cold. But it hasn’t happened yet. It’s a fairly new rule.”
“Does Faith know about this?”
“No. Maybe she doesn’t need to know?”
“We’ll talk about that later. Why didn’t you talk to me about the house?”
“To be honest, I didn’t count on falling in love with you. Once I did, I never looked back. I knew in my heart you couldn’t be a part of it. I kept thinking the house would take care of itself because who steals houses with a damn signature?”
“Wait, what? You love me?”
“Phoebe, Eu te amo. I love you with my whole heart.”
Her smile breaks across her face. She lets out a breath that’s part sob. “Yeah?”
“I became so afraid of losing you, I played like an ostrich. Head buried. Telling myself it would be better to wait,” I say, squeezing her hand. “I couldn’t risk you. Do you remember when I asked to defer the conversation? I wanted so much to tell you then, but my fear of losing you was much stronger.”
She touches the unhurt side of my face. “Tiago, we both kept things from each other. I don’t live in that complex you dropped me off at. Please forgive me for not being honest that night. I live with Grams, and her boyfriend, Gavin. Sometimes with Agnes. I’ve been rotating between the three condos at the retirement center since the day I joined the gym. There’s a ten-day stay rule, and I almost got kicked out.”
“You planned to crash at the gym?”
She scoffs. “I would have, if a certain Simba didn’t catch on so quickly.”
I grin. “Aren’t we a pair?” My lips straighten. “Listen, I know I’ve broken your trust. Can we start fresh?”
“No.”
My heart goes to dust. I search her face, but it’s blank. Poker face. She never said she loved me back. I swallow. Defeated.
“Tiago.” She presses her mouth against my lips. “We’re exactly where we need to be. I don’t want a fresh start because I fell in love with the person I met all those weeks ago. He’s flawed, but so am I. What we need is to commit to complete honesty between us from now on.”
My heart soars. “Yes.” An imaginary scoreboard lights up in my head—or it’s the concussion—who knows? But this time, with this girl, I get the win.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Phoebe
Six months later
April skies shine blue with little puffy clouds chasing across the horizon. Not really, but my mind sees it that way. The reality: the sun pokes through breaks in an otherwise persistent cloud layer.
I ring the bell at Avó’s house.
Tiago’s mother answers. “Come in, Phoebe.”
I kiss her on both cheeks. I’m learning the ways of his culture. “How is Avó today?”
“Eh.” She waves her hand. “Mais ou menos.”
I’ve learned that means so-so. And I let out a breath. Actually, I’m learning a lot of Portuguese words. Between language CDs and practicing with both Tiago and Faith. Sometimes with Tiago’s mom and Avó, who loses more of her English every day. Her doctor told the family that people suffering from Alzheimer’s can forget secondary languages.
“How did it go today?” I ask his mom.
Her face lights up. “He moved his toes.” She blesses herself.
Tiago’s dad has been working with physical therapy students from Fortis’s grad program free of charge. Since the price was ri
ght, he decided he was all in. Everest talked to the coaching staff and made it happen. We are cautiously optimistic about his recovery. “Yes,” I say, pumping my fist.
After Tiago’s release, he and his dad spent hours talking—about the accident, Avó’s home. His father admitted he’d checked out and they talked through his anger and despair. Tiago’s arrest was the catalyst for his dad to crawl to the porch to help his son. He apologized to Tiago for bearing the brunt of the family worry. They get along well these days. Except when Benfica plays against Sporting Clube.
His dad roots for Benfica, while Tiago wears the green and white of Sporting CP, whose mascot is the lion. I grinned the first time he wore the soccer jersey around me. When those soccer rivals play each other? You haven’t heard loud until you hear Portuguese loud.
Sra. Trindade walks me down the hall to the family room where Tiago sits on the couch with Avó. We’re going to watch the next episode of the telenovela together. Sometimes she explains what’s happening, more often Tiago takes over commentary.
Telenovelas are a sacred ritual between these two, and they’ve included me.
“Okay, cue it up. I want to know what happens next.”
Tiago still has a place with the Gladiators, thanks to Everest. And I’ve found my way at Fortis. Students don’t mention what happened last fall. In December, Faith’s roommate Charlene transferred to Oxford University. She’s in London after waving goodbye to Everest and everyone at Fortis when we broke for the holidays.
I don’t know the complete story, but I was able to move in with Faith. I’ll forever be grateful to Charlene for going to London.
James moved in with Agnes. She loves to tell everyone they’re living in sin. It turns out he has connections to the owners of Shades of Willow Glen. The retirement company fired Frick and Frack, and hired two new guards.
Grams and Gavin tied the knot on New Year’s Eve. As maid of honor and wedding planner, Agnes, the matron of honor, and Faith helped me plan the most beautiful wedding anyone could ask for. Everyone pitched in on the day. Tiago, Caleb, Everest and even Faith’s friend, Kirsty who was in town.
Eyeful (Gladiators of the Gridiron Book 2) Page 27
