Thomas walks in and pours himself a coffee, but doesn’t sit next to me. He leans against the wall and watches me with the same intensity Oliver used all night. “Are you enjoying the party?” he asks.
Did I mention my body just tensed up again? No? Well, it did. “Yes, it’s all very lovely.” I swallow hard.
“I’m glad… glad to hear that.” He looks at the floor pensively. “Did you see Luca?”
“I did.” I smile, lips pressed tight.
“Then I imagine you’re feeling at ease.”
“At ease?”
“Yes, to see that I was right. Luca deserved someone better, Emma. Don’t get me wrong—you’re a good girl. But Luca needed more. In fact, I did you a favor. I spared you years of pain. It’s clear he was always going to want more in life than just a simple artist.”
My lips stop smiling, but I still don’t say anything. Thomas Walker always knew just what to say to cut deep.
He continues, “From what I hear, he’s about to propose to his girlfriend. A Victoria’s Secret model. They say she’s the next Gisele Bündchen.”
Not only does he insult me—he lies to my face. Breathe, Em. Breathe.
He laughs.
“What are you laughing at, Thomas?”
“I’m just remembering the day I caught you on your way to the church. The panic on your face when you saw me on your doorstep. I still don’t understand how you thought I wouldn’t find out about that ridiculous idea.”
“You mean the day you terrified an eighteen-year-old girl? That day?” I stand and walk toward him. “The day you threatened to leave my family on the street? The day you doomed both of us to a miserable life?”
“Come on, Emma. A father does impossible things for his son. You can’t blame me for stepping in. You were kids. You didn’t know what marriage meant. You didn’t know anything about life!”
“We loved each other. That’s all we knew, Thomas.” My throat tightens, like it’s being squeezed by a venomous snake. My voice comes out warped. “For years, I lived in fear for my family. I was terrified just thinking about him.”
“Emma.”
My body freezes. I turn and see Luca standing under the doorway.
His eyes are full of pain, but his body is tense. “Leave. I need to talk to my father.”
“Luca…” I walk toward him.
“Don’t come any closer, please. Just go.” He raises his hand, stopping me in my tracks.
Oh no. This isn’t how tonight was supposed to go. I was supposed to avoid Thomas! I nod and walk past him to leave the room. But before I go, I whisper, “Don’t fight with him. He’s not worth it.”
Luca’s eyes meet mine—hard, cold, severe. A different Luca than the one I woke up with this morning. “Get out of here, Emma.”
My stomach drops. I’ve never heard that tone from him before. Panic rises. Fear. Dread. I retreat from his black and red aura and run to my room.
Ifeel an earthquake inside me. Hurricane winds are tearing through the center of my chest. Fire in my eyes.
Thomas Walker downs the last sip of his coffee and sets the cup on the nearest table. “I’m guessing you heard everything,” he says casually.
“You guessed right, Father.”
“Son, the day you become a father, you’ll?—”
In two strides, I’m on him, and my fist crashes into his jaw. “Shut the hell up!” I shout, watching him hit the ground, hand over his face, shocked as hell by what just happened.
“What thefuckis wrong with you?!” He gets to his feet, straightening his designer suit with indignation.
