I roll my eyes, breathing out a laugh. “You think this Lemmy woman will handle it?”
“I know she will,” he says confidently. He rests our intertwined hands in his lap as we pull off the highway toward his building. After a few moments, he glances at me again, his thumb brushing my hand. “So, what happened tonight?”
“I wasn’t expecting him to be there.”
“Not with that stupid fucking cop,” he snaps and then sucks in a breath, shaking his shoulders out as if attempting to smother his anger. “Before him.”
“He’s dying,” I explain, and his grip tightens on my hand. “It’s getting worse by the day. My sisters want me home.”
“Okay.” He nods.
“I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to breathe any air he’s still breathing.”
Carter is quiet for a moment and I wait for the judgement to come. I wait for the reminder that he’s my dad, and at the end of the day, family is the most important thing in the world. I wait for the implications that I’m a terrible monster for refusing to forgive a dying man, and that I’m going to hell for not giving him peace before he passes, while I still have the chance.
It doesn’t come.
“That’s your choice.”
Something in me softens. It melts. Relief washes over me.He believes me.He might not understand, but he trusts I know what’s best for me. He doesn’t care about the details. He doesn’t need them.
“It will destroy my sisters.”
“It will also destroy you if you do itforyour sisters,” he reminds me as we approach a red light and slow to a stop. “They have each other. You protect yourself, alright? If you don’t want to go, if you think you’ll feel worse letting him make amends, don’t go.”
My grip on his hand is lethal. My throat bobs, my eyes burning with incoming tears.
He gets it.
He gets me.
“I can’t do it, Carter.”
He nods, a sad smile pulling on his lips. He lifts our joined hands up to his mouth and presses a soft kiss to mine. “Then don’t.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
arden
I watchthe woman in the perfectly tailored outfit explain things to Carter with a pair of glasses perched halfway down her nose. She’s updating him on both the assault charges and the stuff with Irina, but since I’m also posted up at the table, she includes me in the conversation.
By that, I mean she explains things clearly and looks at both Carter and me when she speaks. She ensures that I always understand what she’s saying and that if I have any questions, they’re answered. This isn’t about me. Neither of these cases are mine. Yet still, she loops me into all parts of this discussion.
I respect the hell out of her for it.
He’s the rich hockey player. He is her client. I’m just a girl on a chair. Lemmy treats me as if I’m just as important. She acts as if I’m also paying her. It doesn’t matter who I am; all that matters is that Carter told her I could stay.
Lemmy leans forward and pushes a folder across the countertop to Carter. He flips it open and starts reading.
“He’s not dropping the charges,” Lemmy explains, but nobody expected him to, anyway. “So, we’re going for adifferent defence. I have a list of character witnesses to provide statements, make note of any you want removed, and add whoever you think can help you. It’ll be a quick court date. You’ll probably have to fork over a bit of money, but I think we can put an end to this particular nightmare pretty easily.”
“Me,” I say instantly. Carter and Lemmy both glance up at me. “It happened because of me. I want to make a statement for you.”
Lemmy dips her chin. “I think you’re the golden ticket. That would be extremely beneficial.”
Carter smiles softly at me. “Really?”
“Of course,” I say, leaning onto the heel of my hand. “Maybe scratch Irina’s name down, too. Since she knows you better.”
