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and rests on mine. "Just because you're the heir doesn't mean you can do anything you like. Anyone can say yes, Jonny, but it's a strong man who learns to say no. Your friend with the chastity belt will do you some good. Keep it in your pants. And if your father's leeches show up while I'm around, they'll get an ass full of buckshot. Got it?" There are enough firearms in his basement to form a small militia. I'm pretty sure he shot at the mailman once because he thought he was under attack. Mom nearly killed him for that one. Since then the postal workers around here don't bring packages to his door.
    "Yes, sir." There's nothing else to say. I'm screwed. He knows, which means other people have to know, too. I wonder if I should go on lying to him, but what's the point. Besides, I need someone to talk to. My life has turned into such a goddamn mess. There are layers of lies tangled together so tightly that I have no idea how to yank myself free. It's daunting.
    Rubbing my hand over the back of my neck, I look up at him. "It didn't start the way you think it did. I didn't go after them. They came to me. I wouldn't steal my Dad's girlfriend."
    "Learn to say no. In the end, it doesn't matter what happened or who started what. It's whether or not you acted in a way that makes you proud. Can you honestly tell me that you can look at yourself in the mirror every morning and be okay with what you did?" Uncle Luke watches me, but my gaze doesn't lift from the floor.
    There's no excuse for what I've done and I've felt guilty about it since it first happened. I did say no. I did send her away, but she didn't listen. Guilt hollowed me out after that. I'd see her—Monica—my soon-to-be stepmom, standing with my dad. I know it's some messed up shit. I know I'm not supposed to fuck her, but I was barely a teenager. She didn't stop coming to my room, and I couldn't make her leave me alone. Avoiding her was the only thing that worked, but I had to go home eventually. Then, everything changed when Mom did something that no one expected and refused to divorce Dad. When Monica found out, she was livid. The sex changed after that.
    I shove the thoughts away, forcing them to the back of my mind along with the guilt. She was the first of his lovers to go after me. Since then there have been more, and I did nothing to stop the rest of them. I learned quickly that they were all there for the money, for the lavish presents. We all got what we wanted, and no one knew what I was doing with my Dad's mistresses or what they did to me.
    I want to keep it that way. It sounds horrible, and I know Luke is right. If Mom ever finds out, she'll kill me. Besides, it's not the kind of thing I like to talk about. I didn't want to be that kind of guy. It just happened.
    My silence speaks volumes. Luke's hand rests on my shoulder before he walks out. "Start over, kid. Mistakes only pull you down as long as you hold onto them."

CHAPTER 7
    CASSIE
    "So, how'd your day go?" Robyn asks me later that night. She's still wearing her uniform from work, but she's pulled her silky hair into a ponytail and changed her shoes out for sparkly flip flops. We're standing in my aunt's kitchen making quesadillas.
    I throw a tortilla in her face. Direct hit! Wahoo! The soft piece of food smacks the side of her face and then falls to the floor. "You suck, you know that?" She picks up the tortilla and laughs as she joins me at the counter. I'm shredding cheese and don't look up at her. My voice is clipped, irritated. "Do you introduce everyone that way or was it special, just for me?"
    "Lighten up, Yankee." She grabs the avocados and starts to work on the guacamole. She tries to push some loose hairs back from her face without her hands, using her elbow. "He's hot and summer flings are fun. How was I supposed to know you're a goddamn nun? I hardly hear from you all year and then you show up on my doorstep. I thought, 'What would I like to do all summer if I were her?' Duh, Jonny