Page 174 of Nutmeg + Mistletoe
It’s them.
The sight hits me like a blade, straight through my chest. Betrayal and stupidity tangle together until I can hardly breathe. My best friend. My father.
And all I can think is—how could they?
How could she?
How could he?
Chapter fifty-six
Rage & Revelations
Marlow
“What the hell do you mean you’re married?!” Daddy’s voice booms through the house, and the headache I’ve been nursing all morning spikes like a hammer slamming into my skull.
“I’m sorry, excuse me?” The words spit out of me like venom before I can even think. “Don’t you dare come down on me when I literally just caught you with your pants down—with my best friend! I mean, seriously, I should be in a goddamn institution with the amount of shit I’ve had to hide and cover up for you!”
“Okay, I think you’re exaggerating—”
I cut him off, fire spiking hotter. “Exaggerating? Are you forgetting the time I had to bail you out of jail because you didn’t realize the pretty lady at a fundraiser was a hooker? Or how about the time I walked in on you with my babysitter sucking your dick?”
Eslin’s head whips to him sofast I hear the intake of her breath. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, come on!” Daddy throws his hands up, exasperated. “How long are you going to hold that over my head? It was after you were grown, and how was I supposed to know she babysat you in middle school?” He yells.
“Because you hired her!” I scream back, tears blurring my vision but not slowing me down. “More than twice! And because you’re supposed to be a responsible parent!”
I’ve never let him see me like this—never let him hear my rage, feel the full weight of it. Until now, his antics were just…background noise. Embarrassing, yes. Frustrating, sure. But never personal. Never enough to cut me open. This time, though—this time it’s different. This time it’s close. Too close. And it hurts in a way I can’t swallow down.
My chest heaves, my voice splintering with rage and grief all knotted together. “How long are you going to keep doing this reckless shit? Six months. That’s how long you had to keep your promises, and you couldn’t even do that! How long has this been going on?!”
“Marlow—” Eslin tries to cut in again but this time it’s my father who keeps going, tumbling over her attempts at calming us down.
“This is rich coming from you, when you just said you came here to hide because of a secret fucking marriage—to a player, no less! How ridiculous could you be?”
Declan growls low, a sound that makes the air in the room shift. “Be careful. That’s my wife you’re speakingto…sir.” Respect doesn’t touch his tone; he’s coiled and dangerous. And for a split second, I remember exactly who my in-laws are, what they’re capable of.
“Okay,” Eslin says quickly, gently, stepping forward like she’s afraid the whole place might combust. “How about we sit down and talk this out?”
She turns to me, reaching for my hand, her voice soft. “Marlow, we didn’t mean for this to happen. We really tried to fight it but—”
“Excuse me?” I snap, yanking my hand back like she burned me. “This is family business, and I need to speak with my father. Alone.”
The words come out harsher than I intend, stabbing, cruel. And the way she recoils, like I’ve doused her in gasoline and lit a match, twists something sharp inside me. But I don’t take it back. I can’t. Not right now.
My dad catches my eye, jaw tight, and then nods toward the study. “In here. Now.”
Without another word, we walk, the door clicking shut behind us.
It’s just me and him now.
He drops into the chair behind the desk, running a hand over his face, and I stand there, arms crossed, my pulse hammering.
“Alright,” he says finally, voice low but firm. “Let’s have it out. All of it. Every secret, every lie. No more games, Munchkin. You want answers—I’ll give them to you. But you damn well better be ready to hear mine too.”
I nod while my dad begins.
