"You said you were going to fall in love with him," I shoot back.
"With his big, beautiful, thirty-year-old cock maybe." She laughs. "He's got to have more experience than any of the boys I've been with."
"He's going to be Hunter's brother-in-law." I protest. The thought of her in bed with anyone related to Coral is making me queasy.
"He's going to be my fuck buddy for now." She reaches behind me to retrieve the shirt she pulled off earlier. "Don't get all bunched up about it. It's not a big deal."
It's not a big deal. Maybe it's not a big deal to her. It's all a big deal to me. It's my life.
Chapter 14
"We need to talk." My father's voice startles me. I didn't hear him come into the kitchen. I'd been sitting there in solace eating my cereal and thinking about Hunter, just as I did every other moment of the day.
"About what?" I push the empty bowl away from me and pull a napkin across my lips. "I need to be at work in an hour."
He leisurely pours himself a cup of coffee before he takes a seat next to me. "About Zander Reynolds."
The last thing I want to do today is talk about him. Now that I know the lengths my father has gone to in order to keep Hunter away from me, I'm ready to pounce at the mere mention of his name. "About how you had him arrested?"
"He told you about that?" His voice doesn't convey any surprise at all. He must have known that Hunter would share the history he shared with my father.
"He did." I nod as I trace a diamond pattern over the linen napkin with my finger. "He told me you refused to let him talk to me." I feel a pang of disappointment at the words. Maybe if my father would have given Hunter a chance, things would be different today. He would have fallen in love with me sooner and he wouldn't be on the brink of marrying Christina.
"He's a spoiled brat whose reckless behavior killed someone."
The words carry loathing. Obviously, my father holds the same view about Hunter as Coral's family does. What the hell is wrong with all of them? It was an accident.
"That's harsh." I spit out. "Do you even know him?"
"I know enough." He takes a small sip of his coffee.
"You know nothing." I shake my head as I chuckle. "You're no better than Coral's family."
He slams the mug down so hard that coffee spills over the brim. "What do you know about them? Just what he's told you."
"I've met them." I arch my brow. "I met all of them."
"You what?" I can see confusion cloud his expression. My mother didn't tell him that I was going to see them. She must have been hurt so hurt that he didn't tell her about Coral years ago that she kept this from him now.
"I had dinner with them in Manhattan." I toss out.
He freezes and I can tell that he's working to hold his composure. "Why am I only hearing about this now?" The steely grain to his voice cuts through me.
"The very same reason I only heard about Hunter's desire to meet me a few days ago." I throw back knowing that it's something he won't be able to counter.
"This isn't a game, Sadie." He stands. "You're playing with fire."
I follow his lead and rise to my feet too. "You're all playing with my life, pops," I say sarcastically. "You have been for years."
***
"Do you want to go apartment hunting with me next week?" I ask Alexa as she squeezes whip cream on top of an iced coffee.
She licks her lips before she hands it to the waiting customer. "Why don't you move in with me?"
"I want my own place." I answer swiftly. Truth be told I've stayed with Alexa from time-to-time and her more than active sex life has left me with deep memories of the sounds of noises I shouldn't have heard in the first place.
"I've got Wednesday off. You should trade with someone and we can do it then," she suggests before taking the order of another of the dozens waiting in line on this very humid afternoon.