Chapter 30

The last couple of days had been hectic. I was all-in on the fundraiser. It started out as a small idea to help Mary Ellen, but it had grown into something much bigger than I anticipated. I was used to throwing money at problems, but this time, I wanted to do something more meaningful. I wanted to show Mary Ellen that I was truly sorry for what happened between us.

When I received a text from her with just a simple "Thank you" and a picture of the flyer, something warm blossomed in my chest. Maybe this was my chance to make things right, not only for her but also for myself. It felt good to do something selfless for once, without expecting anything in return.

At some point in all of this, it changed from just wanting to help Mary Ellen to me genuinely caring about saving the library.

Maybe this was the beginning of something new, a chance to rebuild what was broken between us. If she could see I was a changed man, she would give me a chance to prove I wasn't as bad as she thought. I hoped.

I ended the call with the food truck owner and checked the time. I was running late. I jogged downstairs just in time to see Cole chowing down on a sandwich.

"Headed out?" he asked.

I nodded, offering him a tight smile. "Yep. I thought you had a job interview?"

"I do," he said around a mouthful. "Just grabbing something to eat and then I'm out. I feel good about this one."

"Good." I nodded. "I'll see you tonight."

He gave me a thumbs-up. I walked out to the garage and started my bike. Things with Cole were feeling just a little off. I was doing my best not to get frustrated with the guy's lack of progress in the job department. I was trying to be patient, but damn. I was lucky I had the means to support him. The dude could put away some serious food. He spent a lot of time watching TV and eating. That was his entire day. I did try and take him out now and then, but it didn't seem to do much good. I had spent a lot of time wondering what I got myself into. Yes, Cole had saved my ass more than once in lockup, but it wasn't like I really knew him.

I revved the engine of my bike and backed out of the garage. I couldn't shake off the uneasiness settling in the pit of my stomach. Cole had always been there for me. But lately, it felt like he was taking advantage of our friendship. I knew I had the means to support him, but it seemed like he had become too comfortable with that fact. Like he thought I owed him. I wasn't all that well-versed in what the payback was when a dude saved your ass in prison. Was it the kind of debt that lasted a lifetime? When was the debt considered paid in full?

I parked in front of the massive building where the axe-throwing business was housed. Murray was meeting me here. I walked in, paid my fee, and spotted Murray sitting at a table in the lounge area. I sat down and ordered a Coke.

"So, what now?" I asked Murray.

He grinned, shrugging his shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"You invited me to throw axes with you for a reason. What's up?"

"Nothing is up," he replied. "I just thought we could hang out. I heard about this place a while ago but haven't had the time to check it out. I thought this might be something you would like."

"Because I'm familiar with throwing axes and shanking people?"

He laughed again. "Pull the stick out of your ass. This will be good for you. Blow off a little steam."

"Did Mom and Dad send you?"

"Nope." He shook his head.

"That's right because they wouldn't want their good son hanging out with the bad one."

"Stop," he chided. "You're in a mood."

"I wonder why," I muttered.

"Alright, come on. Enough. I'm ordering us a couple of beers and we're going to throw some axes."

"What could go wrong with that?" I scoffed.

We sipped beers and took turns throwing axes at the target. Some of the tension in my shoulders melted away. The satisfying thud as the axe embedded itself in the wooden bullseye was oddly cathartic.

I laughed when he completely missed the target. "Damn, you really suck."

Murray gave me a mock glare before bursting into laughter. "Hey, it's all in the wrist action," he defended himself as he retrieved his axe from the floor.

We continued to banter and compete with each other, the competitive edge between us pushing away the weight of my earlier frustrations. For a moment, I forgot about Mary Ellen.

I took my turn, nailing a few good hits before it was Murray's turn again. He lined up, doing his best to mimic my stance, squinting one eye and biting down on his lower lip in concentration. He drew back his arm and took a deep breath before hurling the axe forward with all his might.

The axe whizzed through the air, spinning end over end before clattering harmlessly to the ground, several feet shy of the target. He looked at me, a sheepish grin spreading across his face as he shrugged.

"Okay, so maybe I need a little practice," he admitted, his laughter echoing off the high ceilings. An employee came in and suggested he take it easy on the beers. Murray, red-faced with embarrassment, insisted he had only had one, and I couldn't resist teasing him about it.

"Come on, Murray, you're embarrassing yourself." I chuckled, slapping him on the back as I retrieved my axe.

Murray laughed along with me, brushing off the employee's concern as we settled back into our seats to wait for another round. "Are you still working on the fundraiser?" he asked.

"Yes." I nodded.

"Good," he said. "You're doing the right thing by following through with the fundraiser, even if things don't work out with Mary Ellen."

"I'm hoping by following through with the fundraiser it will show her I'm not the asshole Mom painted me to be," I said.

"Do you think it will work to get you back on her good side?"

"Honestly, I don't know," I confessed. "Probably not, but I'm going to do it anyway."

"There will be other girls," he said. "You have to keep moving forward. Don't let this one get you down."

I didn't want to think about moving forward. I didn't want to hear him tell me I needed to let her go. Instead, I changed the subject. "Is Dad busting your balls at work?" I joked.

Murray nodded, his expression turning serious. "Things have been crazy. I feel like I'm doing my job and his. Dad isn't quite as sharp as he used to be. He needs me now more than ever. I don't think he's just mentoring me. I'm there to pick up the slack. I'm doing all the tedious work of staying on top of deadlines, clients, and schedules. He wouldn't be able to do it without me. He would miss deadlines and meetings. I've started putting reminders on his phone. I think he's slipping."

"Has Mom noticed?" I asked with concern.

Murray nodded again. "Yeah, she has. We've talked about encouraging Dad to retire, but, well, I'm not comfortable with that idea."

"Why not?" I pressed, sensing there was more to the story.

Murray hesitated, looking at me as if he were keeping a secret. "Because when he steps down, he always assumed you would be by my side, and we'd take his place together."

Guilt gnawed at my insides. I still wanted that future, despite my claims otherwise. I wanted my father to enjoy the retirement he had worked so hard for, but my past mistakes seemed to lurk in every corner of my life, casting a shadow over my ambitions. My screw-up in college had derailed my plans to take over the company. Murray and I always talked about running it together so neither of us had to be fully committed to the business.

"We never wanted a future that was all work, no play," Murray said, echoing my thoughts. "But now, it feels like I'm carrying this burden alone."

"I'm sorry, Murray," I said, my voice heavy with regret. It was true. I had let him down, and my father too.

"It's fine." He shrugged. But I could see the strain in his eyes. He wasn't fine.

"I don't see myself as going into the business," I told him. "Not now. There's too much drama. Look at me? Do I look like a guy that puts on a suit every day?"

"Just because you have tattoos and seem to have an aversion to shaving regularly, that doesn't mean you can't put on a suit," he pointed out.

"Just because I can doesn't mean I should," I retorted, the bitterness seeping into my voice perhaps a little more than I intended.

"Easy, bro," Murray said, holding up a hand. "I'm not saying you have to do anything. It's your life. Live it how you want."

"Isn't that what I've been doing?" I asked with a small laugh. "Making a mess of everything?"

"Maybe," he agreed, his voice soft. "But we all stumble sometimes. That's part of growing up, learning, becoming who we are supposed to be. You're no different. When Dad retires, I don't know if I can keep up with the business. I might have to make changes."

"Well, maybe you should," I said. "Dad built the company his way, and he did a good job. But it's going to be your company soon, not his. You have every right to make it something you can manage on your own."

Murray took a deep breath and looked at me. "That's a lot easier said than done."

"I'm sure," I agreed, nodding. "But you're smart and talented. And if you believe in your vision for the future of the company, others will too."

He chuckled softly to himself. "You sound like one of those motivational speakers."

"Like I told someone very recently, I had a lot of time and read everything I could get my hands on. I read a lot of self-help books."

He chuckled. "Or we can keep the business as it is and you could just take your rightful spot in the company."

"You know Mom and Dad would never agree with that," I said. "I'm out. There's no way back. They've made it very clear how they see me."

My parents would only ever see the kid who had made one stupid mistake in college and couldn't be trusted to fulfill his responsibilities.

Our name was called over the loudspeaker, letting us know we were up again. Murray and I stood up and made our way to the lane. Murray went first, picking up an axe and weighing it in his hand. As expected, he did terribly.

When it was my turn, I picked up the first one and tossed it. I watched as the axe sailed through the air, spinning, before it hit the target dead center. I picked up another one and heaved the axe harder than the rest, watching as it sailed through the air and landed squarely in the bullseye once again.

Murray laughed. "Shit, you just won us a free round."

I offered a smile and a casual shrug. I wasn't really in the mood for celebrating.