Chapter 42
Chapter Forty-Two
Mila
“I’m here with your daughter,” Kash deadpans, looking at my dad. Mom stands off to the side, glancing between us.
“Stop it. Don’t act like you didn’t know he was coming tonight.” I roll my eyes.
She turns to my dad. “Kash brought flowers. Isn’t that sweet Daniel?”
I wince as Dad glances at Kash through narrowed eyes. “Sure. It’s amazing that some guy bought my wife flowers.”
“Oh, would you stop?” Mom pinches his side. “I can’t recall the last time you brought me flowers.”
Dad’s gaze flies to hers. “I bought you flowers last week.”
Laughing, Mom shakes her head. “Sweetheart, you brought home flour, not flowers. Those are two totally different things. Now, let’s eat before the food gets cold.” She gestures toward the set table.
Kash follows behind me to the table, an unsure expression on his face.
He’s quiet and it’s not like him. When I get to my usual seat, Kash grabs my chair and pulls it out.
I thank him softly and swoon a little. The nice moment is ruined when I hear Dad huff.
Kash sits beside me, pretending my dad isn’t behaving like one of the rudest human beings ever.
Mom hands Kash a plate of food, which he passes to me. Sitting it down on my placement, he smiles and puts the next one on his own. He looks from my parents to me, and once they start eating, he picks up his fork as well.
No one says anything for a few minutes, as we eat the pasta Mom made. I don’t know how she does it, but her homemade bolognese sauce is amazing.
“Nice haircut, Kash.” Dad’s voice breaks through the silence. My fork freezes midair, and I steal a glance at Kash. He sits a bit taller in his seat and meets my dad’s gaze head-on.
“Thanks. I thought it was time for a change,” he offers, running his hand through it as if he forgot it was shorter until now.
“I liked it how it was. Remember our deal, Casanova.” I give him a pointed look.
“Casanova?” Mom quirks a brow.
“Yeah. It’s a funny little nickname Mila gave me after I took her on the best date ever.”
“Is that a fact?” Dad sits back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest.
I’m about to say something, but Kash rests a hand on my leg, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“Yes, sir. I took Mila to some caverns about a half hour from here, then we went to do some... art at a place my friend owns. It was a great day,” he admits, looking at me like he knows exactly what I’m thinking of. Freaking color wheel.
“So, you took her to look at rocks and paint?”
“Daniel,” Mom says his name in warning. I truly don’t know the man sitting across from me right now.
Kash doesn’t miss a beat. “I did. I thought taking Mila on a date somewhere that was rich in local history, as well as supporting a local business, would be a great date, versus taking her to some chain restaurant and a movie. Mila’s special. She deserves only the best.”
“And that’s you?”
The entire table freezes. What the actual fuck?
“It is. No one will love her like I do.” Kash goes back to eating his food like he didn’t just drop a bomb on dinner. He just told my parents he loves me in the same casual way someone would give the time.
Precise and no room for debate.
Mom stares at us in shock, and Dad scoffs, picking up his fork and jabbing his pasta with it. “Love? What do you know about love? From what I’ve heard, you aren’t the type for relationships.”
“You’re right,” Kash admits, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I wasn’t until Mila.”
“What do your parents think of your new stance on relationships?”
“I wouldn’t know.” He shrugs.
“Why not? You didn’t tell them about her?”
“No. Quite the opposite actually. Everyone important knows about me and Mila, but to answer your question, I can’t tell my parents because, well, my actual dad is dead, and I couldn’t tell you where my mom has been since I turned eleven and she left after he died.”
Sucking in a breath, I drop my fork on the table. “Let’s go. I’m done.” Standing, I look at the man sitting across from me, the one who gave me life, who made me believe everyone had good in them. It’s like I don’t even recognize him. He knows damn well Kash grew up with Emma and the guys.
Mom’s gasp cuts through the silence, her hand covering her mouth.
My eyes sting, making me mad. I refuse to cry right now.
I’m so disappointed in him. When Kash doesn’t move, I grab his hand and tug on it, trying to pull him up.
I’ll be damned if I’m sitting here and listening to him talk down to Kash.
I get that he had a reputation before, but Dad barely knows him and isn’t even trying.
“It’s okay, Sunshine. He didn’t know.”
“It’s not okay, Kash. He knew enough.” Mom looks at him, then Dad. “I need a minute to talk to your father, Mila. Can you show Kash the backyard please?”
Dad hasn’t moved an inch. His eyes ping-pong between where Kash sits calmly next to me while I stand, and Mom’s angry expression. Sighing, he shakes his head. “I apologize, Kash.”
“I appreciate that, but when I tell you everyone knows about me and Mila, I mean it. Everyone important in my life knows about her. Emma loves her, and well, she already knows Atlas and the guys, so really, everyone knows about us.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your dad.”
Kash tugs on my hand, silently asking me to sit back down. Folding my arms across my chest, I stare across the table at my parents. Mom looks like she wants to throttle him, and he’s avoiding my gaze. Good.
“I appreciate that. It was very unexpected, but I’m okay. Growing up with Emma wasn’t so bad. I was luckier than most in my situation.” He shrugs, like it’s no big deal that his mom abandoned him when he needed her the most. Like growing up with strangers was a welcome change.
Nodding, my dad changes topics. “So, tattooing—what’s the deal with that?”
Kash lights up a bit at the change in topic, but inside, I’m still seething. My dad helped shape me into who I am. He always encouraged me to be kind to people because we never know what someone’s life is like, saying we should ease their pain, not add to it.
“I’ve always loved drawing, and when my brother got into it, it really stuck for all of us, but in different ways,” Kash explains as he finishes his food.
I lost my appetite after Dad’s outburst, and after a few minutes of pushing my food around, I give up.
Resting my head on his shoulder, I lean into Kash.
It feels like it should be concerning how quickly I’ve fallen for him, but instead it feels right.
There’s a part of me that kicks myself for giving him such a hard time initially, but I needed him to be sure.
My greatest fear of Kash leaving when he got what he wanted seems to have been for nothing.
If anything, it’s made him more clingy. The more time we spend together, the more he needs.
As if he can hear my thoughts, Kash’s hand slides onto my thigh, searching for my fingers.
Interlocking them together, I squeeze his hand.
Dad and Kash carry on a conversation for the rest of the meal, and I think he’s gotten over whatever his issue was. After a bit, Mom starts to clear dishes, and I stand to help her.
Kash places a kiss on my fingertips as he lets go of my hand. “I’ll get these.”
He stands, offering to clean up, but Mom stops him.
“It’s fine, Kash. You’re our guest; you stay where you are.”
“Actually,” Dad starts, “why don’t you come out to the garage? I want to show you something.”
“It’s not a gun, is it?” Kash asks with a quirk of his brow.
Laughing loudly, Dad shakes his head. “No. Not a gun. Why? Do I need one? Would it scare you away?”
Kash chuckles in response and shakes his head. “Not even a bit.”