“Don’t—” My singular word, spat at force, makes my father jerk backward. “Don’t call me that, Jasper.”
His shoulders sag, and Irefuseto allow myself to feel sorrow forthisman.
“I’m here because I needed to see you.” His eyes brighten, so like Faith’s and Finley’s, that my chest aches, and I glance to one side, needing a moment to get my shit together.
Fuck. I wish Emmy was here right now.
The thought races across my mind for the umpteenth time today, and I focus on getting through this. On getting to the premiere of her movie that tells such an important story.
Ourstory.
“So tell mewhy?” He tilts his head to one side, lookingsomuch smaller than the man I recall looking up to. And I repeat my question, more firmly this time, locking unerringly on his eyes. “Tell me why?”
My father regards me, blinking once. Twice, before expelling a heavy breath. “I made a lot of bad choices in my life,son.”
When I clench my jaw, my teeth ache, but I remain silent, dropping my head, needing him to continue.
“But I loved your mother. You, and the girls. I loved our family?—”
I lift my head to his once again, my eyes unflinching, my words unerring in their mark. “Youruinedour family. You caused so many needless deaths?—”
My voice escalates even when I tell myself to calm down.
“Including the mother of the woman Ilove. And yet, here you are, Jasper Holloway. Locked up with no one to love you. No one who cares?—”
His eyes bore into mine as he sits forward. “Say what you will, but Ilovemy family?—"
“Don’t try to feed me that bullshit. The only person you truly love or haveeverloved is yourself. I see that now.”
He opens his mouth to speak, but I hold up a quelling palm. “No. I came here because I need to moveforward. And I can’t do that with the burden of the past hanging over me.”
I slam my fist against my chest once, then twice. “I can’t be the man my woman deserves with this unbearable hatred residing in my heart. With the fear that I couldsomehowbe like you running on repeat in my mind.”
My father’s eyes flicker between mine, something inside of them softening as he whispers, “I love you, Fordy.”
It’s like his words are the key to unlocking the chains that have bound me for these past five years as I feel a weight lift. As Ilet goof the demons I’ve kept with me, setting them free.
Settingmefree.
And I shake my head slowly, fully assured of the truth that spills from my lips.
“I feel nothing for you, Jasper Holloway. I don’t even know you. The man who was my father died five years ago.”
He flinches as I continue. “I’ve done my grieving. And today, I’m saying goodbye to his ghost.”
Pushing to stand, I look down on the man chained to the table, feeling nothing but relief as I nod with conviction. “Goodbye, Jasper.”
CHAPTER 34
EMERSON
“Then you’re scheduledto appear at three after-parties, but due to the distance between them, you can’t spend more than twenty-five minutes at each venue.”
Beck continues doling out instructions as he scrolls through his cell.
“Following that, we have an early interview first thing tomorrow morning at…”
I fight the rising urge to scream when Hayley meets my eyes from her place on the opposite side of the ridiculously over-the-top limousine that he’d insisted upon for the event.
