Chapter 76: Tough Boy
Vaughn
“Here.” I kept my face down, but only because I find it fucking awkward giving people money. Especially when I know they are going to put up a damn fight over it. “Here is two thousand dollars.”
Julia’s mouth fell open as she scanned me up and down. “What? Why?”
It’s tough, and the only job bringing any real money in on this shithole and my farm. “You need it. Don’t deny it.”
She sighed, turning around and looking down at her baby in its crib. “I do, but I’m not taking your money, Vaughn.” She put a barrier around her emotions. “You earned that, and I never. Go buy more seeds or something.”
“Hah.” I snickered. “I don’t want to see any more fucking seeds until summer. I think I gave myself quite the workload this spring.”
“Yeah, I know,” Julia sighed. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Not ridiculous,” I stated. “Realistic. It had to be done to get this fucking place back on its feet fast.”
“Believe me, Vaughnie. That amount of money you brought in only two weeks is absolutely insane. Not realistic.”
I tightened my fist, clutching the money. I want her to have it. I want to help her out. She and Mirabelle have done so fucking much for me in the past. It’s really the very least I can do for her.
“Listen to me.” I pushed myself on her opinions. “You got me back to Wears Valley. You put a stop to my wandering nonsense and got me to just come home. If it weren’t for you, this fucking money wouldn’t even be in my hands.”
She quit making eye contact with me and looked down at her feet.
“Take it, Jules,” I demanded. “I don’t care what you do with it. But you deserve it for all the shit you’ve been doing here on your own.” I looked down at my feet for a second. “You’re like a fucking super mom.”
I grabbed her hand and put the bills there, closing her fingers over it.
“No arguments.”
With that, I turned on my heels and walked out of the room.
“Vaughn,” she called back. “You’re not half as terrible as you think you are. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
I shrugged and continued out the door.
Do I think I’m terrible?
Well, I used to think that. I thought I was the fucking spit of a devil, the way I didn’t care about anything. The way I didn’t want to notice things or pick up on other people’s damn emotions. I didn’t care what the fuck happened to me or what I did, as long as I had money.
But I’m not like that anymore.
It all changed after Mollie came along. She showed me how to become compassionate and take the time out of my goddamn day to acknowledge something other than myself.
Money doesn’t mean a fucking roll of beans to me now. Even though I have learned how important it truly is, and how critical it is to keep Wears Valley running. At the same time, I have seen what it’s like to not have money.
Not having money brings families together. Julia’s and Elliot’s bond is stronger than ever. It’s because they have to work together and make it fucking happen.
That’s why I’m determined to work myself to the goddamn bones to get money flowing for this place. Lanna, Denny, Pierre, Elliot, Chen, Gannon, Charlie, Natalie, Julia, Mirabelle, Felicia, baby Taro, Nick. They all need someone to pick up the slack and get this place going again.
And I’m their man.
The only reason I think like that is because of Mollie.
I don’t know where she is or what she’s doing. I just genuinely hope she’s still as optimistic and full of life as she was when she lived here.
Mollie
“Oh, goddamn it, Ronnie,” I complained. “What do you mean we won’t have our paychecks until Sunday?”
“There was just a little holdup at the banks. They had to change our daily limits, so it has stuff held up.”
“What kind of business do you run?” I snapped. “What kind of employer lets their checks bounce?”
Ronnie shook her head. “Jesus Christ, Mollie. Chill out. It never bounced. There is plenty of money in the account. It’s just on hold until they upgrade the limits. This is a good thing. It means the company is allowed to hold more money. It’s only two more days.”
I rolled my eyes, spinning around in my chair to gaze at myself in the mirror. “Whatever. I wanted it tonight.”
“Why?” she asked. “What’s so important?”
Honestly, I wanted to buy a damn iPhone 5. I know I don’t have much use for it. I don’t have anyone to call or text. I just really want to play those games when I’m waiting around bored.
“Forget about it,” I mumbled, shooing her off. “And send in my makeup people, please.”
“What?” she questioned. “You don’t have makeup people.”
I looked at the mess on my face in the mirror. The eye makeup from last night was waterproof, and since I couldn’t wash it off, it decided to melt onto my eyelids. “Well, send in someone. I’m not taking this junk off my face myself.”
She sighed while walking out of the room. “You there, with the black pixie cut. Go help Princess take off her makeup.”
The pixie girl scurried over and began soaking cotton balls in makeup remover, dabbing it over my face.
“Do you see that on your shoulder?” she asked, pointing to a red rash-like sore.
I nodded. “I’m allergic to something. I can’t figure out what.”
She leaned closer. “It looks pretty bad. I have some cream you could use.”
“I don’t want to put anything on it that will make it worse.”
“It’s fine, Cherry,” she assured me. “I have one semester left until I’m a nurse. Just a little Benadryl.”
I watched her scrub the foundation off my face. It’s pretty cool that she’s in school trying to make something of herself. It’s also shitty that she’s stuck here.
“Do you like school?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said. “It gives me hope.”
“I wish I could go to school,” I admitted.
“Why aren’t you?”
“I dropped out in tenth grade.”
“You’re twenty two,” she argued. “You can apply as a mature student.”
I thought about it.
“I can’t really see myself doing anything,” I sighed.
“You’d make a good interpreter,” she suggested.
“How much money would I make?”
She shrugged. “Who cares? Do it anyway.”
I looked at my reflection. Maybe I’ll check out a language school tomorrow.
Vaughn
I watched Felicia walk up the path and drop something in my mailbox.
I waited until she left before grabbing it.
It was a note.
“Why don’t you ever call us back? We call your house every single day. Love, Gray, Claire, Shalyn, and Savannah.”
I shook my head, remembering how selfish I was after Mollie left. I pushed everyone away.
Was she really worth all that?
Then I remembered the fire.
I dialed Gray’s number.
Mollie
“That’s a lot of money for a semester,” I told the administrator. “How can anyone afford that?”
“You can apply for scholarships.”
I scanned the brochures.
“None of these apply to me.”
“There is one,” he said carefully. “For survivors of sexual assault.”
Hope warmed my chest.
“It’s due tomorrow,” I muttered.
“Better get writing.”
Mollie
“Why are you sitting at the bar with a pencil?” Dan asked.
“I’m writing an essay,” I hissed. “So I can go to school.”
He smiled. “I’m proud of you.”
“I would still rather be on the farm.”
“I know,” he said softly.
“I will never go back to Wears Valley,” I swore. “Never.”
He smirked. “You said that last time too.”
“Unless New York burns down,” I muttered.
“Suits yourself,” he laughed. “Now strip. It’s showtime.”