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Back When We Were Bright and Beautiful
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Part One
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. Part Two
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. Part Three
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. Epilogue
  68. Author’s Note
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. About the Author
  71. Also by Jillian Medoff
  72. About the Publisher

Haggerty said the same thing. Speaking of Haggerty, I haven’t heard from him in weeks. His texts are intrusive and possibly unethical, but I’ve started to miss them. “I’m tired, Lawrence.”

“You know what, Cass? I’m tired too. And no one is helping me, no one is on my side. Not even you. Out of everyone, I thought I could count on you.”

“I’m not on your side. I’m not on Eleanor’s side either. I’m on Billy’s side.”

“But I was the one who—”

“Who what? Took me in? Fed me? You’re using my being orphaned as a bargaining chip?”

“That’s not what I’m saying—” He stops. “Forget it. Doesn’t matter. I’m just disappointed. I thought you’d be more loyal. More forgiving.”

Forgiving? “Christ, Lawrence. You and Eleanor both—you’re relentless.”

“No, Cass.” Lawrence bows his head. “Billy’s our son. We’re desperate.”

29

PEOPLE WITH MONEY DO CRAZY THINGS. OR MAYBE MONEY makes people go crazy. Once, two brothers, lifelong bachelors, moved into a primitive shack with no indoor plumbing or electricity. They looked like hoboes, lived like hoarders, rarely bathed, and refused to open any mail that could be from the government. This went on until their nineties. After their death, their land sold for almost six million dollars. Turned out they were loaded. So maybe money just makes crazy people even crazier.

* * *

Billy is broody and distant. I understand his unhappiness, and sympathize, but being around him is depressing. It’s like when he went off to boarding school. He hated Groton, and called every day, begging to come home. He was shy and self-conscious. He didn’t fit in and had a hard time making friends. His stutter returned, only to be made worse by Powell Porter’s taunts.

Lawrence encouraged Billy to stay. “You’ll get used to it,” he promised. “It’s brutal, I know. But I survived, and you’re ten times stronger and smarter than me. You’ll survive too.” He believed Groton would teach Billy important life skills. Billy felt like he was being punished for no reason. Eleanor, surprisingly, didn’t interfere. “Fathers and sons always struggle,” she said. “They’ll work it out.”