Chapter 23 #2
I snorted. He was the one who taught me to pretend that my feelings weren’t real. “Here’s the thing. I love you because you’re my father, even if I should know better after how you treated us, but I don’t owe you a single dollar or the smallest bit of mental real estate.”
His anger faltered for a moment, and he shook his head. “You don’t actually feel that way.”
“I do.”
He took a step back. “Your mother and I did everything for you.”
I didn’t flinch and neither did either of the people at my side. “That may be, but if you don’t start treating me, Hazel, and Jane with respect, then I’ll apply for a restraining order against you and make a public statement about how bad our relationship really is.”
Dad looked at me as if he had no idea who I was. “I… You…” He shook his head again. “You wouldn’t do that. We’re family.”
I felt a twinge but ignored it. “I would, I assure you.”
“Dad, please,” Hazel said. “Just go. This isn’t the place to do this.”
Personally, I didn’t think there was any time or place to do this, but hopefully, I’d gotten my point across.
“Go.” I crossed my arms. “Or I will call someone to make you leave.”
“Son…”
“Get out of here!”
Slowly, he turned and left, looking back over his shoulder as if expecting me to change my mind at any second.
I didn’t.
“Are you okay?” Jane asked, taking hold of my arm.
“I will be.” It might take a while to shake this off. “Hang on a minute.”
I needed to get in touch with Mom before Dad got home and skewed everything so that I’d be the bad guy. I found her number in my contacts—used rarely, but still there—and hit Call.
“Hello?” she answered, her tone laced with uncertainty.
“Hi, Mom.” I allowed myself to enjoy the familiarity of her voice for a couple of seconds before moving on. “Dad was just here. He screamed the neighborhood down, insulted Hazel, and disrespected my girlfriend and her family.”
“Oh, no.” She sighed. “You know how your father is.”
“I do, and now, so does half my street. If anything like this happens again, I’ll cut ties completely. It won’t be like before, where you and I still talk occasionally. It will be radio silence. I don’t even care if Hazel begs me to give you the benefit of the doubt.”
Hazel had always been a soft touch where Mom was concerned because Mom had coddled her as if doing so would make up for how she’d left me to deal with Dad on my own.
Her breath caught. “I’m sorry. I’ll do what I can. I hope you’re all okay. Can I talk to Hazel?”
“Fine.” I passed the phone to Hazel and headed inside, determined not to listen in on their conversation. I was sure Mom would try to talk Hazel into making me “see reason,” as she liked to put it.
I expected the Wrights to gather around to let me know exactly what they thought of Dad’s disgraceful display, but to my surprise, they disappeared inside, leaving Jane and me alone.
“Is there anything I can do?” Jane asked, still holding on to me, her touch grounding me in the moment.
“I… I don’t think so.” I shook my head, trying to process what had just happened. Dad losing his temper and making demands as if he had the right was nothing new, but this was different.
While I rarely conceded to him—at least these days—I’d never been so ruthless. I’d never said not to call me his son.
Jane slipped her arm around my waist. “Do you want to go inside?”
“In a moment.” I pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, breathing her in. I didn’t want to stay out here, where there was every chance the neighbors were watching, but nor did I want to have to explain this whole mess to her family.
“It’s okay to be upset,” she murmured, supporting me even though I’d been wavering about our relationship only minutes earlier. God, she was amazing. “He’s your father, but he had no right to speak to you or Hazel like that, and I know it must have been hard to draw the line.”
“I did it, though.”
“Yeah.” She gave me a tiny smile. “You did.”
“And I won’t go back over it.” I might not want to involve the legal system, but I also had to protect myself and the people who mattered to me. We all deserved better, and it was beyond time for me to take a stand.
She kissed my cheek. “I’m proud of you.”
My chest puffed out, her words making me feel ten feet tall. “Thank you. I’m proud of you too.” She’d been so brave today. “I’m ready to go in now. Are you?”
She nodded and allowed me to lead her indoors. As I should have expected, Alec was waiting just inside.
“Wow,” Alec said as he sidestepped out of the way and followed me to the kitchen, where I was relieved to see that the cooking had been finished and switched off. “That was your dad?”
“Unfortunately,” I replied, expecting one of his antagonistic comments in response.
Instead, he clapped my shoulder. “I’m sorry, man. That sucks.”
“Yeah.”
Delia, Pete, and Hazel came through from another room, and Delia immediately began to serve brunch.
“Sorry you all had to see that,” I said as we collected our meals and sat.
Pete scowled. “Hazel gave me the Cliff Notes version of what’s happened between you over the years, and let me just tell you, that isn’t how family should be.”
I swallowed, unable to speak past the boulder in my throat.
Delia smiled softly. “Don’t worry, honey. If you’re with Jane, then you have us instead. We know how families ought to behave.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just nodded and hoped she could read the gratitude in my expression.
Jane caught my eye and arched her brow as if to ask, “You are with me, right?”
My stomach flipped over. Perhaps it wasn’t the most selfless decision, but there was only one I could make. I tilted my head in acknowledgment and prayed to God she believed me.
“So.” Hazel clapped to get everyone’s attention. “What’s the plan for handling this shitshow?”