Page 192 of Brainwashed

“Scotch it is,” he says, pouring us each a glass and we raise them. “To family.”

They clink on mine, and take their sips, but I’m kind of frozen. I can’t believe that they’re being so cavalier, especially after the way I left last time. I haven’t spoken to them since that night, and they’re really just going to act like nothing happened?

This is bullshit.

“Mom in the kitchen?” I ask, sipping my drink. Not as smooth as the stuff Manuel Blanco had.

“Yea, putting on her finishing touches,” Dad says, then leans on the bar, facing me while Gramp takes a seat. “So what’s this about some job in a remote location?”

Here we go…

I take a breath. “I can’t discuss much about it, but it was quite the place…”

I think wistfully back to that mansion. The garden, and the forest path… To pressing Felix up against a tree, kissing him dizzy while we both shiver…

“What is it, some kind of top-secret CIA rub?” Gramp chuckles.

“Yea, I’m sure they always have a need for therapists,” my father jokes, and my fist clenches by my side.

“I was asked for by name,” I mutter, eyeing him over the rim of the glass.

My father nods. “Well, a month is a while to be away…”

“Actually, I’m not finished,” I throw in. “Far from it. In fact, I’ll be going back as soon as I can. Indefinitely.”

My dad chokes on his sip. “Indefinitely?? You’re going tostaythere?”

“And you can’t even tell us where it is?” Gramp asks.

I shake my head. “No, I can’t. I probably wouldn’t even if I could.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” My father huffs.

“It means that you’ve never cared about my job, and you don’t care now. Why would I tell you anything about it?”

They both stare blankly at me for a moment. It makes me want to laugh. I mean, honestly. What did they think was going to happen? We were just going to forget everything and live the rest of our lives acting like none of it happened? Actually, I’m sure that’sexactlywhat they thought.

Bunch of fools…

My mother pokes her head into the room and says, “Dinner’s ready, boys. Lemuel, be a dear and pour me a glass of red.”

And hello to you too, Mom.

Dad and Gramp wander into the dining room while I pour the red. Once I’m joining them, my mother is delivering the last dishes of food. And I won’t lie, this is the one part I miss.My mom’s food is bangin’.

We take our seats around the table, and the tension is already high. I can feel it. But I’m choosing to revel in it right now. It’s only going to get worse.

When she’s finally done, my mother says, “Go ahead, everyone. Dig in.”

“Everything smells great, Mom,” I tell her, scooping a generous helping of potato salad onto my plate. Followed by corn fritters. And her famous crab salad.Dear God, how am I going to leave this??

“Thank you,” Mom says with a curt smile. “So, tell us the situation with this job. It sounds strange…”

My face loses all traces of delight.Oh, right. That’s how.

“Well, like I told Dad and Gramp, I can’t say much,” I mumble in between bites. “Since I’ve signed an NDA and all.”

“You didn’t mention an NDA,” my father says.