Jenn rolled her eyes. "Work never stops." She then zeroed in on Ethan behind me. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Her expression had shifted, and Ethan must've noticed it as well because he followed without a word. They headed to the driver's side, where she spoke in hushed tones, and Ethan's hands flew to his head. He appeared upset, but his focus on Jenn didn't waver.
Studying the man who had becomeAngel of Deathto me, our gazes met. Once again, his dead eyes sent chills down my spine. Nonetheless, I mouthed, "Thank you."
He dipped his chin curtly before facing forward and closing the window.
Jenn hugged Ethan and climbed into her car. Waving, she took off with screeching tires.
I grabmy phone off the nightstand and swipe without looking at who it is. My father's face fills the screen, and a chasm tears open in my stomach.
Fuck.
"Did you think I wouldn't hear about it?" His livid accusation causes my heartbeat to falter.
I take a deep breath. He has no power over me anymore. The knowledge settles my buzzing nerves almost instantly. "Hear what?" I push myself up and sit against the pillows, rubbing my eyes with one hand.
My father's face turns redder than it already is. "That you relapsed. And not just relapsed, you embarrassed yourself in public."
My hand falls to my lap, and Marcus's head lifts out of the mound of pillows. My excessive need for head comfort also moved into his bedroom with all my belongings.
"Relapsed?Embarrassed," I say the word slowly, tasting it on my tongue. Anger begins to simmer in my core. "The only one embarrassed by my condition is you. You brainwashed me to believe that it's something to be ashamed of, that I have to suppress and hide it instead of deal with the triggers. Well, guess what,Daddy, I am handling it now. My way."
My father's jaw drops. I don't think I've ever seen Victor Keller speechless. In the background, Celine covers her mouth, but I continue, "You no longer have to pay for anyone to look out for me or use a person's own issues to pressure them into being with me."
No matter how much I despise my ex-fiancé, my father had used Collin's issues to his advantage, planting the idea of how marriage would benefit everyone. As expected, Phyllis had taken care of her son. She had him shipped off as soon as word got to her where he was found and in what state. Rumor has it that Collin is in a private facility that will help him deal with his dependencies. Not just the drug addictions but also his physical compulsions. While his behavior was unforgivable, I hope, for his sake, he gets the help he needs.
I peer over at Marcus, who pushes his hand onto my thigh under the covers and squeezes. He is making sure I am okay. I relax farther into the bed, my chest having never felt this light.
After Collin, I closed the last chapter that was preventing me from moving on the previous week as well. I called Charlie. I didn't tell him what happened, but I let him know (as gently as possible) that I couldn't see him anymore. I wished him the best, but he was part of my past. I was leaving the darkness that had followed me for almost twenty years behind, ready to embrace the future.
I train my attention back to the screen.
Instead of showing remorse for his betrayal, my father's eyes narrow. "And how do you think you will handle yourcondition?" he spits the word at the camera.
He hasn't always been this…hateful—or at least he hasn't shown it as he does now.
The phone disappears out of my hand, and I whirl just in time to see Marcus lift it to his line of sight. "Good morning, Victor." Marcus wipes his hand over his mouth, appearing nonchalant on the screen, but his coiled muscles tell a different story.
"W-Wha—?" my father sputters.
"Denielle has me to help her deal with her condition." He crosses his free hand over his bare chest. "Not that there is anything wrong with her. Everyone deals with trauma differently, and your daughter chose the one way that made her feel close to her mother. If you had thought, for just two seconds, about it, you would've seen that instead of blaming her for something she has no control over. And maybe you would have even been able to help her. As a medical professional, you should know that no two humans are alike."
Marcus's tone is calm and collected, his words raising my body temperature.
"What do you know about her condition?" my father sneers. He's lost control, and now he's in attack mode.
"You're just—"
"I'm just what?" Marcus's brows rise in a challenge. "Let's get one thing straight here,Keller. Your daughter had nothing to do with your tanked career or my sister's death. Blaming her for McKenna is something I will spend the rest of my life regretting and making up to her. Here is my advice for you: pull your head out of your ass and love your daughter the way she is. I intend to do just that, so get used to seeing my face around."
He disconnects the call and throws the phone toward the end of the bed. I sit on the mattress, speechless, opening my mouth, but no sound comes out.
"Don't catch a fly, baby." Marcus chuckles.
I snap my lips together with a smacking sound. Marcus shifts to all fours and crawls over to me. I fall back into the mattress as he hovers above me. "Do you think your father is mad that I hung up on him?" He smirks.
I burst out laughing. "Probably."