Page 252 of The Bluffing Game

I know I’m about to do something that I’m going to regret, but as I step forward to hit him, I see Jimmy the Fish come running past me. He grabs him by the collar and slams him into the wall hard—so hard that I almost think he’s knocked the guy out. He drops Parker to the ground, and he stumbles and falls.

“What was that?” he says, looking up at Jimmy the Fish in fright, but then he goes for another swing, and I know he’s not going to stop.

“Leave the girl alone.”

“Leave us alone, old fart. She’s my⁠—”

“She’s what?” Jimmy picks him up again and holds him against the wall. “You think you’re going to mess with Sage in front of me? You think you’re going to come into this nice establishment and mess with this pretty young girl and threaten her? Demand she be with you when she has told you time and time again that she is not fucking interested?”

Parker’s face turns white, and he kicks Jimmy in the leg.

“Do you hear me, Parker? My name is Jimmy, otherwise known as Jimmy the Fish. And you want to know why they call me Jimmy the Fish? Because I put a whole lot of bodies in the ocean, and that’s where they remain, floating with the fucking fish. Now, I’m a respectable man. I work at this nice place. I’m a bartender. I don’t want to have to put you out in the fucking Pacific Ocean, but if I ever see you in here again, if I ever hear your name so much as whispered in my presence, if you fucking mess with Sage again, I will kill you one second at a time. I will do it slowly. I will make it hurt. I will make you beg me to let you die.”

Parker struggles against him. “I didn’t mean it. I just …” He looks over at Sage. “What the fuck? If I had known you were a crazy-ass bitch, I would never have gone on a date with you.”

“Look, you need to leave me alone. You need to stop.”

“I’m going.” Parker kicks Jimmy again. “Let me down.”

Jimmy lets him down, and Parker swings at him, misses, and stumbles back.

“This is not over, whore.” He looks over at Sage with rage in his eyes. “We’re not over until I say we’re over.” He spits on the ground and saunters to the front of the restaurant. He stops at the door, turns back, and screams, “No one says no to Parker the Stallion.”

Sage, Jimmy, and I stare at each other as Parker leaves the restaurant. I want to go after him, but I can tell from the tension still in the air that now is not the right time.

“You didn’t have to do that, Jimmy. You really didn’t. I am grateful, but I can look after myself.” Sage’s words are dull; she looks like she is still in shock.

“A father protects his daughter,” he says softly, his face twisted in a grimace as he finally tells her the truth.

Sage blinks in confusion and then stares at me. I look over at Jimmy, and he shrugs.

“I guess she had to know at some point, huh?”

“You knew?” she says softly.

Sage’s face turns white.

“I was waiting for the right time to⁠—”

“Again?” she shouts at me. “Fuck you, Dalton. Fuck you.” She then turns back to Jimmy. “I don’t understand what is going on here.”

She’s dismissed me. I know she has, and I know I can’t say anything. This is bigger than our moment. This means so much more. That doesn’t make me feel better about where we stand, but I know I can’t demand she have a conversation with me.

“I’m your dad. Well, your donor, father, papa. I don’t even know what to say.” Jimmy shakes his head and lets out a low groan. “Look, I was never made to be a dad. I never wanted to be a dad. I would be a shit dad, and I really didn’t want you to know for many reasons. You deserve someone better than me, but I will not have anyone coming in and threatening my little girl.”

Sage’s lower lip trembles. “You saw me crying. Maybe you heard Brett tell me that someone else was my father. Or at least you knew that was what he was going to say. What’s going on? Is everyone lying to me?” Her voice rises. “Dalton, how the fuck could you do this to me again? I thought you’d promised me no more lies.”

I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to explain it.

She looks over at Jimmy. “That day you were looking at me and talking about me looking like someone you know—you knew then, didn’t you?”

Jimmy nods and looks ashamed. “You’re beautiful.” He looks nostalgic. “You look like your mom when she was younger. And you know, I heard you were searching for your dad. I saw your mom and your sister on FaceTime one time, and I mean, she was a looker. I remember her. I just … you deserve better than me, sweetheart. I’m just an old mafioso. I ain’t never been a dad. I ain’t even been a husband. I ain’t even ever been a good boyfriend. I’m not who you’re looking for. I really didn’t want you to know, but no one messes with you. I just want you to know that I’ll always be here to protect you.”

“Don’t you get it? Don’t any of you get it?” she screams. “I don’t need you to protect me. That’s not why I came. I came to find my truth. I came to find out who I am. I came to finally live a life of truth and love and understanding and to figure this shit out for myself. I don’t need you to protect me.” She points at Jimmy, and then she turns to me.

“And I don’t need you to protect me either. I’m not Rapunzel. I don’t need to let my hair down. I’m not Sleeping Beauty. I don’t need a kiss to wake me up. I’m not Cinderella. I don’t need my foot to fit in a slipper. I’m not someone who needs saving. I’m someone who wants the honor and respect of knowing that she can trust those around her. I want you to know I’m strong, that I’m capable.”

A solitary tear runs down her face. “You’ve both just broken me in ways that I never thought I could break.”