Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 179812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 899(@200wpm)___ 719(@250wpm)___ 599(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 179812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 899(@200wpm)___ 719(@250wpm)___ 599(@300wpm)
Apparently, her mother and my father, started their affair when he was still with us. He worked for a trucking company at the time that passed through different towns and that’s how they met. The reason why our father left us abruptly after Callie’s birth was because of her mother. Because she was threatening to out their secret when she realized he had another family. Not that she would have because she loved her husband, Jupiter’s father, too much to go with another man.
All this to say, our father was a dumb moron who bought the threat and left. Although honestly, he was probably happy to leave, given that he hated any kind of responsibility. He just wanted an excuse for it. And then, her mother got pregnant with Snow. They carried on their affair until they could get married a few years down the road. And when they married, her mom made him promise he would never contact us. That he would stay with them. And every time, he tried and only for money apparently, she would threaten him with things. Fuck knows, what she had over him but whatever it is, it kept him away from us all these years even though we lived in the same town.
While it’s not really a loss, our father, disappearing from our lives, I’m glad we have an explanation.
“What do you think,” Callie begins hesitantly, looking at each of us, “he looks like now? Dad? I mean, I’ve only seen his photos and he’s been living here in this town for so long and—”
“No,” Conrad says sternly.
“Fuck no,” Ledger adds.
“She never told us the truth because she was protecting us,” I say, my voice vibrating with anger. “She didn’t want to drag us through bullshit, so she lived with bullshit herself. She lived with him for years. She struggled for fucking years. Alone. No one at her side to take care of her. Our only job right now needs to be to make her feel welcome. To make her feel she belongs here because she does, is that clear? Which means you need to forget about our fucking dad and focus on her.”
Callie blushes and nods. “Yeah, sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
Silence follows for a few seconds before Conrad begins with a deep breath, addressing the room at large, “I’m only going to say this once, so listen up. Those two girls are our family now. I wish we’d known about them sooner, but it is what it is and we have to accept that. Which means, as of tonight, they’re under my protection.” Then he looks to me and adds pointedly, “Jupiter is under my protection. I’m not sure what’s going on through your head right now, why you think you get to decide things when it comes to her, but I want to make it clear that if you hurt her in any way, you answer to me.”
My only response is to clench my jaw and stand with my feet wide apart, ready to battle for her, as he continues, “I know you’re going through a lot of shit right now. You like to pretend it doesn’t bother you, but it does. Or Stellan and Isadora would be here tonight. Or you wouldn’t still be playing like shit. But that is not an excuse for you to hurt someone else. Do you understand what I’m saying to you? She is not one of the girls you pick up at a bar. She is not someone you can use to amuse yourself.
“And this is for both of your good. Because this is going to get out, yeah? People are going to find out about them. That we have two new sisters, and given the kind of media attention you and your shithead brothers have attracted over the years, those two girls are going to be everywhere. And if it gets out that the bad boy Wrecking Thorn has a thing for his stepsister, you can kiss your season and maybe even your career goodbye. So again, you will stay away from her or you will answer to me.”
I watch Conrad for a few moments after he’s done, and he’s watching me back. I’m also aware that Ledger and Callie are watching both of us with rapt attention. Probably to see what I’m going to do.
Which is a good thing, because this way I have to say it only once too. “We butt heads, you and me, but I respect you. A lot. Both as my big brother and my coach. You’re one of the best men I know. I’d lay down my life for you. And so with all due respect, you stay the fuck out of my business. You can boss me around as my coach and bench me if you like but I will be the one to decide things about her, because everything about her is my business. She is my fucking business, and the only reason I’m not shutting this down right now is because we both have the same goal: to keep her safe.” I move away from the railing then and start to walk away. But then I pause and turn back to address the group in general. “And she’s not my fucking sister.”