Once again, he cut me off. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. It never has for that family. They’re all snakes.” His laugh was bitter. “You think this boy is different?You think he actually cares about you? Wake up, Harper. Boys like him don’t date girls like you for the right reasons.”
Seriously, was I bleeding on the carpet? Because his words cut worse than they ever had, hitting at an insecurity I hadn’t even realized was there until he spoke it into existence.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I hated how small my voice came out.
“It means you’re naive if you think a Dumontier would be interested in a Tinsley unless there was something in it for him.”
The accusation hung in the air like poison. My chest grew tight and it felt nearly impossible to breathe.
“You don’t know him, Dad.”
“Don’t I?” His voice dropped, but I still heard the scorn underneath every word. “Think about it, Harper. What better revenge could there be than this? Making you fall for him, stringing you along, then destroying you when it serves his purpose. The ultimate way to humiliate our family.”
My knees weakened, but I didn’t want to show him how his words had sunk in like barbs.
“That’s not what this is,” I said, but doubt was already creeping in.
Before I could say anything else, another knock came at the door. Then the door opened and I knew without looking who it was going to be.
“Harper?” Drew’s voice was filled with warmth and happiness. “I’m back.”
Dad’s expression grew thunderous and panic clawed at my throat. How was I supposed to stop this train wreck?
Drew walked into the room, his face lit up with a smileand Rory babbling happily in his arms. “Hey, beautiful—” He stopped midsentence when his gaze landed on my dad.
The smile died on his lips. “Mr. Tinsley,” he said, acknowledging him. Then he looked at me. “What’s going on?”
Dad looked at Drew for a long moment, taking in the baby in his arms, then back at me. “Harper was just telling me about you two,” Dad said, his voice deceptively calm, but there was still that tic in his jaw that told me how upset he was.
Drew looked between us, clearly trying to read the situation.
“Funny thing is,” Dad continued, “I’ve been hearing about the Dumontiers my whole life. How they take what they want and don’t care who gets hurt in the process.”
“Dad, stop,” I said quietly.
But he kept going, his voice getting harder. “So when I hear my daughter’s gotten mixed up with one of you, I have to wonder what the angle is. Because there’s always an angle with your family.”
Drew’s face tightened. “There’s no angle. I care about Harper.”
“Do you?” Dad’s laugh was humorless. “Or is this just another way to stick it to us? Get the Tinsley girl to fall for you, then what? Break her heart? Make her look like an idiot?”
“I wouldneverhurt Harper.” Drew was emphatic. He almost looked pissed at the mere suggestion.
But…
He’d hurt me before. He’d never seemed to have a problem hurting or messing with me when we hated each other.
My dad didn’t acknowledge his words. Instead, hestared at me for a long moment, his face cycling through disappointment, anger, and the one that scared me the most—grief. When he spoke again, his voice was arctic.
“Looks like you’ve made your choice. And I’ve made mine. Don’t come running back when this fantasy falls apart, Harper. Because by then, it will be too late.”
FORTY
It had been a few days since Harper’s father showed up at her door like some harbinger of family drama, and I was still watching her like she might shatter at any moment.
Not that she’d admit to being shaken.
Harper had thrown herself into finals prep with the kind of focus that would’ve impressed me if it didn’t worry me so much. She’d spent the last couple of days color-coding study schedules, reorganizing her already pristine notes, and practicing her violin until her fingertips were raw. All while carefully avoiding any conversation about her dad or what he’d said.
