Entrapped by Carlie Yates

Author:Carlie Yates
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Carlie Yates
Published: 2019-10-19T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 18

The Name He Was Given

There was an uneasy silence at the dinner table as Catherine set the food down while smiling at her father. “I tried to make it as good as Greta, but you know how she was a magician.”

“It looks wonderful,” Coach replied, his smile matching his daughter’s.

“Did she make this while I was there?” Brody asked, also smiling at Catherine.

“Nope. Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo is Dad’s favorite, not one of Theresa’s.”

“It was yours, too, if I recall correctly.” Coach sampled his food and nodded. “Wonderful.”

“You’re quiet today,” Catherine remarked to Brody, who shrugged.

“Last time I was here ended kinda awkwardly.”

“But you understand, don’t you?” Coach asked. “You understand why she did it.”

Brody’s eyes dropped to his plate, his stomach protesting food no matter how delicious it was. “Yeah, I get it.” There was much more to the story, though... details he wasn’t sure Catherine had shared with her father.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It was extreme, but not shameful considering everything you’ve been through.”

Brody held back the urge to snap at Coach, tell him that compared to some, he had it easy. And it wasn’t shameful no matter the circumstances, he was sure of that after meeting so many others who had been stopped in time. Hearing their stories, though, had him second-guessing the last few months of Brian’s life, knowing now that Brian had been saying goodbye in his own way to everyone.

The realization hit him straight in the chest, constricting it.

“Well, the real reason for this dinner is for my daughter to apologize to you.”

Brody’s eyes snapped to Catherine. “For what?”

“Well, I kinda went ahead and did the online stuff for your pictures.” Catherine shrugged. “Daddy set the asking price, though. And in my defense, they’re really good, and they tell a story. If we’d waited until you got out, they may not have sold at all. They’re national, Brody. National.”

One corner of Brody’s mouth tilted upwards. “I figured you’d see it through. I was counting on it, actually.”

“See, Daddy?” Catherine’s smile was triumphant. “I told you he’d be happy.”

Happy.

What exactly was happy?

Was it elation over his dreams of nationally published photos becoming a reality? Was it this beautiful girl smiling at him as if he could conquer the world? Was it the look of pride in Coach’s face, one that he’d wanted so long from his own mother, and even from Frank?

Was it pasting a smile on his face while going through the motions the way that Brian—the boy that everyone was convinced was happy—had done while he was planning his death?

Was it putting on a tough exterior and drowning himself in alcohol the way JJ did?

Max... Max probably knew the definition. Brody needed to ask him about it, what his secret to happiness was, because he was full of doubt on trepidation and a foreboding sense of doom. That most likely had to do with Frank being at his home, with his mother, doing who knows what.

His appetite vanished.

He picked at his

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