Page 53 of Untamed Heart
My father shook his head.
‘First of all, your language is disgusting – no doubt a product of hanging around with that misfit,’ he began, his voice shaking, fist turning into an index finger that pointed right in my face. ‘Second of all, it might all just be a misunderstanding and something you two can work through. You don’t just run off at the first sign of trouble and come here, to the middle of godforsaken nowhere with a bunch of hillbillies.’
I gave a laugh as sharp and bitter as his words.
‘Oh my God, you snob,’ I sneered. ‘Where do you get this bullshit from? You’ve used it on Mum her whole life too, Jesus. Why are you so obsessed with status? With what people have and haven’t got?’
‘Because it matters!’ he roared. ‘And because I broke my back working to put you through university without debt. And this is how you repay me? By running away and shacking up here? There is not a chance in hell I’m letting you throw your life away. I got your mother out of this place, but your aunt wasn’t so lucky. Look at the mess she made.’ He shook his head, eyes wide with rage. ‘I noticed that cowboy, I saw how you looked at each other—’
‘Don’t you fucking dare say another word,’ I hissed. ‘Keep him out of this. And yes, I ran here for a break, to get some distance. But you know what? The longer I stay, the more I see ofGOODpeople, in this amazing place, the more I see I was running to something, even if I didn’t know it to begin with – to something way better than corporate bullshit and entitled, cheating bastards.’
Dad paused, his expression turning to disgust.
‘Oh God,’ he said, hand rubbing at his forehead. ‘You’ve run off over here and shacked up with a filthy bloody cowboy—’
‘HowDARE YOU!’ I yelled with every ounce of force I could muster, every fibre of my body thrumming with frustration. ‘You don’t know the first thing about him, or anything here – and it’s none of your damn business anyway!’
‘You are mydaughter, of course it’s my business!’ he yelled back, taking another step forward. ‘He’s not good enough for you, and that’s the bottom line.’
I forced myself to breathe, to calm down enough not to lash out in a way I knew would finally tip us over the line and take us beyond repair.
‘That man is worth a hundred of Kyle,’ I said slowly, my voice loud but even. ‘Two hundred. And you have absolutely no right to be here. Get out.’
He laughed.
‘I will not. Not until you promise to come home and sort out whatever this mess is between you and Kyle. And what about getting another job? I’m not paying for your rent in London, you know.’
I let out a long breath, staring down at the decking under my boots.
‘I’m not asking you to,’ I said. ‘I don’t need your money. I made enough of my own, thanks. And I am applying for jobs. I had an interview yesterday – again, not that it’s any of your business.’
‘And Kyle?’ he cut in, finger wagging in my face once again. A memory hit me, of him doing the same to Mum once, in front of her friends. Belittling her. I wondered how many times he’d done that before she’d stopped fighting back. Whether living in a foreign country, reliant on her marriage to him in order to stay, in order to not be forced to leave me, had played into it. Guilt struck immediately, followed closely by more rage.
‘Kyle can gofuckhimself,’ I spat, enunciating every word clearly, watching as he began to boil over too.
‘Right, so you’re throwing away a perfectly good relationship with someone that can offer you the world, for this shithole?’ he countered as he gestured towards the house.
I tried to stop it; thought I had a handle on it. But the floodgates opened.
‘Yes, Dad, I am!’ I yelled. ‘And for your fucking information, I’m not actually in a relationship with Cole, but even if I was, I would be really goddamned happy. Being here, with him, is a massive life upgrade. And you know what?’ I paused, revelling in the shock on his face. ‘If he asked me to marry him tomorrow, shack up with him and have a whole bunch of babies, I’d be fucking delighted to do it. That’s how much better eventhe potentialof a relationship with him is compared to the absolute fuckingNOTHINGI had with Kyle.’
Dad’s face was thunderstruck, as though the person he knew had died.
‘I don’t know who you are,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘This is not the girl I raised—’
‘You didn’t raise me, youBULLIED ME,’ I shouted. ‘Now get out! Just leave!’
A sob built up, exploding as he opened his mouth to retaliate.
‘JUST GO!’ I screamed, folding in on myself, nothing else to give. ‘Leave me alone!’
The handle moved under my hand, the door opened and suddenly arms were circling me. Cole. I took in his intoxicating smell, the sheer size of his body next to mine.
‘I’ve got you,’ he said, propping me up as I turned into him, pressing myself into his body. ‘It’s okay. Let’s go inside.’
‘Get off this property right now,’ Lil said, her voice calm but anger underpinning each word.
Cole began to guide me through the doorway.
