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“Madi? Where are you?” Her dad’s words inch through the storm in my brain. I can’t convince myself to move. She’s not moving. Did I make it up?
“Get the hell off my daughter.” Roarke is running across the room by the time I lift my head.
Instinct drives me into action. I’m off the bed, grabbing the punch Roarke is ready to throw.
“Madi, are you okay?” Her dad asks, leaning to look around me.
“I’m fine, Dad. He’s my boyfriend.”
A huff with the word ‘husband’ comes from my chest.
Roarke narrows his gaze at me and backs off. “What the hell is going on?”
Madison’s on her knees on the bed. I back against the mattress and put my arm around her. I’m about to explain that I’m in a relationship with his daughter, but as I fumble for a way to say it that might put him at ease, Madison addresses the other problem, making me an asshole for forgetting.
“Dad, give me your phone.”
“Get your hands off my daughter.” His gaze remains fixed on me. I do the right thing and help her shuffle to stand then remove my hands. Elijah was right. I’m not helping.
“Please tell me you didn’t open the message.”
He lifts his phone from his pocket but when she grabs it, he doesn’t let go. “I was going to, but Cal—”
He freezes. Madison freezes. I’m not sure what the big deal is.
Worry etches his face. Madison yanks again, and this time the phone slides free.
“You were with her, weren’t you?” She doesn’t immediately open his messages. What am I missing? Who was Roarke with?
He lowers his head and rubs a hand over his mouth. “Madison, we were going to tell you.”
She stiffens her spine. “So don’t judge me for my relationship.”
I like where this is going even though it pains me that I’m not the one standing up for my girl. Damn this relationship shit is hard. Mentioning Elijah should probably happen at a different time.
Her dad shoots a warning look my way.
“We’re together, Roarke. I love Madison.” I close the distance between myself and my girl, staking my claim with my arm around her waist.
He doesn’t look happy, but he also doesn’t object. Whoever Madison called her dad out for having a relationship with worked.
She opens his phone, goes straight to the messages, and when the photo opens, she pauses. It’s impossible to guess everything that’s going through her mind, but she has to see how absolutely breathtaking she is.
Then, with two clicks, the photo is gone.
Instead of handing the phone back, she deletes the entire message thread between Roarke and Brett. Turns out they’ve talked quite a bit. It’s like I barely know my own son. How much of that is on me?
I have to do better by everyone moving forward.
“What could it have been that you had to delete it?” Roarke reaches for his phone but she twists to the side.
“You really didn’t look?” She’s surprised.
“You asked me not to?”
“But you and Brett are so buddy-buddy.”
“You’re my daughter. I’d do anything for you.” His words hit home for me. I’d do anything for my son…albeit, not choking him when he hurt my girl is a far cry from not opening a text message. But understanding sinks in. I have to make things right with Brett, get to the bottom of why he’s gone off the deep end.
