them together more. Even with Jace beside me, his hand on the table before me, I cannot stop the wash and flurry of sheer terror overcome me.
“He’s wanted you back as much as I have,” my mom breaks my minor meltdown by reaching for my clasped hands. I suck in a deep breath, bid my tears away, and look back at her. “Now is not the time for tears.”
I nod and hear my father coming down the corridor. If his habits haven’t changed then he picked up his mail and read it before taking his shoes and blazer off. He’ll tear his mail open after, look at the sender, and if nothing interests him enough, he’ll go to my mother first.
My heartbeat mirrors each of his steps and I wait to be met with the sight of my father. He walks into the room, and I just sit up. I’m alert and praying with all my might that, he’ll accept me. However, my hopes are dashed when he stares at me for all of two minutes and turns and leaves the room.
My mouth falls open, my breathing heavier than ever. Oh God . Oh God . My breathing turns into heaving as my mother tells me she’ll be right back. I turn in my seat, looking for a quick exit, but Jace turns me fully to face him, slamming his hands upon my knees.
“Joely, breathe,” he commands me lightly. I’m looking at him, can see the demeanor he’s taken on, but my father’s swift exit is hitting me too hard. “Lee, he’ll be back. It’s a shock. We’ve ambushed them without any warning. You can’t expect to win them over right away.”
“The way he looked at me,” I pant, and a hand goes to my chest, twisting with my scarf as if it’ll help ease my breathing. “We shouldn’t have come back.”
“Yes, we should,” Jace counters fast. “You can’t keep running from everything. Delvine dictated a lot of your life, don’t let her take this from you. She is one of the reasons you never came back here. You didn’t want to come back and realize you missed it and wouldn’t have it back for years. I know you, Lee. You didn’t want to come back and face the music and know you couldn’t return until she was done with you.”
“But we can’t come back now,” I whimper at him.
“Yes, we can,” Jace admonishes my negativity and forgets all about my pessimism. “And we will. When I know what’s going on, we can choose to stay here. I saw how you were with your mom; your dad will be no different.” He tightens his grasp upon my knees and gives me a smile. “You took too long out. Think of it like The Hamptons, had we not gone back,” he says, and I immediately interrupt.
“I wouldn’t have been forced to do what I had to,” I reply, miserably allowing myself to think about that day all over again.
“We wouldn’t have gotten to this point,” he states clearly to me. His tone is hard and convicting and has me listening. “Had that never happened, we wouldn’t have gotten out. We’d have been creeping around and you’d have had far more time between us getting free. If you’d never have gone back, I’d never have gotten to married you.”
I nod, trying to dissect and implement his words into my mind. I need them to register, so I can deal with optimal clarity.
“Now will you stop with this pessimism you’ve picked up and look at what you’re getting back today,” he grins at me, looking around. “You’re getting your family back. Regardless of what else is going on, you are getting the most important things back. Now smile and realize your father will be back and will expect his daughter, not a shadow of her.”
“It’s good to see someone talk some sense back into my daughter,” my father speaks, interjecting Jace. He stands before us, tie now undone, his hair a dishevelled mess where he’s evidently pulled and ran his fingers through it. “I’m going to bet you’re my daughter’s husband?”
“I am, Sir,” Jace says as he stands up. “I would have asked your permission for her hand, but obviously due to our circumstances, it
“He’s wanted you back as much as I have,” my mom breaks my minor meltdown by reaching for my clasped hands. I suck in a deep breath, bid my tears away, and look back at her. “Now is not the time for tears.”
I nod and hear my father coming down the corridor. If his habits haven’t changed then he picked up his mail and read it before taking his shoes and blazer off. He’ll tear his mail open after, look at the sender, and if nothing interests him enough, he’ll go to my mother first.
My heartbeat mirrors each of his steps and I wait to be met with the sight of my father. He walks into the room, and I just sit up. I’m alert and praying with all my might that, he’ll accept me. However, my hopes are dashed when he stares at me for all of two minutes and turns and leaves the room.
My mouth falls open, my breathing heavier than ever. Oh God . Oh God . My breathing turns into heaving as my mother tells me she’ll be right back. I turn in my seat, looking for a quick exit, but Jace turns me fully to face him, slamming his hands upon my knees.
“Joely, breathe,” he commands me lightly. I’m looking at him, can see the demeanor he’s taken on, but my father’s swift exit is hitting me too hard. “Lee, he’ll be back. It’s a shock. We’ve ambushed them without any warning. You can’t expect to win them over right away.”
“The way he looked at me,” I pant, and a hand goes to my chest, twisting with my scarf as if it’ll help ease my breathing. “We shouldn’t have come back.”
“Yes, we should,” Jace counters fast. “You can’t keep running from everything. Delvine dictated a lot of your life, don’t let her take this from you. She is one of the reasons you never came back here. You didn’t want to come back and realize you missed it and wouldn’t have it back for years. I know you, Lee. You didn’t want to come back and face the music and know you couldn’t return until she was done with you.”
“But we can’t come back now,” I whimper at him.
“Yes, we can,” Jace admonishes my negativity and forgets all about my pessimism. “And we will. When I know what’s going on, we can choose to stay here. I saw how you were with your mom; your dad will be no different.” He tightens his grasp upon my knees and gives me a smile. “You took too long out. Think of it like The Hamptons, had we not gone back,” he says, and I immediately interrupt.
“I wouldn’t have been forced to do what I had to,” I reply, miserably allowing myself to think about that day all over again.
“We wouldn’t have gotten to this point,” he states clearly to me. His tone is hard and convicting and has me listening. “Had that never happened, we wouldn’t have gotten out. We’d have been creeping around and you’d have had far more time between us getting free. If you’d never have gone back, I’d never have gotten to married you.”
I nod, trying to dissect and implement his words into my mind. I need them to register, so I can deal with optimal clarity.
“Now will you stop with this pessimism you’ve picked up and look at what you’re getting back today,” he grins at me, looking around. “You’re getting your family back. Regardless of what else is going on, you are getting the most important things back. Now smile and realize your father will be back and will expect his daughter, not a shadow of her.”
“It’s good to see someone talk some sense back into my daughter,” my father speaks, interjecting Jace. He stands before us, tie now undone, his hair a dishevelled mess where he’s evidently pulled and ran his fingers through it. “I’m going to bet you’re my daughter’s husband?”
“I am, Sir,” Jace says as he stands up. “I would have asked your permission for her hand, but obviously due to our circumstances, it