My mind drifts to all the times he’s been there for me before. When he came to check on me after Dad told me not to “play architect.” The way he changed after learning the truth, and stood up to Dad when he was harsh. How he stood at my side in that boutique when Savannah was so passive-aggressive, how he championed my ideas with our work projects.
That moment in Dad’s office was no different. I was too raw, too shocked and humiliated to see. He didn’t mean to say it to Dad like that, but he couldn’t hold back. He couldn’t stand listening to Dad anymore when he could already see the reason I am the way I am.
And he snapped.
He made a mistake, like I’ve done a thousand times before. I remember the way he pulled me close in his car when I forgot to book the motel, not angry, but understanding. Accepting. He forgave me, because he always forgives me, and I forgive him.
He never meant to hurt me. I can still see the horror on his face when he saw me in the doorway. Still hear the way his voice broke on my doorstep when he said,There’s nothing wrong with you. I love this about you. I love everything about you. This doesn’t change anything for me.
He never thought I was broken. Never thought I wasn’t enough.
The only person who does is my father.
“Why didn’t you call us?” Poppy asks. “We would have come over right away.”
Violet and Daisy nod vigorously, and I give them a watery smile. I think about how I turned my phone off, desperate to hide from the world. The only person who saw me was Eric, and only because he almost broke the door down.
“I was embarrassed,” I mumble. “I mean, you all have your lives together and I’m such a mess. Forced to work at my father’s firm, sleeping with my boss, then the ADHD thing…”
“Girl.” Violet puts a warm hand on my arm. “You have no idea. Do you know what I was doing when I met Kyle? I was a workaholic, let go from my job, and lying to my parents.”
My brows spring up. “Really?”
“Uh-huh. And did I mention the part about Kyle being my dad’s best friend? It was awkward, to say the least.”
“I’m no different,” Daisy chips in. “I was totally stuck in my life, still a virgin at twenty-five, hiding from a lifetime of grief. Oh, and…” Her cheeks color. “I dated Weston’ssonbefore we got together, so, yeah…”
I look at her in shock.
“I don’t know, I might have you all beat,” Poppy says wryly. “I was being stalked by my toxic ex, in shitloads of debt, and then I slept with my best friend’s dad.”
“Wyatt?” I ask incredulously, and she nods, chuckling.
“No onehas everything figured out, Iris, and if they say they do, they’re probably lying.”
“The only way we got to this point is by leaning on each other,” Daisy adds. “We’re here for you, okay? Lean on us.”
The other two nod in agreement, and my eyes mist again. “Thank you,” I say around the lump in my throat. “You don’t know what that means to me.”
Poppy squeezes my hand. “What are you going to do about Aidan?” she asks, at the same time my phone buzzes on the table in front of us. We all look down, the text displayed clear as day on my locked screen.
Dad: Get here now, or we’re going to have a serious conversation about your future.
My stomach capsizes.
“Does he always talk to you like that?” Daisy asks, wincing.
I nod, wiping my sweaty palms on my dress, and Violet’s jaw tightens.
“It seems to me the person youshouldbe angry with is your dad.”
“I agree.” Poppy’s face darkens. “He’s a bully. Plain and simple.”
Something about that word—bully—sifts through my consciousness, and just like that, the damn bursts.
She’s right. My father has been demeaning and controlling my entire life. Every time I’ve reached out to him for warmth, he’s been cold. Every time I’ve wanted him to see me, he’s looked away. Every time I’ve fallen, he’s kicked me further into the gutter.
And I’ve had enough.
