Gavin leaned over his chair, mentally willing himself not to grab her and pull her over to him. Through gritted teeth he replied, "I’m not the one-"
"She’s right." Grant interrupted him.
"She’s what?" Gavin repeated, in pure disbelief, knowing for damn sure he must have misheard.
"You heard me." Grant’s voice was steady, the weight of his authority crashing down. "As much as it pains me, I can’t tell her she can’t date while letting you do whatever you want."
Was he the only sane one here? "Have you lost your mind?"
"Have you?" Grant shot back, the challenge sharp in the air.
A muscle ticked in Gavin’s jaw. He wanted to punch the wall, his father, better yet, he wanted to find Cameron. Did his father forget who they were talking about right now? His favorite child. His borderline obsession? She was practically asking for permission to fuck someone else. And then Gavin would have to kill said bastard. And then he would have to spend a fortune making sure his only son didn’t go to prison. When he could just avoid all of this and lock her in her goddamn room like Gavin had every intention of doing in the first place.
Ebony flashed him a saccharine smile. "Thank you, Daddy. Can I go now?"
"Yes, but we’ll discuss this more later," Grant warned.
Ebony paused at that, confusion written on her expression. "You do remember I volunteer at the women’s clinic in the summer. I know all about—"
Grant held up his hand before she could finish. Gavin was positive if she had uttered the wordsextheir father would have turned to the brandy decanter sitting behind him. And then maybe then he could see Gavin's point on locking her up.
"We’ll talk later,” he repeated, a chord of finality in his tone that made her nod and quickly retreat.
Gavin watched the door shut behind her before looking back at his father with an expression of pure outrage. Why the hell was he not losing his shit? Why was he the only one that was feeling physically ill by all of this?
"Do not start," Grant said before Gavin could speak.
"Why the fuck would you do that?" Gavin snapped, pushing himself out of the chair, unable to contain the violent energy coursing through him.
"Why? You’re asking me that? I should be asking you. Why the hell was everything perfect between you two when I left and now you can’t even be in the same room without tearing each other apart." His eyes locked onto him, his features hardened.
Gavin scrubbed his face, hating the heat of frustration building in his head. "We’re fine."
He wanted to talk to her, wanted to touch her, he wanted to crush her to his side and stare down at her wide eyes—but he couldn’t. Not without possibly ruining everything.
"You’re clearly not." Grant slammed what looked to be brochures on the desk.
Gavin stopped his pacing across the office and glanced down at them, his gut twisting as he read the names of Ivy League schools. Schools that were not Harvard.
"Why is she sending off to other colleges, Gavin? Why do the security cameras make this place look like a mausoleum? You’re here, she’s gone. She’s here, you’re gone. And even when you’re both here, you two don’t speak. A few months ago, you two were inseparable. Every time I checked the cameras, I found you two together. Hanging out at the pool, laughing with friends, or wrapped around each other on the couch watching TV. Now—nothing."
Gavin squeezed his eyes shut against the memory. He could still feel her tucked against him on the couch like she belonged there.
Regret wormed its way through him like an old desiccated tree. It didn't just ache, it pained him sharp and lingering behind his ribs.He had her—and he gave it up.
"I’m trying to keep things from getting worse." He was trying to keep his family from imploding. Why couldn’t he fucking understand?
"Well, son, your plan is failing." The words hung in the air like an impending thunderstorm.
Chapter nineteen
Their parents being there was actually a blessing she never expected, it gave her a barrier from Gavin. Every time she looked at him, she could feel his radiating anger. After their meeting with dad, he was like a wolf scorned of its prey. When dad didn’t come down on her for spending the night at the hotel, anger didn’t quite cover the seething fury that shimmered back at her through Gavin’s ice blue eyes.
She could feel him watching and prowling around the edges of her life waiting for her to trip up and make a mistake. Anything that would give him a reason to pounce. At school she noticed how Ethan and Luis had to keep both Gavin and Cameron away from one another, or more like Gavin away from Cameron. The fact that no fight or altercation had already happened made the whole thing scarier. And even though Cameron didn’t say anything she knew it was getting to him, too.
The down side to her parents being there was her mother's ire. Annoyed at having to be back in Stardust she took her revenge out on both of them in the most calculated way.
"I think you dating is a good idea, Ebony," she announced at dinner, causing both men to physically react. Her father stiffening, his fork hovering above his plate as his blue steel eyes cut to his wife in obvious question while Gavin turned into stone in the seat next to her.
