Chapter 25 #2
“Of course it is.” Cora brushed my words aside with her hand. “Valerie is always making a mess of family events.”
Oh hell, no. “Excuse me?” They were not going to blame Valerie for this. Not with me there.
“Oh, you’ve done nothing wrong, Lucas.” Cora glared at Valerie. “Valerie is the culprit, as usual. Now, be a good girl and let Lucas and Kendall dance.”
Valerie shifted on her feet, and I tightened my arm around her waist. “Mrs. Ray, you apparently haven’t been listening. I’ve said several times that I don’t want to dance with Kendall. Besides, she’s drunk.”
“No, I’m not,” Kendall protested loudly without a single slur, though I had no idea how she managed it.
Cora’s gaze turned to Kendall, then back to us. She totally disregarded my statement that Kendall was drunk. “Kendall’s fine.” Cora turned to Valerie. “Now, tell your little friend here that dancing with my Kendall will be good for him.”
Sheer will stopped me from rebuking Cora. Valerie had done nothing, so why blame her? Valerie said she was always blamed for everything, and I was seeing it firsthand. How fucked up was this family?
Valerie hadn’t said a word. I turned my gaze on her. Her features were closed, nothing showed on her face, and she was stiff as a board as if waiting for a blow.
Enough. It was time to end this debacle.
“The only ones making a spectacle are you and Kendall.” I kept my voice down, but the tone was hard. My insides boiled, but I wouldn’t let it out. I had a feeling that’s what Valerie’s parents wanted so they could blame Valerie some more. I wasn’t going to allow that to happen.
“See here—” Bernard started.
“No, Bernard.” I tightened my arm around Valerie’s waist. “I’ve already stated several times that I don’t want to dance with Kendall. If none of you can accept that, then that’s not my problem, nor is it Valerie’s. We’re leaving. Now.”
“But you have to wait for the announcement,” Cora protested.
“We don’t have to wait on anything.” I was done. These people took self-centered to a new level.
“Valerie?” She’d been very quiet this whole time and that worried me. Was I overstepping my bounds? As far as I was concerned, I wasn’t.
“But it’s my engagement party,” Kendall whined.
God. I felt sorry for whoever the guy was.
Who wanted a whiny child as their wife? “Maybe you should act like an engaged person then.” I didn’t wait for a reply.
Turning, I guided Valerie to the elevator.
People were staring and whispering, but I didn’t give a flying fuck. Valerie was my only concern.
Once inside the elevator, I didn’t try to talk to Valerie. We needed privacy for that, plus, it felt like she was still processing what had happened. At least she hadn’t had a panic attack. The valet wasn’t busy, and we had our car within five minutes.
Valerie sighed as I pulled onto the freeway. “And that’s my family.” Her tone was sad.
“That’s not a family. I’m sorry I insisted we attend. It is hard for me to believe parents could act like that. I’m horrified on your behalf. And I should have trusted you.” This woman was precious to me and to have her family treat her like that was like a dagger in my heart..
Her fingers tightened in her lap. “I tried to tell you, but I kind of understand it. No one really believes my family is that bad until they experience it for themselves.”
She placed her hand on my arm, trying to give me comfort when I should be doing that for her.
“I should have.” So forgiving, that was Valerie. “How could they act like that? They’re adults, not children.”
Valerie gave a hallow laugh. “They’ve always acted like that. It’s one of the reasons I moved out at eighteen and was determined to make it on my own.”
“I don’t blame you.” I took one hand off the steering wheel and laced our fingers together. “You said that, as a kid, you got blamed for everything; it’s extended into adulthood, hasn’t it?”
“It has. Every time I see them. Kendall is their child who can do no wrong. Tonight, they were a little bit less obnoxious.”
Obnoxious, that was a good word. “That’s so fucked up. You’ve accomplished so much in your life. Why can’t they see that?”
Valerie’s fingers tightened around mine. “Thank you. I’ve learned to accept it. That’s why I avoid my family as much as possible.”
“I fully understand now. How could an engaged woman act like that?” Seriously, where was her fiancé?
“Classic Kendall, wanting what she doesn’t have. I wonder what sap my parents got to marry her?”
“You don’t think it’s a love match?” I couldn’t see marrying for anything but love.
“Nope. I know my parents. If I hadn’t left home, they would have all but sold me to the highest bidder and made it look like we were madly in love, when he couldn’t care less.”
“That’s fucked up.” My parents may have not been good role models, but damn, hers made mine look like saints.
“It is. But I can’t feel sorry for Kendall. She’s made her bed, and now she has to deal with the consequences of marrying someone our parents want.”
I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be pretty, and somehow, Valerie’s parents would find a way to blame her when her sister’s marriage failed or never happened. How messed up was that?
“I’m done, Lucas. I don’t want that negativity in my life. Not ever again.”
“Then you won’t.” Especially if I had any say in the matter. I was Valerie’s family now, and I’d spend my life making sure she knew how special and how loved she was. Starting tonight.
“While the finger food was decent, I’m starving. Why don’t we grab some food on the way home?” I didn’t clarify which home, mine or hers. She could make that choice.
“That sounds nice. I can’t wait to change out of these clothes, eat some messy food, and relax.”
“I’m one hundred percent with you.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
My cock twitched, and I willed it to behave. This was about so much more than sex. This was giving Valerie a safe place to be herself.