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“I didn’t want to give you an excuse to coured letting you knoas on the property was the safest bet”

“Speaking of shotguns, I’m sure Lark March’s daddy would like to take a shot or two at you, boy He know you’re ain?” he asks, clearly not ready to let his favorite verbal punching bag go just yet

Uncle Parker is no stranger to physical violence— up, I swear my uncle’s words hurt more than any black eye A bruise heals and stepdad number four, at least, was always sorry once he sobered up and realized he’d taken out his frustrations on a kid half his size

But Parker never feels reet a verbal assault where it will do the e He’s mean and bitter and has a chip on his shoulder the size of Georgia about the lousy lot life has dealt him, but he isn’t stupid

“I bet he doesn’t,” he continues when I don’t answer “If he did, he’d run you out of town so quick you’d mess those nice pants of yours Bob always knew trash like you wasn’t good enough for one of his classy little bitches You ask ures it out, too”

“I’ et a rise out of me, and if I take the bait then he wins

And I refuse to let hi else for me

Not now Not ever again

“Good” Hisit back I don’t want your shit taking up space init for whatever I can get”

“Sounds good” I turn er I’ll lose all the ground I gained in therapy and let hi me back into the dirt with him

“Good seeing you, Mason,” he calls after me “Glad all your dreams came true”

The way he says it turns everything into a joke—all the years of study, all the sleepless nights during ht for The past four years living in a rat hole of an apart handy h money for a down payment on a condo in Atlanta—to Parker, it’s all a joke, and coest joke of all