“You’d better get the fuck away from my fucking daughter,” he said.Chapter Thirty-NineFaithI couldn’t believe this was happening, not for a second. My breath stopped dead and my stomach dropped through the floor as Erica spun her phone screen around to show us.
She was glaring nearly as hard as they were, her smile evil enough to slice.
“Don’t even try to disguise your sick fucking games, you twisted fucking asshole,” she spat, and there was us on the screen photo, pressed to the wall behind the banner and clearly kissing so hard.
“I wasn’t going to disguise anything,” Miles said. “There are no sick fucking games going on here.”
“I said, get the fuck away from my fucking daughter!” Dad yelled, and Mum was crying, actually crying.
I felt so sick. So bad. So horrible for hurting them.
But I didn’t cry. I didn’t even feel close to it.
“Get the fuck over here, Faith,” Dad snarled and snatched for my wrist, but I dodged him in a flash, shaking my head and stepping backwards.
I took hold of Miles, clutching his fingers so tight.
“No,” I said, and couldn’t believe my own voice.
Dad looked shocked. Crazy shocked.
He made to snatch me again, but I tugged my arm away.
“I said no!” I snapped and it was stronger this time.
I was stronger this time.
“You’re getting the fuck home with us!” he said, but I wasn’t going anywhere. Not without Miles.
So I said it. I just said it.
I said what I should have said weeks ago.
“I love him,” I told them. “I love him and he loves me.”
Dad scoffed and Mum cried louder, and Erica cursed expletives, but Miles squeezed my hand tighter, pressing so close beside me.
“I do love her,” he said. “I’m sorry, Colin, and I’m sorry, Diane, but it’s true. I love your daughter.” The way he was staring at my parents so honestly made my heart sing. “I’m in love with your daughter.”
It was no longer just the three of them staring at us in that room. People were nudging and whispering, so many eyes turning to feast on our spectacle, but I didn’t care about that either. Not anymore.
I couldn’t believe myself for even contemplating taking a stand, but I couldn’t help it. I cleared my throat and stood proud and told everyone who cared to listen.
“I’m in love with Miles!” I shouted. “You can all think whatever you want about us, but it’s the truth!”
“Shut the fuck up!” Dad hissed, and Mum was shaking her head so hard through her tears. “Stop being a little fucking brat and get the fuck back home with us. Now, Faith. NOW!”
And then it hit me. It hit me like it should have done a long time ago.
It was my turn to take a step forward to him, and this time it was my eyes that were burning.
“No,” I told him. “I’m not a little girl anymore, Dad. I’m sorry, but I’m not. This is MY life, and these are MY choices, and I’m an eighteen year old woman in love with a man who has been everything I could ever have asked him to be, and I’m not walking away from that. Not for anyone. Not even you and Mum.”
He looked like I’d slapped him in the face. His eyes were so hurt and his cheeks were white, and Mum let out a really sad wail and threw herself against his shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” I said, and this time it was a whisper. A whisper in a room so quiet you could hear a pin drop, even the band on stage. “I’m sorry but I have to be me. I’m not a child who can live in a pink fluffy bedroom for the rest of my life. I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
“What a silly little bitch you are,” Erica snarled, and turned away from us, clacking on out of there, grabbing Glyn Morris on the way and leaving Mum and Dad standing in the carnage.
“I’m sorry,” I said again, and pressed right back against the man I was in love with. “I’m not coming home tonight. I’m staying with Miles.”
“Fine,” Dad barked. “Suit yourself. Don’t ever come the fuck home again, not until you’ve come to your fucking senses and waved goodbye to that lying fucking prick.”
“Don’t be like that,” I said. “Please, Dad, don’t be like that… just give me a chance… please just give me a chance to explain…”
But he held up his hand and walked away, pulling a sobbing Mum away with him.
I choked back a burst of tears myself, still gripping Miles proudly, then looked around the crowd, relieved to see at least Holly’s wide-mouthed face gawping at me from a last-minute appearance after her waitress shift down the street. Mum and Dad barged right past her, and she gawped at them as they retreated, before staring back over at us.