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His answering smile was sinister. “In this city I am.”
A ring of truth was in his words.
“You didn’t know me before a few weeks ago.” Pepper had found her voice, and she sounded irritated.
“So small-minded.”
I stepped closer. We were eye to eye. “Don’tspeak to her that way.”
“Haven’t you learned not to get attached? Your mother should’ve taught you that lesson.”
A wave of rage crashed on top of me. “Why do you bring her up in almost every conversation we have?”
He flinched, and I swore under the glow of the streetlamp there was pain in his eyes. “She’s the only way you’ll listen to me.”
“You aren’t worthy to speak of her,” I said through my teeth.What does this man want? Why? Why does he do this?
“This is not the way to get what you want.” He remained ever cool and calm. The trace of pain I thought I saw a moment before had disappeared.
“As long as I’m anywhere near you, I don’t have anything I want.”
He canted his head. “That’s not a very kind thing to say in front of your girlfriend. I was certain this was about her, although I’m happy to hear she isn’t what you want.”
Damn it. That wasn’t what I meant, and he knew it. He was a master at taking advantage and twisting words.
“Are you going to say whatever it is you came here to get off your chest?” He continued as if bored.
I clamped my mouth shut. A million thoughts cluttered my head. What had I come here to say? Was it to let him know I’d seen him at the fire? Had I hoped for a confession?
No.
I’d acted on impulse in a haze of anger. With no plan, I had a sneaking suspicion I’d played right into his hands. He’d make me pay for this visit, though I didn’t know how.
“Nothing else?” His tone was triumphant. “While I so enjoy our time together, I have things to do.”
“What’s more important than your children?” Pepper asked quietly. “You’ve wasted so much time you can’t ever get back.”
His hard gaze met mine. “I never went anywhere.”
I did. Because of him and his rule with an iron-clad fist.
He didn’t get to pretend like he was the wounded one.
Lincoln was. Beau was. I was.
“It didn’t have to be like this.” I clenched my fist. Pepper was right. We’d lost so much time and there was nothing to be done to repair the damage. He wasn’t going to change and neither was I.
The reality I’d lived in for most of my life punched me in the face again.
I hadn’t just lost my mother that awful day.
I’d lost my father too.
“You chose this path,” he said hoarsely.
Always blaming me.He never had any responsibility for the position we were in.
“And now I’m choosing another.” I glanced apologetically at Pepper. I prayed she meant what she said. That we could figure out a way to survive.
