I let her do it, proving I was a coward when it came to meeting the parents. I'd never bothered to meet a woman's parents before. Maybe it was karma built up from all those casual relationships. My first attempt at a real relationship and her parents hated me. Crossing my fingers that Grams would be alone at the counter, I pushed open the door to Sweetheart Bakery.
Should have texted Daisy and asked her to open the back door, I thought as I was hit with the sweet scent of sugar and the bitter glares of both of Daisy's parents. Great. Just what my day needed.
“Can I help you, sir?” Daisy's mother asked, her voice dripping with saccharine sweetness, her eyes shooting daggers. If I hadn't been sure Forrest's attacker had been white, I might have suspected Sheree Hutchins. I couldn't remember any woman looking at me with so much dislike. It was intense, especially considering we'd never formally met.
Biting the bullet, I stuck out my hand. “No, thank you. I'm Royal, Daisy's boyfriend. I'm sorry we haven't officially met. She asked me to stop by—”
“We know who you are,” Daisy's father cut in. He was handsome, with dark hair and chiseled features. He probably had a very charming smile when he used it. I doubted I'd get to see. He glared at me with even more animosity than his wife.
I dropped my hand, shoving it in my back pocket. Well, okay, what now? I was here to see Daisy, not start an argument with her parents, but shoving past them to the kitchen door was too rude despite the way they were acting. I was considering leaving and going to the back door when Sheree spoke up again.
“Look, Daisy isn't here. And from the things she's said, even if she were here, she doesn't want to see you. You need to break it off with her. She wants you to stay away.”
I stared at Daisy's parents, dumbfounded. I knew that wasn't true. It couldn't be. I'd only left her side a few hours before. Even if she was freaking out over what had happened to Forrest, she would have called. She absolutely would not have asked her parents to break up with me. No way. Not Daisy.
A niggling doubt ate at me. But what if she had? It didn't bear thinking about. If Daisy had decided she was done with me, I wasn't going away quietly. What we had was too good to give up. Not without a fight.
“I just talked to her a few hours ago, and she asked me to stop by. If she wants to break up with me, I'd like to hear it from her.”
Her father's eyes went white-hot with fury. “You don't need to talk to her. You think I don't know all about you? The way you fuck your way through the women in this town? The way you think everyone should bow down to you, one of the mighty Sawyers? Well, fuck you and fuck your family. You can't have my daughter. She's done with you.”
Chapter Thirty
Daisy
I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. Why? Why would my dad tell Royal I was done with him? Rage and humiliation burning through me, I shoved the door wide. Three faces turned to me, Royal's relieved and my parents' defiant.
Of course, they'd be defiant. Why would they feel shame for lying to my boyfriend and humiliating me? My heart ached as I realized I'd been hoping for more. Support maybe? For them to think about me instead of their own agenda?
Whatever I wanted from them, it was clear I wasn't going to get it.
“Dad! Why would you say something like that?” I pushed past them, needing to get to Royal. I reached for his hand, hoping he wasn't too angry to listen. “He's lying. I'm not done with you.” More quietly, the truth whispered from my heart. “I'm never going to be done with you, Royal.”
His arms went around me before I was done speaking, pulling me tight to his side. “I'm so sorry,” I whispered, my cheeks burning with mortification.
“Don't apologize for them,” he whispered back. “You didn't do anything wrong. It's not your fault they're—” He ran out of words, probably not ready to call my parents assholes, even if they deserved the title.
Typical Royal, being a good guy even when he was in his rights to say what was on his mind. I spun in his arms, shielding him from Sheree and Darren. They were my problem, not his.
“Why would you treat Royal like this? You know we're together. How could you be so rude?”
“Because he doesn't deserve any better,” my father said. “You know who he is. Who his father was. He's just using you.”
“You're making a fool of yourself, honey,” my mother said, pity in her soft eyes.