All That I Can Fix by Crystal Chan

Author:Crystal Chan [Chan, Crystal]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

16

“WHOA,” I SAID. “FOR REAL?”

“Yeah,” Nick said. His voice was deeper than mine. A little thicker, too.

My brain was spinning. “How’d you get my number?” I asked.

“When you go looking for someone all across town, word gets out,” Nick said. He sounded guilty.

I didn’t know what to say, so I stated the obvious. “Sam’s been hanging out with me.”

“I know.” Nick gave a little laugh. “That kid is truly amazing.”

I held the phone, quiet for a moment. That’s something I would say, I thought. I cleared my throat. “You got that right—he’s amazing.” I paused. “He’s been trying to buy all your shit back from the secondhand store.”

“Really? They threw my stuff out already?”

“Yeah, and Sam’s been in there, getting back what he can. He thought you left him a message on that Lennon poster.”

Nick sighed. “That was the plan.” I heard him take a drink of something, and I realized his speech was a little slurred. What was this, a drunk dial early in the morning?

“So, where are you?” I asked, feeling more ballsy. I was sick of the chitchat.

“Doesn’t everyone want to know.” Nick gave a little laugh.

The way he said that sent my temperature soaring. I gritted my teeth. “You know, the kid needs you.”

“He’s better off by himself.”

“Is that what I should tell him you said? ‘Nick said you’re better off by yourself ’?”

“No, no,” Nick said quickly. He took another sip. “That’s just between you and me.”

This whole conversation was quickly heading south. Sam had been idolizing his brother, who was a drunken dickwad. He was just too young to know it—or too desperate to acknowledge it.

“I met your dad the other night,” I said.

“Oh, you did?” Nick’s words were measured.

“He’s an ass.”

Nick snorted. “You got that right.”

“And you’re an ass for leaving Sam alone with him,” I said.

Silence.

“Score one for Ronney,” I said, smirking.

“Mom’s all right,” Nick said, recovering. “She’s just . . . weak.”

“Like I said, you’re an ass for leaving Sam alone with him.”

“You’re real smart,” Nick said sharply. “When I see Sam next, he’s going to sound like a jerk. A smart jerk, but a jerk.”

“And when are you going to see Sam next?” I prompted.

“I just . . . have some things to finish here,” Nick said.

“Like your couple of kegs.”

“Shut up,” Nick said. “You have no idea what’s going on.”

“You’re right, I don’t,” I said. “And you have every idea what’s going on with Sam, and you don’t give a fuck.” I gripped the phone. “Way to go, hero.”

“Tell Sam . . . to take care of himself,” Nick said tightly.

“Why don’t you? I could get him on the phone, you know.”

“That’s no—”

“Or does being weak run in the family?” I asked.

“Fuck you,” Nick said.

“Fuck you,” I said back.

I don’t know who hung up first.

At first I was afraid Mina had overheard the conversation, but when I checked on her in the kitchen, she was still talking to her cereal. Mina talks to her cereal every morning; she asks it if it likes swimming in its swimming pool, if it wants to swim underwater.

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