“Luckily,myfamily isn’t bound by Thaddius’s love of debt.Myfamily comprises me and my mother, and I’m a bigger earner than anyone else in here.”
“Aside from my father.”
“Including your father.” Micah tilts his head back, gazing at me under his lowered lids. “Don’t worry. I’m more than able to provide for you. Dad’s vices fell very far from this particular tree.”
“I don’t care about that.”
“Says everyone who’s never had to struggle to make ends meet.”
“Hey, if you don’t want to marry a spoiled rich girl, you’re welcome to get off at this stop.”
There’s a heavy tread and I look across to see Gabriel stride back into the room, heading straight for his parent’s table. I swallow the lump of disappointment that he didn’t even try to check on me.
“I just need a minute.” My voice trembles, betraying a hint of my desperation. I stand but don’t get a step before Micah hauls me back into my seat.
“I don’t think so. My little brother needs more than a few minutes to cool off or haven’t you been on the receiving end of his temper yet?”
“He doesn’t have a bad temper.” The instant denial is a lie. Ilikethat Gabriel’s temper is set to flaming hot. “He’s just emotional.”
Micah tips his head forward, smirking. “If you consider anger the be all and end all of emotions.”
I bare my teeth at him. “I do right now.”
The laugh I get in response upsets me even more. I push the plate of food away, the smell of it making me nauseous. Before I know what’s happening, Micah signals for a server. “Can we get a large glass of ginger ale?”
My stomach is raw. A simple guess, since he knows I’ve got a migraine.
“Don’t worry about it,” he says in a tranquil voice. “Tomorrow, this will all be behind you and I’m sure you’ll find something new to fill that pretty little head.”
The casual tone infuriates me, and I welcome the surge of anger as a distraction from my fear. I lift the fork from my place setting, holding it tines upward. “Keep talking down to me. I dare you.”
“Mm. Feisty.”
I look past him to Marigold but she’s not much help. Her eyes flit between me and Micah and from the twist of her lips, I’m sure she’s got the wrong idea. “Don’t you need to go to the bathroom?” I ask.
“No.”
I tilt my head, staring meaningfully in her direction until she clicks. “Oh, I mean, yes. Come on, let’s go together.” We both stand and I step towards her.
“Sit down.”
Micah’s low rumble stops me in my tracks. Much as I want to disobey there’s a warning in his tone I haven’t heard before.
“We’ll only be a—”
“Sit.”
I don’t but I also don’t move away. My eyes lock with my father’s; mine beseeching, his indifferent. Even Brianna looks uncomfortable right now and she’s usually immune to other people’s suffering.
“Dad?” My voice is pleading but he just stares at me, eyebrows raised as though surprised to see me here.
Micah stands, looming above me. “Don’t do this here. Not now. It won’t end well.”
But I can’t stand this another minute. Buying time by acquiescing was the stupidest idea I could have had. The best time to say no was right away. The second-best time is now.
I swallow past the enormous lump in my throat. My tinnitus falls silent. I grip the ring on my finger, sliding it down. Sliding it off. Pushing it at him.
He takes it. The dainty jewellery looks out of place in his large hand. He replaces it in the ring box before slipping it into his jacket pocket, the only change in his expression a slight tightening of his lips.
