Chapter Twenty-Seven
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
MARIE
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Garrett asks as we walk down the street toward the bookstore.
I glance up at him and nod, clenching my teeth in determination.
“Yeah, yeah, this is important,” I assure him. “I have to do this.”
He gives me a nod and reaches down to place his hand on the small of my back. His touch is warm and firm and helps me keep my courage up. The boutique comes into sight a moment later, and my dad is waiting for us outside the front door. As we approach, he gives me a small, irritated frown.
“What am I doing here, Marie?” he demands to know without bothering to say hello. I knew asking him to meet me here would aggravate him - he hasn’t stepped foot in this place since Mom died, and actually tried to convince me to sell it when I turned eighteen.
“You and I need to talk, Dad,” I say, coming to a stop in front of him.
“And we have to talk here?” he grumbles, glancing up at the store front.
“Yeah,” I nod. “We do. Come on in.”
Stepping past him, I pull the key from my pocket and unlock the door. I walk inside and turn to make sure Dad follows me. It’s a relief when he does and Garrett steps in after him, shutting the door behind him. Stopping in the middle of the space, I face Dad fully. He’s gazing around with a scowl.
“This place is a dump,” he declares. “Why do we have to do this here?”
Taking a deep breath, I raise my chin and say, “Because I’m going to reopen it as a bookstore. I’ve been wanting to for years and with Garrett’s help, I’m finally going to do it.”
Dad gives me a skeptical look before shooting a glare at Garrett.
“What? It’s not enough you get my daughter pregnant, but you have to convince her to leave her stable job for this place?” Dad scoffs and shakes his head. “What a crock of shit.”
I press my lips together as my anger rises up and burns through me.
“Dad, stop!” I snap. “Don’t talk to Garrett like that. We’re together, and he’s the father of my baby. Show him some respect.”
Dad rolls his eyes. “Marie, I don’t have time for this. Tell me what I’m doing here or I’m leaving.”
I glance toward Garrett, who gives me a nod of encouragement.
Focusing on my Dad again, I say, “Look, I brought you here because I wanted to tell you I’m opening my bookstore, but I also wanted to tell you that I’m no longer going to be at your and Meredith’s beck and call.”
Frowning, Dad replies, “What are you talking about?”
“I’m not going to be your free babysitter anymore,” I explain. “I love my siblings and I’ll always be there for them, but it’s not my job to raise them or care for them, it’s yours and Meredith’s. I’m going to have my own baby to look after, plus this business. It's been a long time since I actually lived my life. A long time since I dropped everything at a moment’s notice to cater to your every need.”
Dad appears stunned for several moments, staring at me with his jaw dropped.
At length, he sputters, “You’re being ridiculous, Marie. Family helps each other. That’s just how it is…”
“No, Dad,” I sigh. “That’s not how it is. You and Meredith don’t treat me like family. Not really. You drop the kids on me with no consideration for my feelings or plans, and then you exclude me from family events like I don’t belong at them.”
Furrowing his brow, he says, “Exclude you? How do we exclude you? You always make some excuse not to be part of things that we do.”
“That’s not true.” A part of me is relieved that he seems confused. Maybe keeping me out of things hasn’t been his idea. “The twins’ birthday? I didn’t even know it was happening until after the fact. Their soccer and baseball games? Ballet and music recitals? Holidays? No one bothers to tell me about these things, and if I do find out about them, Meredith makes it very clear that I’m not welcome.”
Dad’s eyes go wide and he stares at me for several moments before murmuring, “That’s…that’s not true. Meredith wouldn’t do that.”
“She does it all the time.” I let out a long breath and take a moment to gather the strength to say what I’ve needed to say to him for years. “Look, Dad, I’m glad you were able to find someone new after Mom. That you were able to keep living your life and build a family…I just wish you would have included me in it.”
“Marie, you’re my daughter.” The irritation has left Dad’s voice and a look of desperation passes over his face. “I never meant for you to be excluded…it…it’s just when your mom died, I didn’t know if I could go on without her. When I met Meredith, I was so happy and didn’t want to do anything to risk the life I could have with her.” He pauses and appears thoughtful for a moment before he shakes his head and softly says, “Maybe…maybe I did exclude you without realizing it. You just remind me of your mother so much, and every time I see you…it hurts.”
His words are like a punch to the gut, but even as I struggle with the hurt of his realization, there’s a part of me that’s relieved he’s finally acknowledging it. That means there might actually be hope of fixing this in time. Not today - no way in hell - but eventually, if he’s willing to keep his eyes open.
“I know losing Mom was devastating,” I tell him. “I know it changed everything for you, but you turned your back on me for Meredith and the kids. When I needed you most, you weren’t emotionally available to me, and you didn’t want to be. That’s the truth, Dad. That’s what I need you to recognize now.”
He doesn’t say anything for several moments, instead gazing around at the worn-down interior of the store again.
“Your mother loved this place,” he whispers. “She poured her heart and soul into it. Sometimes I was jealous that she spent so much time here, but I loved how happy it made her.” He brings his gaze back to me and for the first time in years, I feel like he’s actually seeing me. “She’d be proud that you’re going to bring it back to life.”
My heart twists and tears form in my eyes. I swallow the lump of emotion rising up in my throat. Dad never talks about Mom.
That little bit of hope inside me grows.
“I feel her here,” I confess. “More than anywhere else. I think by opening this place up again, I’ll be able to hold onto her more than I have before.”
Dad gulps and nods, dropping his gaze from mine again.
Clearing his throat, he says, “I…I need to go, but let’s talk more about this soon, okay? I…I want to make this right somehow, Marie. I don’t know how to do that right now, but I promise I’ll…I’ll try.”
Honestly, that’s more than I was expecting.
“Okay,” I tell him softly. “I’d appreciate that.”
He clears his throat again and fidgets awkwardly, moving from one foot to the next so he’s swaying slightly.
“Good bye,” he murmurs before hurrying toward the door and making his way outside. I watch him leave, and once he’s gone, I feel like I can breathe again.
“You okay?” Garrett asks, moving to stand beside me and placing his hand on my back.
I give him a tired smile and nod. “Yeah, I am. Thank you for being here…and for letting me handle it. I know that wasn’t easy for you.”
He lets out a dry chuckle. “An understatement, but I’m proud of you for standing up to him. He needed to hear all that.”
I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him, pressing my face into his chest.
“I needed to say it.”
If it weren’t for Garrett, I’d never have been able to stand up to my dad like that. With everything that’s happened between me and Garrett, I’ve found the courage to use my voice. Now that I have him by my side, even when he’s silent and lets me take the lead, knowing he’s there and has my back makes me more determined than ever to not let anyone take me for granted every again.
He envelopes me in his strong arms and I feel warm and safe. “Do you feel better?”
“I do, actually. We have a long way to go, but I feel better about things with my Dad than I have in a long time.”
Garrett drops a kiss to the top of my head. “Come on. Let’s get you back home.”
“Yes please.”
We slip from our embrace and he grabs my hand to lead me out of the shop, never letting go as we make our way back to my house.
* * *
“Fuck, Marie…that feels so good…”
I shiver when Garrett groans and I take his cock in deeper into my mouth.
He’s sitting on the edge of my bed, and I’m on my knees on the floor, naked and already soaking wet. I want to make him feel good, though. I’m so grateful for his support today, and I want to give him as much pleasure as I possibly can.
His fingers flex around the back of my head and he pushes me to take more of him. I gag and drag my nails down his thighs, but I’m not trying to get away. This is turning me on so much, I feel like I’m going to burst with desire.
When he loosens his grip, I lift my head off him with a gasp and look back up at him. His green eyes are hooded and his cheeks flushed.
“I can’t wait any longer,” he growls. “I need to be inside you right fucking now.”
He stands and pulls me to my feet. Spinning us around, he bends me over so I’m face down on the mattress while still standing on the floor. Taking hold of my hips, he lines himself up with my entrance and plunges into me with a single thrust.
I cry out, arching my back as pleasure explodes through me.
“Fuck, you feel so good,” he snarls as he begins to pound into me from behind.
“Garrett!” I moan, grinding my hips back against him. He’s so big, and stretches me just right. It’s like our bodies were made to fit together…like we were always meant to be, just like I thought.
He moves his hips faster and harder, pressing me into the mattress as he bends over to cover me with his body. Pushing my hair to the side, he kisses along my neck as he grabs my wrists and pins my arms above my head.
“You’re so hot and tight,” he growls into my ear. “So damn perfect. I’m going to cum inside you, baby. Do you want that?”
“Yes,” I gasp. “I want it.”
My clit is grinding against the bed and I feel my orgasm start to build as he drives into me mercilessly.
“I love you, Marie,” he hisses. “I fucking love you so much.”
“I love you too,” I whimper and then my orgasm hits me so hard, I see stars. Throwing my head back, I scream as pleasure crashes through me in waves.
“Fuck!” Garrett bellows before shoving into me one final time and pouring his cum deep inside me, just like he said he would.
My orgasm goes one for several moments before I finally start to come down from the high, and my body is left in a shivering, jelly-like mess.
Panting, I slump against the bed as Garrett carefully pulls out of me.
“You okay?” he asks with a breathless chuckle.
“Fantastic,” I reply, my voice muffled by the bedding my face is buried in. “I just need a moment to get the feeling back in my legs.”
He laughs and I hear him walk away and into the bathroom. A few moments later, he comes back and I groan when he presses a warm, damp wash cloth between my legs and gently cleans me. When he’s done, he helps me slide up into the middle of the bed before he climbs in after me. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he tucks me into his side so my head is resting on his chest.
Garrett slowly rubs my back and kisses my forehead.
“You must be exhausted," he murmurs. “Go on and sleep.”
I turn my eyes up to his and ask, “Are you staying?”
It’s been a little over two weeks since we became a couple, and Garrett has all but moved in already, but I still ask him if he’ll stay…mostly because I like hearing his answer.
“Of course.” He grins. “I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. Not now, and not ever.”
Smiling, I cuddle closer to him and breathe in his woodsy scent. Surrounded by his warmth and strength, I relax, my mind and body totally content and satisfied by this man. My White Knight.
My dream came true.