Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 181613 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 908(@200wpm)___ 726(@250wpm)___ 605(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 181613 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 908(@200wpm)___ 726(@250wpm)___ 605(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry too,” Alistair says. “For the same.”
“I’m not sorry,” Dylan says. “I tried to protect my daughter because I didn’t want her to suffer the same fate as Felix’s daughter. If that makes me a villain, then so be it.”
“You don’t have to protect her against my son,” my dad growls. “He’s never had bad intentions.”
Dylan’s eyes twitch. “You call fucking with her ‘good intentions’?” He makes quotation marks with his fingers.
“Dad,” Aspen says. “I always had a crush on him.”
Everyone stares at her like it’s new information, and it makes her blush.
“Wait, what?” her mom mutters as she sits back down again. “How did I not notice?”
“Because we were friends,” Aspen says, squeezing my hand. “I hid it well.”
“Too well,” I add, winking at her.
“No,” Felix says, narrowing his eyes.
“What do you mean ‘no’?” Aspen retorts, frowning. “You think I’m going to let any of you interfere?”
Her mom chuckles as Alistair nudges her. “Reminds me of someone who wouldn’t let anyone else decide who she loves,” he says.
Her mom wriggles around on the couch. “I guess we shouldn’t be too quick to judge. We’re all human.”
“I don’t know how you’ve done it, but you did it,” Felix says, glancing at Penelope before he gazes at me. “You convinced your mom.”
Aspen snorts. “But did I convince my dads?”
She looks them all in the eyes, and Dylan folds his arms and looks away.
“I can’t believe this. That fucker’s son …”
“What?” my dad says. “My son deserves happiness just like anyone else. Besides, you stole my eye, so it’s only fair my son steals your daughter.”
“You motherf—”
Her mom’s grip on Dylan’s leg keeps him from pulling out a knife when my dad begins to smirk.
“You played the long game,” Dylan grits.
“I didn’t play any game,” my dad retorts. “They did. And they are grown adults who can decide for themselves what they want to do with their lives.”
“He has a point,” Aspen’s mom says.
“It’s not like you can stop me,” Aspen says.
So brazen. I like it.
“He already apologized. What more do you want?” Milo asks them.
Felix, Penelope, Dylan, and Alistair all look at each other like they don’t know either. And I guess that’s just it. No one knows how to deal with this situation, not even us.
“You all used to be friends,” I say. “Before I ruined it.”
Felix homes in on me. “You cost me my daughter.” He swallows. “But you managed to convince Penelope to forgive you … so maybe I’ll give you a fucking chance to prove your love to Aspen.”
Dylan throws him a grimace. “That’s not up to you to decide.”
“You wanna keep those two lovers apart?” Dad tells him. “They were willing to fucking die for each other.”
I squeeze Aspen’s hand, smiling at her from the side.
“There’s no way anyone’s going to separate those two,” Nathan says.
“God knows I tried.” Mom rolls her eyes.
“Fine…” Dylan sighs. “Do whatever you want. It’s not like I can stop you.”
Aspen lets go of me only to jump into her dad’s arms, smothering him with the same kind of bubbly joy I fell in love with.
“Thank you, Dad,” she mutters.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He’s grinning. “Whatever makes my pumpkin happy.”
I snort to myself.
Pumpkin?
“So are we good now?” Milo asks. “All of us, I mean?”
“I wouldn’t say good, but it’s a start,” her mom says.
“What do you want me to do, apologize daily?” Lana asks.
“You could bring over some of that delicious Torres food.” Dylan raises his brows. “Felix loves it.”
Her mother looks at Felix in a funny manner. “Are you saying you love your sister’s cooking more than mine?”
“No comment,” Felix replies.
Dylan and Alistair laugh, and soon everyone’s laughing, just like they used to before they all decided to despise each other. And maybe there might just be a way out of this mess after all.
“I’ll bring over the sushi,” Milo tells Dylan. “You bring the wine.”
“Hard liquor,” Felix says. “Nothing else.”
“I can go for a whiskey right about now,” my dad says, clearing his throat as he gets up. “Where do you keep your stash? You moved it.”
Felix points at a cabinet in the corner.
“So y’all are okay with us being together then?” Aspen gently asks all the people in the room.
Dylan points at me. “Don’t. Hurt. Her.”
I hold up my hands. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“And you’ll stop fighting,” Aspen tells her father, and then she looks at Felix and Alistair. “All of you.”
“Fine. I’ve tasted enough blood for the coming five years,” Felix says, as he gets up from the couch. “Kai, pour me a glass too.”
“Dad …” Aspen raises a brow. “Swear to me you won’t attack his dad.”
Dylan holds up his hands. “Fine, fine. I promise. No more eye gouging.”
“Or any other part of my body, thank you,” Kai says, tipping up his glass.
“That’s unfortunate because Felix still owes me a finger,” Nathan balks from the couch. “I got so damn close.”