Midnight Cove

Chapter Twenty-Four: Broken

I sat in that chair, reading and re-reading that letter as fat teardrops rolled carelessly down my cheeks. Then, I folded the letter back and pressed it to my chest. Terry was the best and only father I had ever known. I never wanted to forget him.

I cleared my throat to keep it from cracking. "May I keep this?" I asked, hoping with all my heart I would never have to part with Terry's last words.

"Yes, of course," Mr. Bennett said, as he handed me a tissue from the box on the corner of his desk.

"Thank you," I said, taking the thin tissue to dab my eyes.

"Would you like me to give you a moment?" he asked understanding, pity coloring his voice.

"No," I shook my head. I sniffled, "I'm fine." Taking a quick inhale to help me get a grip.

Jonathan Bennett nodded. "Alright then, let us continue. Terry's holdings were quite substantial. He invested in quite a few startup companies that eventually became very profitable for him. I can easily turn his bank accounts and brokerage accounts over to your name, but if you would like me to sell his stocks or other assets it will take me some time."

This whole situation seemed surreal. It was harder for me to believe this was happening than standing in a penthouse suite in the Dark Palace. My eyes widened as I tried to catch up on everything Mr. Bennett was saying.

"Can't you just keep doing whatever you're doing?" It was too much to go from almost penniless to having assets.

Mr. Bennett sat back. "Yes, absolutely." He seemed gratefully relieved. "If you would be interested in continuing to use my services, as Terry had, I would be glad to do so."

"Great," I said. The less I had to think about right now the better.

"Okay, so I will get everything in order and transfer all the accounts under your name. I will need a picture I.D. and a copy of your social security card and birth certificate for certain things, but that won't be necessary right away. If you are not suffering from debt issues I can start you off with an allowance of, let's say about five thousand a week?" he didn't even flinch, but I did.

"What?" My jaw hit the floor. "Did you just say five thousand dollars a week?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. How could Terry have that much money? He wore old tee shirts and I wasn't even sure if he owned a pair of shoes.

"Miss Woods, Coral," Jonathan Bennett looked at me and smiled. "You are about to have a very, very comfortable life. Terry's gift to you is a new life. You aren't ever going to have to worry about rent or money in general, ever again. You can now travel, or go to school. Whatever you want to do. Terry was an adventurous person and he lived his life following his passion. When he told me he was going to leave everything to you, he was certain no one else deserved this kind of happiness like you do. As your lawyer, my advice is for you to take this opportunity and figure out what you want most."

After I had left Jonathan's office, I was in my own world completely. I couldn't believe the new direction my life had taken. When I got home, I just stood outside the gate and stared at the house. My house.

I couldn't make myself do anything. If I went inside, I knew I was just going to break down and cry. I didn't want to see all of the memorabilia that would remind me of the life Terry lead or the life he left behind.

I hated my studio now. It only served to constantly remind me of Cove. My heart still ached for him and yet, I still hated him on so many levels. Never had I felt like this before. I wished I could still climb into his strong embrace and cry about everything happening to me, but how could I when it was all his fault?