39. Colin
Colin
M y dad walks ahead of me into his office, just knowing I’m going to follow.
He may think I’m following because I’m listening to him, or that I care about whatever he wants to talk to me about.
I shut the door behind me and stand against it with my arms folded across my chest. I’m not in here because I care what he has to say, or plan to give into whatever demands he’s about to make.
“Sit down.” He gestures to the chair on the other side of his desk.
“Nah, I’d rather stand for this.”
He clenches his jaw before speaking again. “I see you’re still playing with Mayson.”
“That’s not what it is.”
“No? Isn’t that how you are because I know I didn’t raise a son that does relationships.”
“That’s because you didn’t raise me at all.” I shrug.
“I gave your mother all the money she asked for in raising you.”
I roll my eyes, “Because money is the only thing that matters, right?”
“It is to you, because without my money, you lose school, soccer, and everything else.”
I won’t lose Mayson. It takes every ounce of will power I have to hold back from saying that to him.
“You wouldn’t take that away, though,” I push.
“I wouldn’t?” he challenges, and I just shake my head.
“Nah. You won’t.”
“You want to test that?”
I shrug. “For one, I don’t think you would cut Mayson off.”
He tightens his jaw because we both know I’m right about that.
“You wouldn’t want to ruin my chances of going pro and the bragging rights that go along with that so you can impress all your business buddies.”
Again, his attempt at a non-reaction gives away how right I am.
“At the end of the day all you care about is your reputation, we all know this. And we all know cutting me off wouldn’t look great for you. ”
“What’s your plan, then Colin? Because you marrying your stepsister wouldn’t look great for any of us either.”
I shrug again. “I don’t care how I look, that’s all you, Pops.”
“What kind of life would you even give her?”
“Better than you gave my mom.”
He barks out a laugh. “Oh please, your mom was set for life the second she got pregnant with you. I gave her everything she ever needed. And you, too.”
“Trust me, I know. The checks you sent every month kept her more than happy, and she never gave a fuck about having me around. It just ensured the money kept coming.”
“What? Do you want me to be sorry for that? I’m sorry you’ve had everything you’ve ever wanted. Now that you can’t have something, you want to be a spoiled fucking brat about it.”
Now it’s my turn to clench my draw. “You think that’s all this is? I can’t have her and want to piss you off?”
My dad just looks at me, and I scoff, starting to slowly pace. “You’re unbelievable. What does her mom think?”
“She doesn’t believe it, but I didn’t show her.”
My eyes narrow. “Show her what?”
He turns his computer screen toward me, and it’s the view of the backyard at our townhouse, there’s a bunch of people and when I see myself in the hot tub with Mayson on my lap I know exactly what night this is.
“You’ve been spying on me?” I accuse.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on my house to make sure my irresponsible son doesn’t destroy it.”
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s what it is.”
“If I had an issue with all the parties you throw, or anything else I’ve seen, you’d know about it. I’ve let you have unlimited freedom, but I draw the line here,” he tells me, boldly.
“I wouldn’t call it freedom, more like a fairly long leash.”
“Dammit, Colin. I’m asking for this one thing and it’s pretty simple. You to stop fucking around with your goddamn stepsister.” He pounds his fist on his desk. It’s probably supposed to intimidate me into complying, but it’s not going to work.
“That’s not going to happen,” I state firmly for the last time before I bring out my own threats.
We glare at each other, neither of us having any intention of backing down on this.
“End it. I can handle the fallout of cutting you off, but the world finding out you two are together would be much worse.”
I stand taller. “Where would the fallout of your own affairs rank on your fucked up scale?”
“What’re you talking about?”
“You’ve always been a shit liar, I know you have a weakness for your secretaries, and I usually don’t give a fuck. But you lay off who I’m with and I won’t bring up who you’re with.”
I’ve had suspicions for awhile, but I don’t have any concrete proof. Just the hope that he supposedly “loves” Mayson’s mom enough to not obliterate another marriage because he likes to stick his dick in younger women on the side.
“I raised a real prick,” he spits.
“Again, you didn’t raise me at all.” I don’t let his words affect me, they haven’t in a long time. “We’re done here.”
Without another word from either of us, I turn and leave his office, ready to have my girl back in my arms again.
By the time I get downstairs Mayson is in the living room with her mom, and they aren’t alone. Her eyes shoot up to mine, wide with annoyance and probably a hint of fear for how I’m going to react. Because that woman from Thanksgiving and her dipshit son are here once again.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I groan. Mayson covers her laugh with a hand over her mouth while her mom turns and narrows her eyes at me.
My dad comes downstairs not long after me, and joins his wife on the loveseat she’s sitting on.
I shove myself in next to Mayson, not giving a fuck about the company around us.
I stretch my arm around the back of the couch behind her.
They’re all lucky I don’t pull her into my lap right here, right now.
“How were your finals?” Garrett asks. He’s clearly talking to Mayson. I’m shocked and somewhat impressed he would actually try to talk to her. But of course I can’t have that, so I answer first to draw attention to myself.
“Haven’t happened yet, but I hardly study. I might just be naturally gifted with smarts and looks.”
I hear Mayson scoff next to me.
“Uh, h-how’s soccer going?” Garrett again asks Mayson.
“Ya know, my team isn’t really playing up to my standards so I’m hoping I’ll get them whipped back into shape.”
“Colin,” Juliette snaps with a forced smile on her face.
“Hm?” I pretend to act oblivious to what I’m doing, and I can feel Mayson holding back her laughter next to me.
“All due respect, sweetie, but I don’t think Garrett is talking to you.”
“Oh.” I look back toward Garrett who almost looks like he’s trying to use his mom next to him as a shield, and then back toward Juliette. “Well, with all due respect, I don’t really give a fuck what Garrett is doing.”
“Colin, a word,” my dad says sternly.
“No, I’m good right here. And on that note, I don’t think Mayson really gives a fuck about what Garrett has to say either, do you, sis?” I drop my arm onto her shoulder, pulling her against me.
She pushes at my side, but I don’t let her go.
“Colin,” my dad snaps again, and I ignore him.
“Tell me something, Garrett, do you even think you could handle a woman like this? She’s a feisty one.”
The guy sitting across from me gapes like a fish and it’s so funny, it only spurs me on.
“Do you have any masks? I know she has a soft spot for them. Especially if she’s being chased through the woods.”
“Colin!” my dad tries again. Tensions in the room are increasing, and Mayson is digging her knuckles into my side, but I don’t stop .
“Can’t take it easy on this one. Think you can handle that? I’m not talking about just a little hair pulling and a light slap on the ass. She wants it to hurt.”
“Colin, that’s enough.” My dad looks like he’s about to burst a blood vessel and I really don’t want to stop because Garrett looks like he’s about to pass out. I feel like the idea of anything I’ve said is completely foreign to him.
I stand up, stretching my hand toward Mayson. She looks up at me, my silent request for her to make her decision. I can see her internal debate, the risk we’re going to take if she puts her hand in mine.
But she does it anyway.
I pull her up, tucking her into my side, as we turn to leave this hellhole. “Oh, one more thing.” I turn around.
“For fucks sake,” Mayson mumbles.
I pull my chain from underneath my shirt. “She’s really into this chain, likes to choke me with it. And something about thigh tattoos and guys in crop tops really get her going.” I shrug adding fuel to the already lit fire.
“Are you done?” She shakes her head against me.
“Yeah, I think so.” I lock gazes with my dad. “Remember what I said.”
No one says anything as we walk out the front door.