Page 49 of Remiss

“I wouldn’t have,” Ryan denied, but he knew hewouldhave. The moment he discovered Tom had taken Molly, he regretted his decision and wanted to correct that mistake.

“Everyone’s alive, Ryan,” Devon said quietly. “Even Molly for now, although that can change at any time. You have to work as hard as possible to get her back as soon as possible if Uncle Johnnie doesn’t come through.”

“Don’t hold your breath.”

“I’m not,” Devon said, sighing. “That’s Uncle Johnnie, after all. Self-serving and bitter.”

Ryan flushed.

“Yeah, that was a fucking dig because Iamangry and Iamdisappointed that you went so far. But you suffered too. At Eliza’s hands and, now, with the guilt eating at you. I tried to look into what I found on the web. I didn’t know where to start.”

“Aunt Kendall’s handling it.”

“Do you know if Bash plans to move on Aunt Meggie soon?”

“I haven’t heard anything, but my relationship with the Bart brothers has fallen apart, so they wouldn’t clue me in. Neither have I been to Salt Lake City in a while.”

“Mom’s coming back, isn’t she?” Devon asked, jumping from one subject to the next. He looked shook up and out-of-sorts. “It’s still so fucking early in the morning. Dad left an about hour ago. I was out back with Hogzilla. You’re walking around like a zombie. What will we do if she decides she’s better off without us?”

“Mom loves us.” Of that, Ryan had no doubt. He’d never forget his mother begging for his life. “Aunt Meggie just needed support.”

“Do you think she’s coming back?”

“I hope so,” Ryan said quietly. “She’s a good aunt.”

“I think so, too. What do you think made her leave? It couldn’t have been because of whatever video Uncle Johnnie had you send. How many weeks ago was that? She didn’t leave then, so why now?”

“Do you think Uncle Christopher actually cheated?”

Devon shook his head. “Never. I might be wrong, but have you ever seen how he looks at her? He adores her. I’m thinking it is either because of CJ or Rule, and Uncle Christopher keeping something from her. Again, I could be wrong, but she’s been so unhappy that CJ won’t go to school. Honestly, school isn’t the same without him.”

“No, it isn’t. Neither is football practice.”

“You need to talk to him, Ryan. Once Aunt Meggie’s back. You might be the only one who can get through to him. Tell him that he can’t join the fucking club until he’s eighteen—”

“I’m sure others have already told him. He wouldn’t want to hear it from me.”

“You’re probably right,” Devon grumbled. “You can tell him if he doesn’t come back to school, you’ll be walking across thestage and he won’t since you’re both in the same graduating class. You can remind him that even though you two aren’t bitter enemies any more, you always thought you’d have to sit through him graduating first.”

“That might work.”

“You have to try. He needs time away from the club to put everything into perspective. Focusing on school and football could be just what he needs because, for the time being, the club only represents bad memories and trauma.”

“He has to get over that. If he wants to be president, he’ll always have a target on his back. If he can’t come to terms with that, then he shouldn’t be Prez.”

Another sigh escaped Devon. “I wish we could help him.”

“Me, too, Dev,” Ryan croaked.

“You have thirty days to try to fix everything, then you have to tell. Dad, Uncle Christopher, Uncle Mort,whoever. And I’m giving you thirty days in the hopes that Molly will return before then and you can leave that part off. I’ll just have to ignore how much you’ve fucked over Rebel, Harley, and Mattie. What you’ve done is foul.”

“Are you trying to make me feel better?”

“Words are cheap. No matter what I said,couldyou feel good about yourself after this fucking travesty?”

“No.”

“But if Molly’s back in thirty days and the cameras are removed, it’ll be our secret. Either way, though, you have to tell someone so you can save Aunt Meggie. No more bullshitting, Ryan. Enough suffering has gone on with all the secrets and lies. Rory won’t say anything because of his dad and you won’t say anything because you’re afraid. Meanwhile, time’s wasting and the clock’s ticking. Thirty days is risky. However, you can’t unfuck all you’ve fucked overnight.”