“She wants you at her side and to be equal,” my mom says.
“I understand.”
I nod. Yes, that’s it. Dad gives that to Mom, too, if she desires to know.
“That.” I turn more toward him.
“I appreciate that, Sunshine, but know that if you’re somewhere, I want to be there. I will be. No one keeps me from you except you, and even then, only for so long.” A thrill courses through me. I enjoy his need to be close to me. He makes me feel special.
“I like this answer,” I tell him, making my mom laugh. Paxton lets out a chuckle too, pressing his mouth to mine. I let out a small sigh. “Oh.” I step back. “You’re distracting, and my mother is here.” I mean, I’m not against PDA, but doing it in front of the parentals is a whole different level I’ll have to get used to.
“I am here, and I’d like to steal Paxton while you speak to your father.”
“That sounds nice,” Paxton tells her.
“Paxton didn’t have a mom. Now you’ll have the best one.” I flinch. “That was a rude way to say that, but I can’t think of another.”
“I mean, I’m not going to argue that I’m the best mom.”
“Don’t change,” he tells me, and I feel myself smile up at him. I know I say strange things, and people will point them out.I’ve tried to do better, but maybe I don’t need to. Mac would probably highly disagree, but she can stuff it. One time I asked her to clue me in when I would say something strange, and it turned into a fiasco.
Mom is super smiley as she leads Paxton toward the kitchen. I stand there for a moment and watch them go. He glances back over his shoulder at me and winks.
“You’re getting married, I take it,” my father says from the doorway of his office.
“I said that on the first day.” A part of me knew back then. I wouldn’t have agreed to marry anyone else. I see that now.
“You’re always good about knowing what you want.” He motions for me to enter his office. “I wanted to talk before the rest of the family showed up.”
“And you’re okay with the marriage?” I find myself asking. I’ll be doing it either way, but I do often seek his approval.
“A few minutes seeing you together and I knew.” He leans up against his desk, stretching his legs out. I take one of the chairs. “And Mac showed me the footage from the building.” The only reason we have it is because Mac often keeps a camera on her, one that you can’t see or detect. She always has gadgets she’s playing with. “And if I had a question about him, that more than proved it.”
“He would die for me.” While sweet, I’m not sure I care much for that.
“You had a small meltdown.”
“A meltdown?”
“For you, yes, I would call it a meltdown.” I can’t deny this. I’m still trying to process and understand the emotions that took over inside of me when I thought Paxton could have died. Maybe it’s more I’m trying to reconcile that for once I knew what it was to feel fear. That the thought of losing him made me feel vulnerable.
“Remember that day when I was attacked on my run?”
“Of course I do.” There is a slight tic in his jaw.
“It was Paxton.” My father is quiet for a long moment. “My scar.” I touch my side. “He tattooed my name in the same place on his body.”
“He’s been watching you.” I nod. “What do you think of that?”
“You’re asking if he’s playing me.” He shrugs. “I suppose it doesn’t matter.” I stare up at my father.
I’m close to my mother, but my father understands me in a way no one else can. I’m in too deep at this point. If Paxton is going to betray me, so be it. I’ll deal with it and him when the time comes, but I won’t let him go. Not now or ever.
“I don’t think he is.”
“Why do you say that?” I ask. I get that I might not see things as clearly as he can.
“How he was that day when he came here. He was willing to die asking for your hand in marriage. There have been too many risks, and I know of other deals he could have made for money and power. He has not.”
