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“What are you talking about?That’s preposterous.You’re a Lawson.You—”
“I’m retiring.”
He stares at me, not immediately responding, his face frozen in shock.
“In August, I’ll have eighteen years of military service under my belt,” I continue.“With my consideration for special teams, I can retire with full benefits and honors.That’s what I’m going to do.Start the next chapter of my life.Close the book on this one.”
A chill settles over his office as we stand in silence, the only sound that of a ticking clock counting every drawn-out second.
“And Rory?”he asks finally.
“What about Rory?”
“It’s my understanding that you’re moving out.”
“It’s time.She needs to live her life.I need to live mine.”
“So you’re just going to forget about your duties and obligations?About the promise you made your brother?”
“I never promised Adam I’d live with Rory and AJ the rest of my life.Never promised I’d sacrifice my happiness.I’m not going to do it anymore.I can still be there for AJ and not be in the same house.He’ll always be my nephew.But I can’t stay there anymore.I deserve to live my own life.Make my own choices.So does Rory.”
He doesn’t respond, just stares again.Which only makes me more uneasy.I can handle my father yelling.After growing up with him constantly shouting at me, I’ve become accustomed to it.
It’s this uncomfortable silence I don’t know how to handle.
“It’ll never work out.”
I squint, shaking my head.“What are you talking about?”
He glowers at me, lip curling slightly in the corner.“You and the princess.”
“Me and the princess?”I repeat, feigning ignorance.“We’re not—”
“Don’t lie to me, Creed.”Arms crossed in front of him, he takes a slow step toward me.“I see the way you look at each other.It’ll never work.You can’t be together.”
I part my lips to argue, but he cuts me off.
“Not even once you retire from the guard.Is that what you were going to say?”He arches a single brow.“That you think you can be together once you’re no longer in the guard?”
I don’t respond.I don’t need to.He already knows my answer.It’s written on every inch of my expression.
“Are you really that daft?”He leans into me.“They will never allow it.You saw what happened earlier with Prince Gabriel and that American girl.The royal household may have approved of their engagement today, but you’d better believe they’ll find a way to push her out.To get rid of her.And you can be damn sure they won’t entertain the idea of you and the Princess Royal, either.The sooner you finally dissuade yourself of whatever fantasy you concocted in your head—”
“No,” I interject.
“Excuse me?”He straightens.
“Did I stutter?I.Said.No.I’m not going to ‘dissuade’ myself of my feelings for Esme.”
“PrincessEsme.”
“Esme,” I grit out.“She’s a bloody person.Not a thing.And I love her, Dad.Even better, she loves me.”
“Do you think that matters?That any of those people care that you love each other?They don’t.They never have.All they care about is the bloodline.About having the right DNA.And you.Don’t.Have.It.”
“I don’t care about that!” I bellow, spit flying from my mouth as I clench and unclench my fists.“Don’t care how difficult the path ahead of us might be.I’ll do whatever it takes to be with her.”I lean toward him, eyes on fire, jaw ticking from my barely contained rage and frustration over the fact that this man, my own father, has never been on my side.
That he always put his duty to the crown above his own family.
