The Wright Mistake(14)

“But I’m a Wright!” I spat, raising my voice.

“I know, I know. Trust me, I pleaded your case. I told them that you would be the right person for the job. I believe in you.”

“And they just didn’t give a fuck.”

“It’s not that exactly. They worry about your…drinking habits.”

“What about my fucking drinking habits?” I snarled.

“They think…you are…” Jensen stumbled over his words and then shook his head and straightened his shoulders. “You’re an alcoholic, man.”

“So, I have a few drinks here and there. It’s not the end of the world.”

“You have a few drinks with breakfast. Legally, I don’t know how you drive anywhere. You’re a mess.”

“Fuck off, Jensen.”

“I’m serious, Austin. We’ve all let it slide up until now. But you’re going to miss out on this if you don’t sober up. Maybe if you went to rehab to show you were serious—”

“Seriously, Jensen, go fuck yourself! I don’t need rehab.”

“I’m trying to look out for you, Austin.”

“No, you’re trying to parent me. But guess what? Our parents are dead, and you can’t replace them.”

Jensen winced. “Come on, man.”

He reached out for me, but I brushed him off.

“I don’t need any of this shit.”

Then, I turned on my heel and walked out of the lake house.

My mind was whirring to life at all the goddamn accusations. I loved drinking, but, fuck, I didn’t have a problem. Jensen had a fucking problem. Everyone had a fucking problem. This was more bullshit to pile on me because they wanted to give the position to someone else. How fucked up is it that they want someone who isn’t a Wright to run the company behind Morgan? How could they even be okay with that?

I stumbled down the hill to the dock and the pitch-black lake beyond. Clouds obscured the sliver of a moon in the sky overhead. A fitting vista for betrayal.

My stomach lurched as the anger boiled over. Jensen had recommended me, and the board had said no. Just like that. I hadn’t even gotten to defend myself. They had made that decision with no other consideration than my name.

The Wright name, of course, always had. But my name had never made any splashes. Jensen was the oldest. Landon was a professional golfer. Morgan was the prodigy. Sutton, the baby. I was just…me.

Now, they had a name for me. Not exactly flattering to be known for my drinking habits. Or, as Jensen had so eloquently put it…an alcoholic.

Fuck!

I wanted to scream.

Jensen had joked that I was following in our father’s footsteps. Morgan had scolded me when I jokingly brought a flask into church. Landon had eyeballed my Bloody Mary in the morning. It was never a big deal. I was responsible. I wasn’t getting into car accidents. I didn’t have a DUI. I still did all my fucking work. I showed up to work on time, church every Sunday, all planned family events. They had lost their fucking minds if that wasn’t enough to be the right kind of Wright.

And if it wasn’t enough, then why the fuck was I doing all this shit?

If they didn’t respect me, then what I did in my spare time didn’t mean anything. I could be off at a fucking bar this weekend, picking girls up, instead of getting left on a cliff side by Julia and verbally harassed by my family. But I was here. Not that it fucking mattered to anyone.

I stomped onto the dock and noticed a figure seated at the end with their feet dangling off the edge. Just what I didn’t want to deal with—another person.

I was about to turn around and find somewhere else to be alone when the person turned around, and I saw Julia’s beautiful face.

“What are you doing?” she asked defensively.

“I know it’s a shock, but my world doesn’t revolve around you, babe.”

“I didn’t say—”

“Didn’t have to,” I interrupted.

“Jesus Christ, I wasn’t trying to argue with you.”

“That’s a shock. All you seem to do when you open your mouth is yell at me.”

I knew I was picking a fight on purpose, but I couldn’t have the one I wanted with the board. So, this would have to do.

“As if I’m the only one!”

“You left me up there.”

“You were being a prick,” she said with a shrug. Totally unapologetic.

“I’ll add it to my fucking tally.”

“Do whatever you want.” She turned back to face forward, ignoring me once more.

Fuck, she wasn’t giving me what I wanted. I wanted to argue. I wanted her to scream at me. I wanted to feel something. I wanted to stop thinking about what I was fucking dealing with.