“I’m not gonna hit you if that’s what you think you’re doing—provoking me. Trying to taunt me into proving your point, like you did,” I point to Ava, “Let me tell you, Major General, it takes a lot more balls not to hit someone, most days. Maybe you should get some.”
The veins on his forehead are bulging. Ava stands up and tries to wrangle Emily out the door while she protests and pushes her mother away.
“How could you do this to me?” Emily shoves her mother away, “You’re both sick, disgusting! I will never forgive you, either of you, for what you’ve done! I was miserable for six years. Six fucking years—it was all because of you two!”
The Major General rounds the table again and tries to take Emily’s arms.
“The horrible things you said to Cole, I will never forgive you!” She continues wailing on him.
“Emily, stop this. It’s over now, we’re going home,” he wraps his hands over her biceps.
“Don’t touch me,” she screams and pulls away from him.
That’s all I need to hear.
“Get your fucking hands off her,” I warn him.
“You stay out of this. Goddamn it, why won’t you go away!” He screams at me.
Emily jerks away from her father, “You have made me feel so stupid, but what you two have done—cheat on one another, lie to your daughter, manipulate me, try to destroy Cole’s worth—you two are the stupid ones. All of these years, I lived in fear of disappointing you. Well, guess what, you’re the disappointments. You are the failures. Not me!”
Her fingers poke at them, her face flushes in anger. Her chest is rising and falling. For the first time, the Major General and Ava stand with mouths open. Their good girl has left the proverbial building.
“Security!” Emily calls.
The conference room door bursts open immediately. The guard and Liam both storm in. Other people who’d started congregating around the door, listening to the shouting match, try to disperse like they haven’t been caught eavesdropping.
“Emily, what are you doing?” Ava protests.
“Please remove these two from the property, they’re trespassing and not welcome,” she tells the guard. “Please make a note that this man assaulted Cole,” she adds and points to her father.
“Emily, stop this. We are your parents,” the Major General argues.
“No,” she roars. “Parents don’t do this to their children. You were supposed to love me. All you’ve done is lie, manipulate, hurt. I never want to see you again, never!”
The security guard and Liam start to shuffle Ava and the Major General out as professionally as possible, but I’ll have both their asses handcuffed and dragged out of here if I need to.
Emily buries herself in my chest, her fingernails clutching my fire suit.
As much as it pains me to say it, I ask.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” I whisper into the side of her head. “I know you’re upset, I’m sorry. I’ll support whatever you decide, but be sure. You don’t get over having no family, Em.”
“I’m sure,” she mumbles into me, then lifts her head and looks me in the eye. “Please make them leave.”
“Okay,” I kiss her hair. “Get ‘em the fuck out,” I call to security.
The guard nods, and her parents are shuffled out of the motorhome, both absolutely incredulous as if Emily has no right. As if she owes them loyalty in the face of so much selfishness, total disregard for her wellbeing.
Liam comes back a few minutes later. I’m still holding Emily, who is quiet and still in my arms.
I can only imagine how much is racing through her mind right now.
“Hey, I’m real sorry guys. But the rain is letting up, they’re predicting we’ll start the race in twenty. We need you in the garage in ten.”
I nod at Liam, and he gives us a minute.
I keep my arms wrapped around Emily, rubbing my hands up and down her back. No one knows better than I do what she’s feeling or the road she has ahead of her now.