AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I hear another pair of footsteps and a moment later, our father comes sauntering into the kitchen. “You’re okay!” he says, relieved. Then his eyes track around at our filthy surroundings. “Wait—you’renotokay.”
“Yes. I’m fine,” I hiss out. “Aside from the fact that the two of you just barged in here unexpectedly and nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“Your grandmother is worried sick about you.” He frowns. “We all are.”
My brother nods. “We figured you wanted your space when you ditched us at the bar the other night. But you’ve gotten enough space. Now we need to know what’s going on.”
I look at their faces. They actually do care. I’m an asshole for disappearing on them for all these days.
Dad gives my shoulder a firm shake. “Tell us what happened, son.”
I drop my ass against the counter and try to figure out where to start. I drag my fingers through my hair. “The Paragons are trading me. To California.” My ribs tighten just saying that.
“Fuck…” Davis says low under his breath. “Los Angeles?”
I nod.
My brother’s forehead crinkles with sympathy. “Bro, the Boomerangssuuccck.”
I know that.
My chest hurts even worse when I say the next part. “Nadia knew. She didn’t tell me.”
“Fuck…” Davis says again, collapsing his weight against the counter opposite me in disbelief.
“She couldn’t tell me,” I say quickly, coming to my wife’s defense when I see a flicker of judgment flash across Dad’s face. “I know she couldn’t. She’s my team’s lawyer. She can’t just go spilling confidential information to me just because it’s something I’d want to know. She could lose her job—her license to practice law—for doing that. But still…”
My father nods in understanding. “It still hurts. Even though you know she wasn’t trying to betray you. Even though you know she didn’t have a choice.”
“Exactly.” I blow out a breath. “I’ve been such an asshole to her. She doesn’t deserve this. I mean—when she finally agreed to be with me, I told her point-blank that I’d give up my career for her if it ever came to that. And I would. I’d give up anything for her. I guess it’s just easier to keep being a dick about this whole situation than just admitting that I got myself into this mess.”
I took the risk of being with Nadia even after she warned me. And then I got bitten in the ass. And now, instead of accepting responsibility for my stupidity, I’d rather just blame the world.
Davis bobs his head in understanding and says, “You’re not upset because you’re getting traded or because you think she could have somehow stopped that from happening. You’re upset because you wish she had come to you, that she had treated you like her partner instead of keeping you in the dark.”
“I guess so. But at the same time, I know she could have gotten in a lot of shit for revealing that information to me. I think I’m just mad at the circumstances, and at the fact that I can’t see a path forward for us. I mean—what the hell are we supposed to do now?” I shake my head. “I’m starting to realize that I’ve been so stupid this whole time. Believing that love conquers all. Like life is some big fairytale.”
Dad shakes his head. “Don’t go giving up on love, Harry. Yes, marriage is hard. It’s more than just getting swept up in the fairytale. You have to be willing to deal with the real world. Flowers and romantic date nights—that’s the easy part. Dealing with the challenges? That’s where the best of us fuck up.”
Davis nods. "In the real world, sometimes things get messy. People make mistakes. They hurt each other. Sometimes without even meaning to.”
“The way you choose to handle the difficult moments is what determines the kind of husband you are, and ultimately, how your love story will unfold.” Dad tells me wisely. “Arguably, Nadia fucked up. You both did. You both could have handled the situation differently. But now that she’s drowning, your love can be her life jacket. Or your judgment can be the weight on her ankle that drags her down. Don’t judge her, Harry. Choose to love her instead.”
Those words reach deep inside my chest and squeeze my heart like a fist.
“Don’t make the mistakes that I did,” Dad warns me.
I look into the miserable faces of both my father and oldest brother. Fuck. I don’t want to end up like them. I don’t want my pride to cost me the love of my life. It’s not worth it.
With a sigh, Dad looks around my mess of a house.
“And son, the Christmas lights—it’s time to take them down.”
“Yeah,” Davis nods in agreement. “The Christmas lights are a cry for help.”
“But I like the Christmas lights.” I sound like a whiny child. “The Christmas lights make me happy.”
“As your father, I’m putting my foot down. We’re taking them down. They won’t fill that hole in your heart. Come up with a plan to fix things with your wife and face your problems like an adult.”
