and climbed out of the car, the conversation with Chris still in my mind. He gave me the cold shoulder when I first approached him about the job, but I kept asking. He evidently thought of me as a troublemaker because of what had happened in the parking lot, but I eventually wore him down and he agreed to give me a shot at bartending. Even though I didn’t need the money, it would give me something to focus on while we were there, something that made my life feel semi-normal. Plus, I could see Emma. It was a win all the way around.
Uncle Bill approached me as I walked toward the house, a peculiar look on his face. “What’s wrong?” I asked immediately, thinking something might have happened to Mom while I was gone. Not that they couldn’t have called. I’d picked up cell phones as soon as we had arrived in Malibu, giving Mom one so she could keep in touch. It was a luxury we hadn’t been able to afford before.
He stopped in his tracks, shaking his head slowly. “Nothing’s wrong, Cooper. Everything’s good on the home front. I-I just need to talk with you for a moment, son.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, watching his agitated state. Something was definitely going on with him.
He looked at me and exhaled gradually. “Why didn’t you tell us you were the big lotto winner? I saw the article and couldn’t believe it when I read your name. How could you keep a secret as big as this?”
My chest tightened, I shrugged, not really knowing what to say. I hadn’t wanted them to find out so soon, nor had I expected them to. I had nothing prepared, I was totally off guard. “I don’t know. It just wasn’t important at the time.”
“Not important?” my uncle asked, disbelief in his expression. “Cooper, you are a billionaire. How can that not be important?”
“It’s just not,” I replied, frustration in my tone. I didn’t want to be treated any different just because I had a lot of money. I wanted a simple life, one that wasn’t riddled with money grubbers and those who only talked to me because of my sudden pockets full of cash. That was precisely one of the reasons I’d enjoyed the last few hours. Emma didn’t know. To her, I was just a guy who had helped her. I liked the simple fact that she looked at me normally, with genuine interest on her face while I talked. I didn’t want to see greed in her eyes or anyone’s eyes for that matter.
Uncle Bill looked at me intently for a moment, something dawning in his eyes. “What happened at home, Cooper?” he asked softly. “Is that why you’re out here? Something happened to make you run all the way to California?”
He knew why I was running from the neighborhood. On some level, he understood. “I had a little run-in with one of the gangs in the old neighborhood,” I forced out, my hands balled into fists as I thought about that night and how it had changed my life forever. “They wanted money that I didn’t want to give them. They threatened me, and I panicked.” I forced myself to relax, reminding myself I was far away from the danger. “I didn’t ask for this money. Hell, I didn’t even want the ticket, but for some reason, fate had its own ideas.” I looked at him, imploring. “Please. I have to keep Mom safe, and we weren’t safe back home. I knew she would love seeing ya’ll, so this is where we came. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“How much trouble are you in?” he asked, his expression hardening. I knew what he was thinking. Thank god I was smarter than to do anything close to what was likely running through his mind. I shook my head, rubbing a hand over my face. “It’s not like that. I’ve never been mixed up in the gangs in any way. It’s just like I told you. I refused to give them any money. They threatened my life, and I knew I had to get out. There was nothing else going on.”
My uncle exhaled hard and crossed his arms over his chest. “Good. I thought you had done something stupid. I can see why you came
Uncle Bill approached me as I walked toward the house, a peculiar look on his face. “What’s wrong?” I asked immediately, thinking something might have happened to Mom while I was gone. Not that they couldn’t have called. I’d picked up cell phones as soon as we had arrived in Malibu, giving Mom one so she could keep in touch. It was a luxury we hadn’t been able to afford before.
He stopped in his tracks, shaking his head slowly. “Nothing’s wrong, Cooper. Everything’s good on the home front. I-I just need to talk with you for a moment, son.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, watching his agitated state. Something was definitely going on with him.
He looked at me and exhaled gradually. “Why didn’t you tell us you were the big lotto winner? I saw the article and couldn’t believe it when I read your name. How could you keep a secret as big as this?”
My chest tightened, I shrugged, not really knowing what to say. I hadn’t wanted them to find out so soon, nor had I expected them to. I had nothing prepared, I was totally off guard. “I don’t know. It just wasn’t important at the time.”
“Not important?” my uncle asked, disbelief in his expression. “Cooper, you are a billionaire. How can that not be important?”
“It’s just not,” I replied, frustration in my tone. I didn’t want to be treated any different just because I had a lot of money. I wanted a simple life, one that wasn’t riddled with money grubbers and those who only talked to me because of my sudden pockets full of cash. That was precisely one of the reasons I’d enjoyed the last few hours. Emma didn’t know. To her, I was just a guy who had helped her. I liked the simple fact that she looked at me normally, with genuine interest on her face while I talked. I didn’t want to see greed in her eyes or anyone’s eyes for that matter.
Uncle Bill looked at me intently for a moment, something dawning in his eyes. “What happened at home, Cooper?” he asked softly. “Is that why you’re out here? Something happened to make you run all the way to California?”
He knew why I was running from the neighborhood. On some level, he understood. “I had a little run-in with one of the gangs in the old neighborhood,” I forced out, my hands balled into fists as I thought about that night and how it had changed my life forever. “They wanted money that I didn’t want to give them. They threatened me, and I panicked.” I forced myself to relax, reminding myself I was far away from the danger. “I didn’t ask for this money. Hell, I didn’t even want the ticket, but for some reason, fate had its own ideas.” I looked at him, imploring. “Please. I have to keep Mom safe, and we weren’t safe back home. I knew she would love seeing ya’ll, so this is where we came. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“How much trouble are you in?” he asked, his expression hardening. I knew what he was thinking. Thank god I was smarter than to do anything close to what was likely running through his mind. I shook my head, rubbing a hand over my face. “It’s not like that. I’ve never been mixed up in the gangs in any way. It’s just like I told you. I refused to give them any money. They threatened my life, and I knew I had to get out. There was nothing else going on.”
My uncle exhaled hard and crossed his arms over his chest. “Good. I thought you had done something stupid. I can see why you came
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