AllFreeNovel
Share Us
What if he turns me away? What if he won’t let me stay here with him?
Suddenly, I’m nervous. I know that I should have thought of these things before I left home, but there wasn’t time. I was just so upset that I could hardly process anything. Plus, it’s not like he has a cell to call.
When Dane opens the door, my heart lurches to the side at the sight of him. He looks as sexy as ever, in a pair of dark jeans and a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his muscular arms. He looks down at my suitcase.
We stand in silence for a few seconds, and then everything hits me at once. The anger, the fear, the hurt, the betrayal – everything my father made me feel. Not to mention the guilt of leaving my mother behind in such a place. Tears flood my eyes and I stagger forward until I’m sobbing against Dane’s burly chest.
“Shhh, Emma, it’s okay,” Dane says in a low, soothing voice. He puts his arms around me and pulls me close as my sobs become harder and harder. I’m barely aware of Dane scooping me up and carrying me inside. When he sets me down on the couch, I throw myself at him and bury my face in his neck. My face is hot and puffy and flushed from tears, but I don’t care. I cry and cry until there’s nothing left and I feel empty inside.
“Are you going to tell me what happened?” Dane asks. He pulls away and cups my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Or do I have to guess?”
I take a deep breath and wipe my nose on the sleeve of my hoodie. “My father wanted to send me to fat camp,” I mutter as my cheeks burn bright red. “And I won’t go. I’m twenty-one. I’m not a child anymore, and I don’t have to listen to him.”
Dane’s face turns murderously angry. “That’s disgusting,” he mutters under his breath. “Emma, you’re gorgeous. You don’t need to lose any weight.”
I flush again. “Not according to Jason Hadley,” I mutter under my breath.
Dane flinches.
“What?” I ask. “What’s wrong?”
Dane shakes his head. “Nothing,” he replies. “I just can’t believe your father would do something so despicable.”
I sigh and close my eyes, leaning against Dane’s shoulder and staring up at the ceiling. “I can,” I mutter under my breath. “You don’t know my father. He’s been a jerk my entire life. All I’ve ever wanted was to be a good daughter, but he’s made it quite clear that I can’t meet his standards.”
Dane is silent. He strokes his hand through my hair and massages the back of my neck with one of his giant hands. It feels so good that for a moment, I forget all about my father’s insulting idea.
“So I left,” I say quietly. “I’m over eighteen, I can do whatever I want. And I will do whatever I want – I can get a job and finish school, but if I have to put it off, I will. Or I could always take courses online, too.”
“You’re smart,” Dane replies. He continues stroking my hair and the touch of his fingers is enough to make me melt in his arms. “You can do whatever you want.”
I sigh and snuggle closer. I like that he’s not judging me. I’m sure that I probably seem like a spoiled and ungrateful brat. But I feel so comfortable talking to Dane. It’s like I can tell him anything and he won’t bat an eyelash.
“My dad is taking his company public,” I continue softly. “He’ll be richer than Croesus now. I mean, he already has an obscene amount of money. But this is really going to put him on a new level. That’s why he wanted me to go to a fat farm. He told me that an obese girl wouldn’t be welcome in his new social circles, whatever they are,” I say bitterly.
“Bastard,” Dane mutters under his breath. “The things I’d do to him for speaking that way to you.”
Dane’s words warm my heart. I can’t believe he feels so protective of me. This is completely new to me – I’ve never had someone care so much that they’d be willing to stand up to my father.
“Yeah,” I murmur. “It doesn’t matter how much money my dad makes, though. It’s not going to change a thing. He’ll always be a cold-hearted bastard.”
Dane is silent. I rest my head on his shoulder as the fire crackles and pops in the grate. It’s crazy how being with him is enough to make me feel better. Just sharing the couch and snuggling has lifted my spirits and I’m no longer afraid or unhappy.
“Xander Corp. will finally be on the map in the way my dad always wanted,” I add. “Good for him, I guess.”
