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“He’s very angry with me,” Emma said. “Because we had a child together, and I didn’t tell him.”
Jason’s mouth opened slightly, and his eyes widened. He looked at Robert, who gestured to Emma like everything that was happening was her fault. She certainly felt like it was.
“So what, Dad?” Jason bit out. “You don’t care about your kids.” He stalked away from them in the living room, and Robert followed him.
“What does that mean?”
“Oh, come on,” Jason said, and he sounded exactly like his father, who’d said the same thing only a few seconds ago. “You sail into town for graduations and anything else you think you need to show your face at. But you don’t care about me. You never wanted me.”
“That’s not true,” Robert said.
“Oh?” Jason asked, ripping through drawers again. “When’s my birthday?”
Everything stilled then, and Emma sensed an opportunity. “Just let us go,” she said. “We won’t say anything, and you can keep doing what you do. I don’t want child support. I just want you to leave me alone, and leave my daughter alone.”
Robert spun toward her, pure rage on his face. “She’s my daughter too.”
Jason scoffed and laughed, and in the next moment, he said, “Found it.”
Robert stepped in front of him. “You willnotlet them go.”
“What are you going to do?” Jason challenged. “You’re going to get blood on your precious rugs. And then what will Gustus think?”
Robert seemed to deflate, but beside her, Ted perked up. “You’re still working for your father?”
Robert faced them again, his eyes like live coals. “No.”
“Yes,” Jason said. “The old man keeps tabs on everything, and he’s not going to like this.”
“I can’t believe it,” Ted said. “Why haven’t you taken over the family business yet?”
Emma looked at him, wondering what in the world he was doing. Adding more fuel to Robert’s fury didn’t seem like the smart thing to do.
Ted looked at her and nodded, but Emma wasn’t sure what he wanted her to say.
Jason tried to get past his dad, but Robert wouldn’t let him.
All at once, Emma knew what she needed to say. “He hasn’t taken over the family business, Ted, because Robert wants all the glory without any of the responsibility.”
“Oh, I see,” Ted said, meeting her eye. For a second, it seemed like they were just having a normal conversation about someone while they enjoyed the sunshine pouring in the windows beside them. “Just like with his son. So he sails into town for graduation, probably with a big gift, but he doesn’t want to be around for any of the hard stuff.”
“Exactly,” Emma said. “Which is why I didn’t tell him about my daughter. She didn’t need that. She still doesn’t.”
“Stop it,” Robert said.
“Dad, let me release them.”
“No,” Robert yelled. He held out his arm to keep Jason from going by, and he thrust the other one toward Ted and Emma, though they were paces away. “No. No one’s going anywhere.”
“He only owns this place for seventeen weeks out of the year, too,” Emma said. “Can’t even take responsibility for a house full-time.”
“Stop it,” Robert said.
Jason pushed past his father, a bellow coming out of his mouth. Robert grunted and grabbed onto his son, and they both went to the ground. Threats were issued, and Ted yanked against his handcuffs, a frustrated sound coming from his mouth. Emma had already tried to get free from the cabinet, but nothing had budged.
“Leave him alone,” Ted said, reaching over and slapping his palm against the glass. He stood up, and everything seemed to be happening so fast. He pulled against the door handle again; it didn’t move. He picked up his chair with one hand and threw it through the glass.
The shattering sound brought the unseen struggle on the other side of the couch to a stop, and Ted strode away from her, the door handle from the sliding glass door dangling from his wrist.
