Casey
M y entire body aches. Despite dancing for years, there are still days when my body begs for rest. But aches like today… They make me smile. It’s been a very long time since a performance made me feel this happy. It may have only been a music video, but it was the most challenging performance I’ve ever had. Despite a few intense moments, I know I nailed it because I put everything into it.
My thumbs press into my arches as I sit on the gold velvet tufted bench at the foot of my bed and groan at how lovely it feels. Filming finished two days ago, and my feet are still sensitive. I may have underplayed how badly my old shoes were hurting me. A doctor wasn’t necessary, but I wouldn’t have been able to perform if it had been more than a single performance.
“Keep making those sounds, and I’ll drag that sexy ass back in here,” Graham calls from the shower. The man has super hearing.
“If you do that, who’ll answer the door when the food arrives?” My fingers dig deep into my calf muscle as I rub in moisturizers. Another moan trickles from me, and even though it wasn’t intentional, I know I’m playing with fire.
“They can have it. I’ll buy more.” I bite my lip and glance toward the bathroom. The hot water did feel superb over my aching body and joining him for another orgasm does sound appealing. His deep, throaty laugh floats into the bedroom. “You’re considering it, aren’t you?”
It’s almost terrifying how well he knows me.
Before I can surrender, the door buzzes. “Too late.”
“Get the food and then get that pretty pussy back in here. I’ll start with dessert.” I stand from the bench, racing for the door, ready to do as he said, when he growls, “Put something else on.”
I look at my pink tank top and yellow shorts and roll my eyes. My dance attire covers less than this—or at least as much. Then again, he’s always complaining about that too.
Such a jealous, jealous man and it may be wrong, but I love it. It makes me feel wanted and desired. It makes me feel special because what could possibly make a man like Graham Davis jealous?
I swipe a hoodie from my closet and tug it over my wet head as I head to the front door. The buzzer sounds again before I get there. “I’m coming,” I call out.
My fingers wrap around the cool metal of the handle, and I pull the door open. A choked sound escapes me when I meet Dad’s blue gaze on the other side. He always calls before he comes, and if Graham is here, I make him hide in my room until he leaves. My eyes dart toward my room for a split second as I suppress a shudder.
I planned to tell Dad when he got back from his business trip. If I’d known he returned today, I might be better prepared, but it’s obvious he didn’t want me prepared. Which only means one thing.
This is an ambush .
“Are you going to make me stand outside the door, or are we having a conversation like this?”
I’m tempted to have it like this for no other reason than I know Dad won’t. He doesn’t air his business to the world. Not even to nosy neighbors.
Instead, with a loud gulp, I step aside.
His presence is intimidating. He radiates frustration and anger as he walks past me. When I try to close the door, a hand stops me, pushing it back open. My stomach drops when Uncle Henry appears.
Great. Double teamed.
And if the look on his face means anything, he knows too.
“When did you get back?” I force an innocent smile, praying he doesn’t hear the nerves in my voice or the shaking in my hands. My stomach lurches violently. Don’t throw up, .
“This afternoon. I had to stop by the office for a few minutes before I could go home, and guess what the office gossip was?” I wince and drop my gaze to the floor. “Anything you want to tell me? Am I to believe the rumors? Draw my own conclusions?” I keep silent because I have no freaking idea what to say. Or rather, I do, but I can’t get my mouth to work. “We had a deal, , remember?”
My lashes flutter as I take a deep breath. What I want to say—need to say is on the tip of my tongue, but fear of hurting him is making it hard to spit it out. The idea of disappointing him is almost crippling. “No, Dad,” I lift my eyes to meet his as I know he expects. “ We never had a deal. You gave an order, and I went along with it long after I had to.”
“Excuse me?” He stands a little taller, his eyes blazing with hurt and anger. “I said that to protect you. That’s my job.”
“I know, Dad, and you did. But like you keep telling me: I’m an adult now. Or at least I’m no longer a child.”
“You’re not a child, but you are my child. And if you’re not a kid, then why did you lie to me?”
My attention turns to Uncle Henry for a brief moment, needing a reprieve from everything I see on Dad’s face. I expect to find the same disappointment, but instead, he’s glaring at Dad like he’s ready to throttle him. His eyes cut toward me, and shock tears through me when he winks then jerks his head toward Dad.
“,” Dad’s tone softens, dragging my attention back to him. “Why did you lie?”
I swallow my fear with a deep breath. There’s no avoiding hurting him. All I can do is try to make him understand. “For the same reason you did, I suppose. I was afraid you would be disappointed and angry.”
He scrubs his hands over his face. When they drop, he steps forward and pulls me into his arms. “Fuck, Case, you know I could never be disappointed in you.” I collapse into his embrace, relief washing over me. But it’s short-lived. “Besides, it’s my fault. I should’ve never asked a grown man to watch out for you. It was stupid of me. I just didn’t think he’d take advantage of you.”
I untangle myself from him and step back. Lines of worry and pain pull at his face. His blue eyes are filled with so much anguish, but… “Dad, he didn’t take advantage of me. If it weren’t for Graham…” I take a breath, trying to figure out how to explain. “Dad, he saved me more times than I can count.”
“, you were a heartbroken and lonely little girl. He preyed on that.”
“N-no. Dad, I prom—”
“You fucking predatory piece of shit,” Dad growls, looking behind me as he takes a step forward.
My hands fly up, intending to land on his chest and keep myself between them, but I’m quickly pulled behind Graham’s body. His need to protect me is one reason I love him, but I don’t need protection from Dad. I was worried maybe he did, but for the first time, I realize he’s really not much smaller than him.
“Get the hell away from her,” Dad yells.
“Yeah, that’s not happening. Not in this lifetime or the next. But if you want to hit me, then fucking hit me. I suppose I’ve earned a couple.” Dad starts toward Graham, moving like a raging bull. Graham doesn’t flinch or budge.
Before Dad can reach him, though Uncle Henry yanks him back. “Liam, stop it,” he tells him.
“You’ve earned more than a couple, you son of a bitch. I’m going to fucking kill you.” Dad fights against Uncle Henry’s hold. “Were you grooming her all these years? Is that the real reason she ran her car off the road?”
My heart sinks. The lie I told, desperate to protect my dad from any more pain is the cause of his anger and anguish right now, but I never expected this. Any of it. In a million years, especially after his rejection that night, did I imagine Graham and I would end up together. It was a fact I’d resigned myself to long ago. Yet, here we are, and not just together. We’re hopelessly in love.
But everything Dad is saying is what I’ve been worried about. If he thinks it, undoubtedly others will too, and Graham’s reputation will be shattered.
There’s nothing I can do about everyone else, but Dad… As much as I want to protect him, I can’t do it at Graham’s expense. Not anymore.
I try to slip around Graham, but his entire body tenses. He’s a brick wall, shielding me from anything he perceives as a threat. I place my palms on his bicep, assuring him I’m okay—I’ll be okay—and step around him to face Dad, knowing I’m about to break his heart.
My eyes drop as I stand in front of him. “Dad,” I don’t mean to whisper it, or for my voice to break, but I can’t stop it as tears threaten to spill down my cheeks. “Graham was never the reason I hurt myself. Mom was.”
I lift my eyes, meeting his. Confusion pulls at his brows, but it quickly turns fearful and pained. Worry seeps from him as his breath turns labored. He’s putting pieces together, but he doesn’t know where to begin. “What did she do?” his voice is low and pleading as if he wants me to say it was a joke.
I swipe at a tear that tries to break through my lashes and press my lips together. Graham’s hands find my hips, squeezing lightly. “Why don’t you sit?”
My head snaps toward him as my heart stutters at the thought of him leaving. There’s no way I will get through this conversation without him. I’m about to break my dad’s heart. It will hurt Uncle H, too. And Graham… he will be livid. But I need him so I don’t chicken out. “You’re not leaving, are you?”
He spins me around, gripping both sides of my face as he kisses my forehead, not caring who sees. Not that he’s ever cared. “I’ve got you, baby. Always have, always will. I’ll be right here with you.”
Dad growls. I think Uncle H does too. Neither of them faze Graham. He stands tall, looking every bit as formidable in joggers and a t-shirt as he does in a suit. Tucking me to his side, he gestures for us to move to the living room.
Dad and Uncle Henry take opposite ends of one white sofa while Graham takes the matching chair. I start for the other sofa when my wrist is grabbed, and I’m pulled to Graham’s lap. I assume he’s making a statement, but then his lips drop to my ear. “I have a feeling some of what you’re about to say will make me positively homicidal, so I need you here to keep me grounded.”
“Is the PDA necessary?” Dad grumbles as he shifts uncomfortably in his seat.
“In his case,” Uncle Henry stares at us, more specifically Graham, with a resigned scoff, “probably.”
“Because you know him so well?” Dad accuses.
“Actually, Liam, I fucking do. No one will ever be good enough for , but if anyone has earned the goddamn right to try, it’s him. He was a kid when you asked him to watch after her, and he took that to heart. He didn’t groom her any more than I did Ashleigh or you did Lily. He just had more time to watch her grow into who she is now.”
“It’s not the same thing,” Dad grinds. “She was a little girl. His stepsister.”
“Big fucking deal. That just means he knows her better than anyone else ever will.”
“That’s enough.” Graham’s voice cuts through their bickering like a razor. The two men I love with everything in me snap their heads his way. He’s younger than both of them, but he commands attention and demands to be heard no matter where he is or who he’s speaking to. It seems they’re not an exception. “I’m not asking for anyone’s approval or permission. If you don’t like that I’m with her, that’s your problem, so you can save the bullshit for when you leave. has something to say, now let her speak.”
Uncle H nods, a smirk pulling his lips as he folds his arms across his chest and leans back into the sofa. Dad tries to hide it, but I see the respect growing in his eyes.
But now, all eyes are on me. My heart pounds against my ribs so hard, it feels like I’m being smacked with a hammer again and again. I can hear my blood pumping in my ears. Tingling tickles my nose and lips. I take a deep breath, my eyes squeezing shut as the ringing in my head weighs down my lashes.
And I tell them everything. Even the things that happened before Mom and Dad’s divorce. I tell them the things she did and said. How she locked me in my room for days when Dad would be on the road without food or water or a bathroom. How she’d use whatever she could get her hands on to punish me after I wet myself because I didn’t have anywhere to go, then make me clean up my mess.
I tell them how she brought men around when Maxwell was out of town and would be irate when I was rude to them because I didn’t want them to touch me. Or she would get angry because they paid attention to me. I was never sure what to expect when she invited them over, but whatever I did was never right.
Then I tell them all that happened the night I drove the car off the road. But I also tell them what she said after I woke up in the hospital. She didn’t care that I heard her trying to prostitute me for nothing more than a brand deal, only that now I was worthless and scarred .
Tears roll down my face. Snot drips from my nose. It’s not pretty at all, but I can’t stop it. No matter how hard I try, the sobs get harder with every word.
Uncle Henry looks angrier than I’ve ever seen him. He sits leaning forward with his knees bouncing uncontrollably. His hands are draped between his spread legs, fists clenching and unclenching so tightly his knuckles turn white.
Graham’s anger is blistering. Literal heat radiates from his body, causing me to sweat. He shakes with barely tempered rage against me. His grip on me tightened with every word I uttered, shooting pain through my hips, no doubt leaving bruises I’ll see tomorrow. He swears and curses under his breath, saying things that made me shudder.
Dad is leaning forward like Uncle Henry, with his elbows resting on his knees, but his hands are folded and his head is bowed. His broad shoulders carry the heavy weight of regret and pain. A curtain of blond several shades darker than mine hides his face. “Can you two give me a few minutes with alone?” His voice is ragged and deep, shaking with sadness.
“Sure.” Uncle Henry stands, looking at Graham. “I need to talk to you, anyway.”
Graham’s tenses, his fingers digging deeper into my flesh. I look over my shoulder, offering a small smile and a reassuring nod, letting him know I’m okay.
Strangely, it’s true. I feel lighter. Less encumbered by the weight of lies. My spirit has been unburdened, yet my heart breaks regardless, as I knew it would, because Dad’s heart is breaking.
I stand up from Graham’s lap, then watch as he and Uncle H go out on the terrace. When the door shuts, I face Dad.
He looks up at me, his blue eyes glistening. Leaning back, he opens his arms and jerks his head. “Come here, Case.”
I’m snuggling against him in two strides. His arm wraps around my shoulder, squeezing me tight as he rests his face against my hair. “I tried so fucking hard to protect you, and somehow, I fucked it all up. I should’ve realized… I’m so sorry, baby.” His voice shakes with regret and anger, though I know the latter isn’t toward me. If I thought my tears had dried, I was mistaken. They pour like rain from heaven down my hot cheeks. “I’m sorry you went through any of that. You shouldn’t have gone through any of that. I failed you so badly.”
“You didn’t, Daddy,” I sniffle hard as I try to breathe through my sobs. “You were all I wanted, and she said if I told you, she’d make sure I never saw you. And you’d been through so much because of me already—sacrificed so much.”
“Dammit, .” He sits up, pulling me away from him, then shifts our bodies so we’re facing each other. Two heavy hands rest on my shoulders as his blue eyes blaze into mine. “That’s exactly my point. If you think anything I’ve done as your dad has been a sacrifice, I failed you. Nothing—not one penny, not one second—was wasted. If anything, it wasn’t enough.” He sighs hard and drags me back to his chest. “I’m not perfect, and I never claimed to be, but if there was ever one perfect thing in my life, it was you. Being your dad was never a hardship. It was my honor.”
Years of doubt and worry—feeling like an unwanted and unneeded burden—wash away, if only for a moment. Because damage like mine can’t be undone in a day. But for now, my battered and bruised heart feels a little less jagged and sharp.
“I love you, . I will always love you. You could be just like your mom, and I would still love you.” A violent ripple at the thought cuts through me, and Dad chuckles. “That’s not something you need to worry about either. You’re just like Grandma Becky. Your heart is so big, you don’t know how to do anything but worry about the people you love. She’s why Gram’s started calling you Sunflower, you know?” I nod against him, too choked up to speak. “Speaking of… This thing with you and him…”
“I love him, Dad. I’ve loved him since I was a little girl.”
“Does he love you?”
“Yes.” There’s not a second’s hesitation. “His love just had to… evolve.”
Dad sighs as he presses his lips to my hair before resting his cheek against my head again. “I want to be pissed. I was pissed for a second. But I know it makes me a hypocrite. Do I have to like him?”
“No,” I giggle. “But you have to be nice.”
“Fine,” he grunts as he pulls us back against the sofa again. “I suppose I only have myself to blame, and I can’t fault him for falling in love with you. I fell the minute you took your first breath.”
We’re quiet for a moment, lost in our thoughts and need to cling to each other, when I break the silence. “Daddy, will you sing to me?”
His breath catches. He’s only recently begun singing again. It’s been years since he sang for me, and just as long since I asked. Instead of answering, he hums Guns & Roses and I smile.
“Who knew you were such a softy?” I tease when he finishes.
“No one.” He kisses the top of my head and then stands up. His hand extends toward me, and when I accept it, he pulls me to my feet. “And you don’t get to tell them.” He clips my chin and winks.
I make a zipping motion across my lips, twisting my fingers at the end, and tossing away the imaginary key. “Not a word. Your secret is safe.”
“I need to go deal with your psychotic friend. She wasn’t happy when I stormed off. I’m sure ignoring her calls and texts has only made things worse. She’ll be trying to make me sleep in Giselle’s stupid cat house.”
“Sorry,” I say, trying to hide my grin. What else can I say? Lily will absolutely punish him and with a smile.
He smiles, running his hand over my head like he did when I was a kid, then turns for the door.
“Hey, Dad?” He looks at me and waits. “Are you… Will you be okay?”
“I’m good, Case.” He winks. “Stop worrying about me. It was never your job in the first place.”
He’s lying. I know he is because it’s what we do to protect each other. But I am hopeful he will be soon. We both will.
This is the new beginning we both… Well, maybe we don’t deserve it, but perhaps we can have it, anyway.