Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
“That’s not true,” my father says through clenched teeth.
“You’re the reason Felipe left, and you called Glenda a freak for loving Cillian.” The anger has turned to emotion in my throat, but I won’t back down. I’m done being the one that smooths the edges of his jagged love. “You’re the reason I’m terrified to tell Mara I love her, because I might end up like you.”
There’s a gasp behind me, and both my father and I turn around to see Cillian, Glenda, and Mara all standing there watching us. I don’t know how long they’ve been there, but Cillian has his fists clenched at his sides, and Glenda is holding him back.
“I won’t be spoken to this way,” my father hisses before he straightens his tie once more. After that, he doesn't bother looking at me or his daughter.
“Bastard,” I hear Glenda whisper.
My eyes find Mara, and for a moment we stand there in complete silence.
“I’m going for a walk.” As I turn away from the person I want more than anything else in the world, my chest feels like it’s going to cave in.
Chapter Eleven
Mara
I stand there with tears running down my cheeks, but it’s not as if it was hard for them to fall. I’d already been on edge with what had happened in my place, and now I’m watching River walk away. He was so cold that it took me all the way back to the bakery that day.
I thought I saw River’s anger before, but his father got a whole other level. I hope I didn’t provoke him. While I believe a lot of what I caught him saying, I don’t want to cause more damage to his family. The parts I heard were brutal because River unleashed so many bottled-up emotions.
“Glenda?” I turn to her, not sure what to do, but she knows him better than I do. Some of the shock has started to wear off, but now her face is bright red.
When River left my place, he took a part of me with him. We’d all stood there in silence, but I’m sure Glenda put it together after the whole underwear thing. Cillian was silent and stewing while he seemed to work everything out in his head before he finally spoke or reacted. As for me, when the reality that River really left hit me, I was running out the door after him. I felt a mixture of anger and confusion because we’ve misunderstood each other so many times. I didn’t want that again, but this just got a whole lot more intense now that his father is here.
Things like this aren’t easy for me. I have no clue what to do. Do I give him his space or do I chase after him? My mind tells me that it will end badly no matter what choice I make. That’s how it always works.
“This isn’t happening,” Glenda says, her chin rising as my brother stands behind her protectively. He stays silent while letting her say whatever she needs to.
“Glen—”
“Don’t,” she snaps at her dad. “If anyone saves that company it’s because they want you to hand it over. In your attempts to protect the family company, which you messed up to begin with, all you did was keep making it worse.”
“That’s not—”
Cillian cuts him off. “Watch that tone with my wife.”
Mr. Andora takes a deep breath to try and pull it back. “I have no problem if River wants to be with Mara. She is a fine choice actually.” His eyes flick my way, but it’s a cursory glance. I’ll never understand this man.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask if that’s because I have a trust fund of my own or maybe he knows this isn’t a battle he’ll win. He’s learned that lesson already, and River is the last child he has some kind of control over.
“I think you should go,” Glenda says when the silence only grows. Everyone is standing outside the parking lot, but thankfully, no one is around. There are already rumors floating around about our two prominent families and the tension. I don’t want to be caught in some article tomorrow about River and me. I’m not sure what’s really happening with us. I don’t need others speculating too.
River’s father gives us all one long look before he finally turns to go. My eyes go back to where River had taken off, and I don’t see him now. A small part of me wonders if maybe him telling his father he loved me was one of those things that’s said in anger to try and hurt the other person. He had no clue I was standing there to hear it.
“Did he say he loved me?” I ask.
“He didn’t say it. He shouted it,” Glenda points out.