We followed the sound of her loud, obnoxious wails throughout the first floor until we came to my dad’s study. The door was ajar, so I made my way into the doorway and knocked on the frame.
“We need to talk,” I said, not even bothering to wait for my dad to greet us.
The room gave off gentlemen’s club vibes with the rich, mahogany accents, dark wood floors, and leather furniture. A wet bar took up most of the right side of the room, while most of the left wall was made up of glass windows that let in a view of tall oak trees and rolling pastures. Georgette and my dad sat on a sofa directly ahead of us—her body splayed across my dad’s chest, her head hidden in the fabric of his shirt as she sobbed. My dad stared out the windows, barely even glancing my way as I led Hux into the room. His jaw was clenched tightly, and every muscle in his body looked way too tense.
Georgette’s cries rose as she snapped her head in our direction. “You!” she spat, her wild gaze landing on Hux and I. “You brought him here? After what he did!”
“Oh, cut the bullshit, Georgette,” I snapped, white-hot anger boiling over like water in a pot. I was so over her antics. So over her hatred and stupidity and ignorance. I didn’t even have the sense to be decent anymore and veil my disgust. “You literally—”
“Enough.” My dad’s tone was cold, final, his gaze even icier as he pegged it on me.
“But, Dad. She’s lying!” I took a step deeper into the room. “She—”
“I saidenough, Quinn.”
I rocked back at the fury swirling in his light eyes.
Did he seriously believe her? Over me? After how awful she’d been in the time since I'd come here? I bit back tears, knowing they wouldn’t move him, more than likely just anger him further.
“Come here, Hux,” my dad said, stone-faced and devoid of any emotion. So unlike him. Dad wore every emotion, no matter how big or small, on his sleeve. He was an open book. Easy to read. To gauge.
“Yes, sir.” Hux dropped my hand and made his way forward on measured steps. He’d done his best to angle himself in the direction of my dad’s voice.
“I want you to tell me what happened.”
With a deep breath and a nod, Hux launched into a retelling of earlier. “...then she placed her hand on me and I told her she should leave, before I said something to you.”
“Lies! Baby, Inever—”
“Goddamn it, Georgette! Enough!” My dad’s booming voice echoed through the room.
Georgette bolted upright, disbelief and shock shining in her shit-brown eyes. She opened her mouth, shut it, opened it again, looking like a fish gasping for air. Looked like someone was finally able to leave her speechless. I didn’t even know that was possible.
My dad didn’t give her the time of day as he settled his sights on Hux once more. “Continue.”
“Well, sir, she said you wouldn’t believe me and kept gettin’ more and more insistent. I told her I wasn’t interested. When I tried to walk away, she pushed me back against a stall and kissed me.”
Violence blazed in Georgette’s eyes as she sucked in a breath and opened her mouth to respond. My dad didn’t speak as he shushed her, just held up a hand toward her face. I bit back a sneer. He literally just gave her the hand.
“What did you do?” he asked.
“I got her off me, sir, and tried to get away. Fell over a wheelbarrow…and then Quinn walked in.” He took a deep breath. “Look, sir. I don’t know why it happened, or what made her come in there. I know it might seem like I’m makin’ this up, it don’t even really make sense to me either. But if there’s one thing I ain’t, it’s a liar. And I would never jeopardize my relationship with your daughter by doin’ somethin’ like that.”
My lips curved upward softly, and I closed the distance between us, snaking my fingers through his as I leaned into his shoulder. A silent show of support as I met my dad’s gaze.
I hated that I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Did he believe Hux? Or had Georgette sunk her claws so deep into my dad that he’d believe anything she said? God, I hoped not. I don’t think I could forgive him for this if he chose her over me.
“What did you see, Quinn?”
Quinn.Not Queenie or Quinnie, just my name in that cool, clipped tone.
I shivered at the unease trickling down my spine, but shook it off quickly as I explained my side of the story.
Each thump of my heart felt like a ticking time bomb that was about to explode, and my fears and doubts started to paint terrible pictures in my mind with each stilted moment of silence.
Dad finally took a deep breath, and on the exhale he stood up and walked himself over to the bar. Back to all of us, he poured himself a drink, and said, “You know, I remember seeing this place for the first time and thinking, I want my family here. I saw so much potential. A way to start new, fresh. With the woman I loved and my daughter.” He turned to face us as he poured himself another drink. “But since the fucking moment we’ve all been here together it’s been one damn argument after another. I’m over it. I’m done. It’s too much fucking work.”
I chewed my bottom lip, trying to make sense of what exactly he was saying. Was he mad at me? Had I ruined this dream for him? A wave of disappointment stirred to life in my chest.
