Give Me Butterflies (Oaks Sisters #1)

Chapter 43

Finn

“Thanks for taking us for pizza.” Eloise smiles, her hair fanned against her sage-green pillow.

I love those wild waves. I’m obsessed with them, and I hope she never feels like she has to change them.

“Anytime, piccola .” I climb onto the bed between the girls, wrapping an arm around both of their shoulders. “I’m sorry about Nonna Serena and

Nonno Richard tonight.”

“They weren’t very nice,” Avery says, looking up at me with a crease down her brow.

“No, they weren’t.”

“I don’t like when they’re mean.” Eloise bunches up the blanket between her fingers.

I pull them closer, like I’m hoping to squeeze the hurt out of them and absorb it into myself. “I love you both so much. I’m

so proud of you, and I want you to have the best of everything. Sometimes that means we don’t need to spend time with people

who make us feel sad and treat us like that.”

“They were mean to Millie too,” Avery reminds me, the empathetic soul she always is.

“Yes, they were. And she doesn’t deserve that either. But I want you to know that how they act has nothing to do with you. They have sad hearts, and when someone’s heart is sad, they can be mean to other people around them. But that doesn’t make it okay. They still shouldn’t treat anyone that way. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you or me or Millie. You are both perfect.” I lean in to kiss their heads.

“It made my heart sad when we were there,” Eloise says, handing me tonight’s book from her nightstand.

“It made my heart sad too,” I reply.

Once the girls are asleep, I creep out of their bedroom and find Millie in a plush armchair in my room, knees tucked close

to her chest, staring out the bedroom window.

“Hey, beautiful,” I say, kissing her forehead and sitting in the matching chair beside hers. “You doing okay?”

“Not really,” she whispers distantly.

My chest burns with anger at my parents. “I’m so sorry about everything.”

She drags her eyes away from the window and faces me with splotchy red cheeks. “Don’t apologize for them. It wasn’t your fault.”

I reach for her hand and pull her toward me until she concedes, sitting in my lap. “They were completely disrespectful to

you.”

She shakes her head with a furrowed brow. “I’m more worried about the girls.”

“I talked to them a little tonight, but I have a feeling we’ll do it again tomorrow.” I run a hand over her hair. “Everything

my parents said was utter bullshit.”

Millie’s mouth twists, but she doesn’t respond.

“Do you believe me?”

She blows out a breath. “I spent years with someone like that. Years. And it wasn’t constantly as bad as tonight, but everything she said still felt so familiar. It was so hard to remind myself that I’m not stuck in that cycle of abuse anymore.” She presses her lips together. “I’ve been sitting here going over everything she and Kyle said to me today, and I don’t think that I can endure any more of it.”

“You shouldn’t have to. We never have to go over there again.”

She gives me a sad smile. “But you shouldn’t have to choose between us.”

“What do you mean?” Dread churns in my chest at her words. She sounds like she’s already decided she’s not worth the choice.

“They’re your parents and the girls’ grandparents. It’s not fair to make you pick one or the other.”

I shake my head. “It’s the easiest choice I’ve ever made.”

She blinks as tears gather in the corners of her eyes.

“I grew up in their house and lived with that every day, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that they’re not the kind

of people I want the girls around.” I cup my palms around her cheeks. “But you are. You mean more to us than my parents ever have.”

Her voice cracks as she says, “You wanted the girls to have grandparents.”

“I do. And I’m pretty sure your parents are obsessed with the idea.”

A small grin seeps through her sadness, and I want to beg her to let it spread. Let it shove all her worries to the side and

wash us clean of every bad thing that happened today.

But her grin falters. “Didn’t Clara want them to have a relationship?”

I search her green gaze. I’ve experienced countless dinners and visits with my parents in the last eight months to maintain

a relationship with them. I’ve put up with their toxic comments and manipulations to give them time with their granddaughters.

And they’ve practically spit in my face for it every time. But especially tonight.

They completely disrespected the three most important people in my life, and never seeing them again wouldn’t destroy me like never seeing Millie again.

I know in my heart that she’s the right choice. It’s a simple decision.

And I know with absolute certainty that Clara would agree.

I gently nudge her off my lap and stand, grabbing her hand. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”