Chapter 46 Demi
Demi
“Ijust don’t think it’ll do any good. It certainly won’t change anything,” Hayes mumbles under his breath.
Raegan has been pushing him to meet with his father and to no one’s surprise, he’s resisting.
He just finished informing us of all that’s transpired in recent years.
There’s a piece of my heart that’s torn in pieces for him.
I can’t imagine being verbally assaulted by one parent over the other’s death, only to have to support that parent until their dying day.
“I doubt he’d even know who I am if he saw me.” His expression is an understandable combination of sadness and disdain.
I get up from my seat, next to Raegan, slide in beside him and rest my hand against his thigh. His hand finds mine under the table, meeting it with a soft squeeze.
Raegan exhales a long, slow breath like she’s readying for battle.
Honestly, it’s not a stretch. “My love.” She pauses and her face twists like she’s searching for the right words.
“I don’t think it matters what he knows or remembers.
What matters is you. This will let you say your piece. Have you ever been able to do that?”
“No,” he replies simply.
“It may sound somewhat insensitive, but what better time is there… then when he can’t really retaliate?”
Yikes. She’s referring to the most recent update Hayes received–a year or so ago–saying his father was no longer verbal… well, minimally verbal.
“She has a point,” I cut in and Hayes shoots me a glare. The message is clear in his eyes. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
I give his hand a tight squeeze to answer, “I’m on your side always dude, but she’s not wrong on this one.”
“Everything okay over here?” Dolores–the same sweet waitress that took care of Hayes and I after our first night together–asks.
She delivered our food a while ago and due to the tense nature of the conversation, none of us have touched it.
She pauses for a moment, her eyes darting between each one of us.
Hayes sighs. “Yeah, Dolores. Sorry if we were disturbing people with our argument.”
“Don’t mind them,” I tell her as I wave her off dismissively, then point my thumbs at them. “Grandma and grandpa were just having a little tiff. They… didn’t take their Metamucil today. Constipation really is a mood killer, in more ways than one. You know?”
Every muscle in my face twitches with the need to literally laugh my ass off, but I hold it in. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do–not really–but I fucking do it anyway.
Two sets of eyes bore into me, forcing me to look anywhere but back at them. If I look at them… I’ll surely break. Fuck it. I tilt my head coyly in their direction to see them both wearing knowing smirks. Yep. I’m definitely going to pay for that.
Hayes leans in, cozying up close to my ear and whispers, “Just wait, Babygirl. This grandpa’s got plans for you.”
“So does grandma,” Raegan adds, brows raised.
My skin heats at their veiled threats. I don’t need them to give me specifics. My imagination is currently running wild picturing all the things they’ll do to punish me.
“Okay,” Dolores cuts in. Fuck. I forgot she was here. “I actually came over here, Hayes, because I heard you talking about your mother. I’m sorry for eavesdropping but I have something you might want to see, but unfortunately, it’s at home.”
Hayes straightens in his seat, lasering his attention on her. “What is it?” he asks curiously.
“It’s… better if I show you. Can you come back tomorrow?”
He looks to Raegan and I for approval and we both provide it… obviously. “We’ll be here.”