Human experimentation in medicine -- Fiction; Suspense fiction
Why was he here? But now that he was, maybe she ought to momentarily
let go of the anger long enough to find out what he wanted.
Fortunately, they were almost back to Barrow Street. So this was going
to be quick; no way was she going to ask him up.
"Look," Grant declared over his shoulder, "I think it's high time to
admit I've been a shit. To you and to a lot of people." Now he slowed
enough that she pulled alongside. "For a long time there, back when I
worked for Goldman, I was an immature asshole. But at least I'm mature
enough now to admit it."
"I think the window for owning up is past." She didn't need his belated
mea culpa. Nothing was going to bring their father back, and having a
scene on this anniversary day would only demean his memory. "Sometimes
it's better just to let things rest."
"No, that's wrong, Ally, and I want to try and start making amends. For
all the money Dad helped me out with. I want to do a kindness for you,
to repay you and Mom as best I can." Now he was jogging along beside
her as smooth as a stroll, barely breathing. It was adding to her
humiliation.
"Grant, it's a little fucking late for that. Dad's gone. Money's not
going to bring him back. And I'm okay, Mom's okay--at least for money."
Well, she thought, that's true for now, but who knows what lies ahead?
"So what's a couple of million or so between siblings, anyway? Right?
It's the price of finding out who everybody is."
Just now, she told herself, the biggest "kindness " he could do would
be to disappear. Forever. She'd thought she was over the bulk of the
pain and the feelings of humiliation, but seeing him again, hearing his
voice, and looking at his eyes was bringing all of it back. She
realized she was never going to be over it.
"Ally, go ahead and say whatever you need to ... Look, I can't really
do anything about the money, at least not right this minute--though I've
got a big ship on the horizon, assuming a deal I'm working on comes
through. But right now I'm about to try to do you a favor."
"I think I can muddle through without any of your 'favors,' Grant. And
I really don't appreciate your showing up out of the blue like this,
bullying your way back into my life."
She glanced over and saw his gray eyes were hangdog. It was the soulful
look he used to melt her resolve. But not this time. She was yelling at
herself inside not to give an inch. If she let him anywhere close to
her life again, she was sure she'd only regret it.
"Well, like it or not, I am here at the moment," he said, once more
jogging a pace ahead then twisting his head back. They were at the
crossing and he could see her building from where they were. He had to
get a hook into her before she disappeared into that damned lobby. Time
for the bait. "By the way, Ally, how's your ticker doing these days?
You still have to watch out for... that heart thing?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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