He’s right. This is excellent news, but I’m not mollified. Why is he telling me this in front of Dax? Why is my mother not here when this is about her?
“I thought the insurance denied another surgery?” I stare into his eyes, and he looks afraid. I’ve never seen my father afraid, and I hope I’m wrong.
“They have, and that’s where the good news comes in.” He gestures at Dax, who stands tall. “Daxton here has graciously offered to pay for your mother’s care. Whatever she needs. Forever.” Dad clears his throat. For such good news, he doesn’t seem as happy as he should be.
I glance at Dax, but there is no expression on his face.
“He has?” I foolishly allow myself to have a moment of hope for my mother.
“I have, Bella,” Dax whispers.
“Well, that’s amazing. Does Mom know? Why don’t we go to the house so you can tell her the news?” There’s an air of trepidation that’s unexpected at a moment like this. Maybe it’s fear mixed with skepticism since Mom already had surgery that made her situation worse, but this news doesn’t give me a sense of relief. On the contrary, it makes me nervous. “When she meets with the specialist, I want to go too. I want to make sure that this surgery won’t make things worse like last time. Ifthere’s a chance—” I don’t realize I’m crying until a tear rolls down my cheek.
“Well, I want to talk to you about it first before we go to your mother, honey.” Dad rarely calls me honey. Whenever he’s done it in the past, it was never under good circumstances. He called me honey when he asked for the money I had managed to save. He called me honey when he said Mom needed me and asked me to put off fashion school for just one more year. Well, one more year has turned into seven.
The only other time he called me honey that didn’t end in disappointment for me was when he said he was going to sign a lease for my apartment. But now I’m wondering if there’s something about that that I don’t know.
“Whether or not she gets the treatment she desperately needs depends on you.”
The hair on the back of my neck stands up. I was right to be nervous, but now I’m also confused. Dax is looking down at his phone, seemingly bored, while he types something on the screen.
“I don’t understand how that would depend on me.” I clear my throat and let out a nervous laugh. “I’m not the doctor, and I don’t have the money.” My joke comes off flat. Dad wipes his forehead again, and Dax finally slides his phone into his pocket.
“It seems you still have all the power, sweetheart,” Dax says. I narrow my eyes at him.
“Dad, can you please tell me how all of this depends on me?” I side-eye Dax again, but I decide to ignore him for now.
“Well, here’s the thing. Dax will only do this if you agree to—” Dad lets out a series of coughs before he has to use both of his shaky hands to pick up his glass of ice water. He takes a few sips and coughs as if he’s choking.
“Get a hold of yourself, Lamb,” Dax impatiently snaps. “Man the fuck up.”
“What the hell is the matter with you? Don’t talk to him like that,” I snap in defense of my father. “Are you okay, Dad?” I start to rise from my chair, but he raises his hand, signaling for me to remain seated.
“I’m fine, honey. Listen.” He sits straight, clears his throat once again, and takes a deep breath. “Daxton will agree to cover the travel expenses for your mother and me to go to Chicago, pay for the surgery, rehab, and all treatment-related expenses for life. That means we will never have to worry about insurance again, and your mother can get the best possible care. You don’t know this, but she’s felt so guilty about being in the chair.”
“It was an accident, Dad. I don’t want her to feel guilty.” I shove down my own guilt for getting angry at putting my dreams on hold while Devin got to go off to college without any expectations of caring for our mother.
“I know you don’t, but she does. She wants to be able to take care of us like she did before the accident, and we finally have a glimmer of hope now. But Dax will only do it on one condition.”
The trepidation not only returns, but it’s now accompanied by the rapid beating of my heart and blood aggressively coursing through my veins.
“What condition?” I nearly whisper.
Dad stares at Dax, who remains silent. It’s as if they are both waiting for the other to drop the news. The air in the dining room changes and becomes stifling. Sweat pours between my breasts. No one speaks, and it’s as if we’re moving in slow motion.
“What is the condition?” I ask again, sharper and louder this time.
“You have to marry Daxton.” The words rush out of my father’s mouth and hit me like a punch. His words have such an impact that I’m pushed back in my seat.
The room goes eerily quiet while I blink several times. There’s no way I heard what I think I heard.
“I’m sorry, Dad, but what did you say to me?” I squint my eyes at him.
“You have to marry Dax before he’ll agree to—”
I hold up my hand, unwilling to hear whatever bullshit my father was to say. I don’t need him to repeat it.
I rise from my chair and sling my purse over my shoulder before giving these crazy men my back. But I’m intercepted by Dax.
