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He watched me down his drink. “Every time something odd happens, it makes me wonder if you’re some sort of evil mastermind. Then you say something like that and I realize you’re not a skilled enough liar to have some grand scheme.”
“And every time I think you might be, if not pleasant, at least bearable, you say something like that.” I toasted him with his own glass then finished it.
He laughed, but it didn’t last long before he grew more serious. “You need to make a decision.”
“I know. I just have a few things I need to work through.” I curled my legs under me, too spent to talk about anything more tonight.
“Is this still about your old life? Why do you fight so hard to get back to the life you had? You can be so much more than what you were, have a life so few get to experience, yet you cling to that dismal existence.”
“It was the life—”
“You chose? Did you, though? Did you choose to support your mother while she drinks herself to death? Go back to a man who hasn’t asked for your hand and did little to help you in any way? What are you fighting so hard for? Or are you just afraid to change? Scared that you’ll reach out, be found wanting, and rejected? Are you going to let that taint everything in your life?”
“You act like you know me because I’ve been here for, what? A month? You know nothing.” Maybe parts of my life had been dreary, but it had beenmylife. He had no idea what it was like to have everything taken from you in a second.
“It’s time to make a choice. I’ll give you a few more days, but that’s it. You’re either with me or I need to cut you loose.”
I swallowed, wondering why those words seemed to cut so deep. He took a step closer, and I thought he was going to keep going.
“Why do you smell like marigolds?” he asked.
“You know, I’m exhausted. I’m going to go lie down.” I hurried upstairs, hoping he’d let it go.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Iwandered into the outpost kitchen. It was early in the morning, days past Chaos and seeing Gram, or some form of her, and time was running out. I had no life to return to, and yet I felt paralyzed.
I made a coffee and took a seat at the table, like I had for the last three mornings, looking at the newspaper the caterer had left.
Legendary Rock Singer Loses Family Home Due to Environmental Issues
Local officials discovered a rare bird nest on the property of singer William Viper and insisted the house and grounds be confiscated to be protected from human interference.
Viper refused to comment, even on the value placed on the house, which is less than a third of what most appraisers claim it’s worth. The building is set to be demolished and the lot will permanently be declared a bird reserve.
There was a paparazzi picture of my father walking down the street, head down. Looking defeated.
Had Kaden done this? No. Why would he? Seemed extreme just for being asked to leave someone’s house. But the timing was a bit odd, even if it brought me a little bit of peace. And maybe a little karma had been served.
I’d been eight the first time I met my father, in my best dress, which my mother got me on a Walmart clearance rack. Because it was brand new, not faded or stained, I’d thought it was special.
I’d walked up to him, and he looked like a god, tall, blond, and beautiful. I’d rehearsed everything I planned on saying, telling him how well I was doing in school and how I made my bed every day. I was going to smile and be happy. I wouldn’t whine or complain. He’d see me and realize how much he wanted me.
“You’re my father?” I’d asked.
“No. I’m not,” he replied.
I could still remember how confused I was. I’d been told so many times he was my father.
“But everyone says you are.”
He knelt down by my side and said, “This is going to be a hard lesson to learn, but some things are better to understand from the beginning so that there are no misunderstandings. Technically, I didfatheryou. I slept with your mother once, many years ago, and she got pregnant. But you need to understand, being a father is a choice. I didn’t choose to get her pregnant. It was an accident.”
His eyes, so crystalline blue, had looked at me so coolly.
“But you got her pregnant?” I asked, still not understanding.
“But I didn’tmeanto,” he said.
