keep me away from my muffin or fantasizing about Xander’s incredible cock, though.
Right as I’m about to walk back into the kitchen to devour my blackberry treat, my attention diverts back to the closed door. Well, the conversation behind it, actually.
“Scarlett is going to be wiped off the map. A little incentive to moving into that area,” the foreign voice offers. “But there is a matter of Blaine.”
“What about him?” I hear Carl bark out.
After clearing his throat, I hear my father add, “He is thinking about his dick and not keeping his eye on the real prize. If you don’t get your son in line, Montrose, he is going to be very bad for business.”
“Blaine will be handled. My son will not be the downfall of this new partnership.” Mr. Montrose’s voice booms out with the slightest hint of resentment building. “It’s not like your daughter is smelling like a rose in any of this, either, Hawthorne.”
“Don’t you ever come into my house and passive-aggressively tell me to rein in my daughter. She’s a Hawthorne. She’ll play her part perfectly.”
Play my part? What in the fuck does that even mean?
I don’t have anything to do with my father’s business ever. Other than the times he forces me to hobnob with his dickhead clients at charity functions and galas.
“Let’s just all agree that we will not let family issues get in the way of this. We all have a lot of skin in this game. But the rewards will be incredible,” the stranger instructs as the doorknob starts to turn.
I dart back into the kitchen quickly as my father says goodbye to his guests.
Please don’t come in here.
“Charlotte, a minute.”
Damn it. My father. His gruff voice washes over me instantly. What in the world could he possibly want to talk to me about after all of that bullshit? Probably something to do with me playing my part. Curiosity rushes in. Maybe my father will, for once, clue me in on what the fuck is actually going on in this house.
“Sa-sure,” I stammer out, whipping around to see his hard-lined lips and the stern furrow of his brow. I set my tasty treat and water onto the counter, tucking my hands into the pockets of my sweat pants. Following him into the library, I sink into the armchair next to the plush couch.
“What’s going on?” I spit out abruptly before he has even gotten situated across from me.
“I know you have been spending a lot of time with Xander again.” His words are sharp, calculated. His hands collapse onto one another as his jaw churns. He doesn’t want to be having this conversation either, but it’s happening. And he started it. There’s no going back now.
As my father’s stare bores holes into my skin, I nod. “And?”
“And I am done fighting it. You win, Lottie. You and Xander have won this battle. And I know that no matter how much I try, no matter how much I loathe it, I am going to have to deal with the reality of Xander Iazetti being in your life. Being in our lives.”
As every word registers, one by one, I become more and more shocked. More and more skeptical. But I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. My father is finally accepting me, accepting us, our relationship, and I need to just be grateful for the small gesture that he is offering. Finally, a damn olive branch. About fucking time, Charles. Is this me playing my role? If that’s it, I’ll fucking play that role so damn well!
“Th-thank you.” I don’t know what else to say as I sit, glued to this seat in a staring contest with my father. The worst place I could ever find myself, but is it? Right now it seems like I am finally winning. For once in my fucking life, both of my parents are acting exactly how I have ever wanted them to. I need to be grateful. I should be grateful. But my brain is screaming out danger warnings, and the feeling like this is a trap is consuming every damn nerve in my body completely. It wouldn’t be the first time and it wouldn’t be the last time that something like this happened. That they both let me down in a monumental way.
Am I being paranoid?
Maybe that is it.
Maybe this is finally the big break I have been looking for.
“We are throwing a party this coming weekend. Big things are happening