Adelaide barked a laugh. “A baby? Are you serious?”
Natalie’s fingers dug into Saul’s shoulder. “Of course we’re serious. I know it’ll be hard for you to go from being an only child to having siblings, but you must know Saul always wanted more children. It’s such a shame Aminah wasn’t able to give him more. Luckily, I’m extremely fertile.”
“Natalie.” Saul hissed her name like a blade cutting through glass. She gave him a sweet smile and air kisses.
“I know my mother’s name didn’t just cross your lips,” Adelaide said lowly.
Natalie cocked her head. “Oh, I’m sorry. Am I not allowed to say Aminah’s name?” She put both her forearms on the table, shoving back the long sleeves of her sweater.
Adelaide’s attention homed in on Natalie’s newly exposed wrist.
“Where did you get that watch?” she whispered.
“He has this watch my mother gave him when they were engaged. It’s really beautiful and classic, exactly my mom’s taste.”
Natalie tapped a nail against the large face of the gold watch she’d just put on display. “Oh, this old thing? Sauly had it tucked away in a box. I asked him if I could have it. When he told me I could, I took it to my jeweler to remove a few links. Now, it fits me like a charm. I love big chunky watches with feminine clothing. It’s so—”
“He always wears it. Every day, he dresses in his custom suits and his gold Patek Philippe.”
Adelaide rose so fast, her chair tipped over, hitting the floor with a loud bang. “How could you? How could you let her do that?”
“Since she died, every time he’s started dating someone new, he wears a different watch.”
She wasn’t yelling at her father. The fight had fled her as soon as the watch had appeared.
“Adelaide, sit down,” Saul commanded. “It’s not—”
She shook her head. “No. This is too far. I can’t do this.” Her heels clicked as she strode from the dining room.
I stood to follow her, but I had a few things to say to this asshole first. I stopped in front of Saul. “You’ve lost her, Saul. I hope you understand that. I hope you wake up hating yourself every day for the rest of your life. I hope the second she walks out that door, you regret the way you put your own desires and fleeting happiness over a lifetime of being loved by Adelaide, who is more faithful, loving, and forgiving than a thousand of the women you have paraded in front of her since her mother died. I hope you know you’ve let her down one too many times.”
His fingers curled into a ball, but he made no argument. I wasn’t done anyway.
“I really fucking hope you know that when you go to your deathbed, all you’ll have by your side is your regrets. You won’t have the daughter who’s loved you despite your selfishness and failings as a father. And I don’t know if you’re sleeping with women your daughter’s age to make up for those failings, but if you think for a second Natalie will be with you to take care of you in your old age, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. You’ve fucked yourself, Saul, but I am done letting you fuck over Adelaide. The days where you twist her up in a neat little bow you don’t have to give one damn about are over. I’ll protect her for all the times you should have but didn’t. I’ll take care of her heart like the precious thing it is. I’ll hold her when she needs it and let her stand on her own when she wants to. She would have loved you forever, but you aren’t needed anymore. You’ve lost her.”
Whether that sank into his thick skull didn’t matter. I’d said it, and Adelaide had heard my promises from where she waited by the front door. I took her in my arms, and we walked out of her dad’s apartment together.
In the elevator, she lifted the white bakery box she was holding. “I took the cake.”
With a huffed laugh, I pressed my face into her curls. “They didn’t deserve the cake.”
“No, they damn well didn’t deserve the cake.”
“I love you, Adam.”
“I love you too, baby. I’ve got you now. You know that?”
“I know you do.”
There wasn’t much more to say than that.