Read Online Behind the Pitch, a novella: Seeking Serenity 1.5 by Eden Butler - Free Book Online
Authors: Eden Butler
Tags: new adult
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was?”
“You have to agree to take a DNA test.”
“I’m sorry?” Sayo pushes the letter in front of me, but I don’t bother to even glance at it.
“He left you fifty thousand pounds, Declan, but the estate won’t give you a penny until you prove that you are Micah’s heir.”
I blink twice and release a loud, echoing laugh. “You’re joking.”
“No. I’m not. That’s what the letter says right…” she points her orange fingernail to a section in the middle of the letter, “there. You have to submit your DNA for testing. If the results are positive then the estate cannot contest your inheritance.”
“And how exactly are they going to test my DNA against a dead man’s?”
“Well, that’s the thing.” Sayo gets up from her spot to lean in next to me, working her fingers over the pages until she comes to a final section. “See here?” she says, nodding down at the paper. “It says that your DNA will be compared with, well, the other heir.”
“Other heir?”
I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me that I wasn’t O’Malley’s only kid. Not like the bugger seemed able to keep it in his pants.
“That’s what it says.” Sayo moves back to her seat, leaving the letter in front of me.
“You mean a sibling?” The idea has me conflicted a bit. Do I care about having a blood relative? Would they care about me? They’d have to know I exist if I’m mentioned by name in this document.
“That’s what my dad thinks, yes.” She keeps her eyes diverted, messes with the flaking paint on her fingernails—a nervous habit when she’s out of sorts or feeling awkward. “It would have to be either a sibling or maybe someone directly related to your father, like brothers or sisters. The other heir isn’t mentioned further.”
Joe knew. This whole time he would have known about the faceless relatives I have back home. He grew up there. He told me himself he knew about O’Malley and my mum, it’s no large stretch to assume he knew the whole O’Malley clan, knew exactly who my kin was.
Sayo finally settles her eyes on my face and I can tell by the small line denting between her eyebrows that she’s expecting a reaction from me. Maybe she thinks I’ll freak out. Maybe she’s hoping I’ll be grateful to her and her da. I’m really not, to be honest.
“And what did Joe say about all of this?”
The wrinkle deepens and I catch the frown Sayo tries to hide. “Not much, but I have to be honest, Declan. I got the feeling he wasn’t shocked.”
It’s all the confirmation I need. Fecking, old bollocks. The letter crumbles in my hand and I toss it in the bin next to the sidewalk.
“What are you doing?” Sayo says.
“I don’t give a flying fart about some dead man and his money. It’s not important to me. Not one buggering pence.”
“Declan, that’s a lot of money.” When I only stare at her, Sayo falters, pushes her hair behind her ear.
“I know what it is and I don’t care. I don’t care that my mum shagged another woman’s husband. I don’t care if it was a pity fuck or a drunken shag or something they did to pass the time. If I’m being honest, I don’t really care that Joe knew all this shite about me and didn’t say a buggering word. I only care about Autumn. She’s all that matters. I care that she’s hacked off at me. I care that she won’t speak to me. I care that I can’t see her, can’t touch her. It’s killing me, Sayo.” My voice has gone all pitchy and soft and I hate that my vision is blurring. I hate that Sayo can see this. I hate that she’ll likely tell Autumn what a weak, pathetic sod I am, but I can’t help it. I’m useless without her. “She’s not here and I don’t know what to do with myself. So this sibling I’ve got somewhere back home can have all of O’Malley’s money. I don’t want any of it. I only want Autumn. Do you understand? I want her to forgive me. To speak to me again, to put me out of my fecking
“You have to agree to take a DNA test.”
“I’m sorry?” Sayo pushes the letter in front of me, but I don’t bother to even glance at it.
“He left you fifty thousand pounds, Declan, but the estate won’t give you a penny until you prove that you are Micah’s heir.”
I blink twice and release a loud, echoing laugh. “You’re joking.”
“No. I’m not. That’s what the letter says right…” she points her orange fingernail to a section in the middle of the letter, “there. You have to submit your DNA for testing. If the results are positive then the estate cannot contest your inheritance.”
“And how exactly are they going to test my DNA against a dead man’s?”
“Well, that’s the thing.” Sayo gets up from her spot to lean in next to me, working her fingers over the pages until she comes to a final section. “See here?” she says, nodding down at the paper. “It says that your DNA will be compared with, well, the other heir.”
“Other heir?”
I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me that I wasn’t O’Malley’s only kid. Not like the bugger seemed able to keep it in his pants.
“That’s what it says.” Sayo moves back to her seat, leaving the letter in front of me.
“You mean a sibling?” The idea has me conflicted a bit. Do I care about having a blood relative? Would they care about me? They’d have to know I exist if I’m mentioned by name in this document.
“That’s what my dad thinks, yes.” She keeps her eyes diverted, messes with the flaking paint on her fingernails—a nervous habit when she’s out of sorts or feeling awkward. “It would have to be either a sibling or maybe someone directly related to your father, like brothers or sisters. The other heir isn’t mentioned further.”
Joe knew. This whole time he would have known about the faceless relatives I have back home. He grew up there. He told me himself he knew about O’Malley and my mum, it’s no large stretch to assume he knew the whole O’Malley clan, knew exactly who my kin was.
Sayo finally settles her eyes on my face and I can tell by the small line denting between her eyebrows that she’s expecting a reaction from me. Maybe she thinks I’ll freak out. Maybe she’s hoping I’ll be grateful to her and her da. I’m really not, to be honest.
“And what did Joe say about all of this?”
The wrinkle deepens and I catch the frown Sayo tries to hide. “Not much, but I have to be honest, Declan. I got the feeling he wasn’t shocked.”
It’s all the confirmation I need. Fecking, old bollocks. The letter crumbles in my hand and I toss it in the bin next to the sidewalk.
“What are you doing?” Sayo says.
“I don’t give a flying fart about some dead man and his money. It’s not important to me. Not one buggering pence.”
“Declan, that’s a lot of money.” When I only stare at her, Sayo falters, pushes her hair behind her ear.
“I know what it is and I don’t care. I don’t care that my mum shagged another woman’s husband. I don’t care if it was a pity fuck or a drunken shag or something they did to pass the time. If I’m being honest, I don’t really care that Joe knew all this shite about me and didn’t say a buggering word. I only care about Autumn. She’s all that matters. I care that she’s hacked off at me. I care that she won’t speak to me. I care that I can’t see her, can’t touch her. It’s killing me, Sayo.” My voice has gone all pitchy and soft and I hate that my vision is blurring. I hate that Sayo can see this. I hate that she’ll likely tell Autumn what a weak, pathetic sod I am, but I can’t help it. I’m useless without her. “She’s not here and I don’t know what to do with myself. So this sibling I’ve got somewhere back home can have all of O’Malley’s money. I don’t want any of it. I only want Autumn. Do you understand? I want her to forgive me. To speak to me again, to put me out of my fecking
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