by Toni Aleo
“Because I love him, and he isn’t delusional, you two are. We really got married, paperwork and rings, the whole nine yards. We are married. I wasn’t pulling your chain or something,” she said as she opened the door. Walking past her, Karson went back to her room and hung her mom’s dress up, unsure if they were bringing it, before placing their bags on the bed. He really didn’t want to go back out there. He wanted them to disappear, but he knew they wouldn’t. They were obviously very set on talking her out of leaving. Too bad that wasn’t happening.
Taking in a deep breath, he walked back into the living room where Lacey was leaning against the kitchen counter with her father and brother in front of her.
“Dad, there is really nothing to talk about. I’m done with this conversation. There is nothing you can do. I’m happy. Don’t you want me to be happy?” she asked, and he could see the tears in her eyes. This was killing her.
“Maybe you guys should go, you’re upsetting her,” he suggested. “We have a lot to do. The movers are going to be here at four.”
“Shut the fuck up, King. No one asked you,” Grady snapped.
“It doesn’t matter if you asked me or not,” Karson snapped back, going to Lacey’s side. “Don’t you see you are hurting her?”
“Well, you should know since you are the king of hurting her,” Nate said, and any other day, he would applaud the guy for his word usage, but not today. Nate could promptly kiss his ass.
“I never would have hurt her if it weren’t for you trying to ruin my career,” he snapped, and the way Nate looked at him could honestly kill a person.
“I’m not going to tell you to shut up one more time,” Grady warned, and Karson couldn’t help but laugh.
“What are you going to do? Hit me? Bring it, asshole,” he yelled, but when Lacey’s hand came onto his chest, he looked down at her. His anger still bubbled inside him, but he instantly remembered his promise to her.
“Don’t, okay?” she begged.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he said, kissing her temple.
She nodded before saying, “And he’s right, just go. We can talk when you two calm down and accept that this has happened. Yelling at me and threatening my husband won’t fix anything,” she said softly.
“Will you stop calling him that?” Grady yelled, his nostrils flaring.
“The hell it won’t, Lacey. I am very disappointed in you and pretty upset,” Nate said, his eyes locked on hers. “I have a lot to say to you.”
Who the fuck cared? Karson thought as he rolled his eyes. He was ready for these people to disappear.
“Who cares, Dad? What did you think?” she asked with a shake of her head, and it took everything for Karson not to laugh. Attagirl, he thought with a grin. “I was going to come home and do exactly what you say? That I would drop him the second you told me to? It worked nine years ago and most of my damn life, but now I am ready to live for me. I have to do what is going to make me happy.”
“You are ruining your life!”
“No, I’m not. I’m making it a life worth living, Dad!” she yelled back.
“Do you see this, Lacey Arielle? The way you are speaking to me? See how this trash is changing you?”
Man, this guy was a dick. He knew he made a promise, but how much was he supposed to take before he put her father in his place? It was getting sort of ridiculous.
“No, Dad, he’s not. I am talking to you like this because I am tired of it all. I have been unhappy for so long, and he comes back, and the next thing I know, I am elated. Like my heart actually pumps harder and I feel alive. You should be happy for me, thankful that your daughter has found happiness. But like always, because I’m not doing what you want, you are freaking out and trying to treat me like a kid,” she said, shaking her head. “You know what? You guys need to go. I really don’t want to talk to you; I am still so mad at you.”
“No, Lacey,” her father said, reaching for her hand. She tried to pull it away, but he held it tighter, his eyes pleading as he said, “I did it for you, princess. He is a cancer, he could have ruined you then, and he is going to ruin you now.”
When he heard her gasp, he was done. How dare he compare Karson to something so serious? Karson was going to lose his shit, but before he could, Lacey said, “No, you’re wrong, and the thing is, Karson did nothing but love me completely. But what you did, making him break up with me, damaged me more than the actual cancer ever did.”
Karson knew that his leaving had caused Lacey pain, but hearing that it damaged her more than her cancer had not only hurt Nate Martin.
It hurt him.
This was not how Lacey wanted to spend the day. When she woke up that morning after spending the previous day and night with the Kings, she was almost blissful. Just so damn happy and then she got to Chicago and it all went to shit. She knew that she would have to face her father; she even knew he would be upset, but she didn’t expect to do this now. She had been sure she would have time to pack, go to her office to pack that up and make sure everything was ready to go. Instead, her father came at her without much notice.
She should have expected it too. This was the first time she had ever defied him.
Her whole life had always been done the way Nate Martin wanted it to be. Even when her mother was alive, he controlled everything. What her mother did, who she was friends with, and where she worked. With Grady, it was all about the best hockey schools, the winningest teams, and paying truckloads so that he could train with professionals. Grady slept, ate, and played hockey. He didn’t even have a girlfriend till he got to college. The same went for Lacey; she jumped from activity to activity, but unlike Grady, she never really fit in anywhere. Just floating through life, doing what her daddy said.
When they lost her mom, everything got ten times worse. She never had friends because he wouldn’t let her go anywhere without him, and neither did Grady. They had each other. He let up a bit when they went to college, but he was still a very heavy presence in their lives. He never let them make any kind of mistakes; he was always there to tell them what to do. Looking back on it, Lacey didn’t think her mother or even Grady minded it, but Lacey did. She hated it. She hated how hard he was on her and how he tried to push her to do things she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to be a lawyer; she wanted to be a designer, and that seriously angered him. She really shouldn’t be surprised that he was so upset now because he had been doing this her whole life. Nothing she loved was what Nate wanted for her, and she had contended with a lot of things in her life, but now, with Karson, she refused to do anything but be with him.
Closing her eyes, she pushed back the tears as Karson’s fingers laced with hers. God, she loved him. He filled the room with his presence, taking up most of the space in her small kitchen. She loved it though. She needed it because she was sure that she wouldn’t still be standing there without him. Yeah, he lost his temper a bit, but who blamed him? They were basically verbally attacking him when he didn’t deserve that at all. Sure, they had run off and gotten married, but they loved each other. Couldn’t they see that? She just wished her family would just be happy for her because she was happy.
Looking her father in the eye, she shook her head slowly as a single tear rolled down her cheek. He had done so much more hurt than good to her, and maybe if he had been a better father, she would consider his pleas, but even then she didn’t think she would. She loved Karson. That’s all there was to it, and she refused to not follow her heart.
“You keep saying that everything you do is best for me, but, Daddy, I just can’t see how breaking my heart multiple times is good.”
“You are naïve, Lacey. You don’t think straight when it comes to this…this…guy,” he yelled, shaking his hand at Karson. “You’re reckless when he is around.”
“It’s not only Karson I am talking about, Dad. You’ve continually tried to run my life since I was born. When I was younger, it was understandable, but I’m an adult now. I know how to make decisions.
I know what’s best for me.”
Grady rolled his eyes. “We’ve always been there, and you are completely going against what we know is right.”
“But you’re wrong, on both accounts!” she yelled, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew what she was about to say was horrible and wrong of her since her father had done a lot of good, but he had also done a lot of bad, and she was tired of it. She wasn’t a child.
“How so?” he asked in disbelief.
Meeting her father’s gaze, she said, “You have repeatedly sheltered me, kept me under your thumb, and I’m sorry, but I can’t do it anymore.”
“I have loved and provided for you,” he asserted.
“I don’t doubt that you love me, but you have a shitty way of going about it. Like when Mom died and I need someone to talk to, instead of getting me real help, you pushed me off onto your sister.”
“I did that to give you a female companion.”
“I didn’t need a female companion, I needed my dad, but that’s not even the kicker,” she spat, her hands shaking. “When I lost my breasts, instead of approving the paperwork for the new ones, you lied and told me that the insurance wouldn’t pay for them.”
“What?” he asked, his mouth parting some. She knew she wasn’t supposed to know that. For the longest time she had kept her mouth shut, mostly out of fear of accepting it, but now with the way he was acting, it was time to throw it all out there.
“Yeah, I heard you tell Aunt Jen that I didn’t need breasts, they would just get me in trouble, and that it was a blessing that I lost them,” she said as her tears started to roll down her cheeks in droves. Karson’s hand squeezed hers as he leaned into her, kissing her temple. She took the strength he offered and ignored the look of distaste from her father as she continued. “But I needed them, I needed to feel like a woman, and you took that chance away from me.”
She watched as her father looked away and couldn’t believe that he couldn’t even look her in the eyes. He did everything she had said. This was his doing; what did he have to be embarrassed about if he thought it was right?
“Then I met Karson, Dad, and he made me feel like a woman again. I tried to push him away, but he kept coming, and finally I let him in.” Looking up at Karson, she brought his hand to her chest and then smiled sweetly at him. “I’ve never in all my life felt as loved as I do when I am locked in his gaze, but then you took that away from me too. You scared him away, manipulated him, and for the last nine years, I’ve been empty. So please, explain to me, how were you doing what was right for me?”
Her dad met her gaze, and he shrugged his shoulders. “I did what I thought was best, and maybe I didn’t do right by you with the cancer thing, but you have to understand I was scared.”
“Really, Dad?” Grady asked. “Is this true?”
“Leave it be, Grady,” he snapped before looking back at Lacey, “I’d just lost your mother; I didn’t want to lose you too.”
“I beat the cancer, Dad, and you continually treated me like I was helpless in that bed, bald with no idea how to care for myself. Then when I was starting to get better and get back to me, you wouldn’t approve the one thing I needed to feel like a woman, like I belonged.”
Her father shook her head, glaring. “The point is moot. It’s over, Lacey. But this, this is not over, and that man is not what’s best for you. If he was able to leave you once, he’ll leave again.”
“No, I won’t,” Karson said with a shake of his head. “Nothing will ever come between us again.”
Her dad shook his head, his face still so full of anger, and she honestly didn’t understand it. Why couldn’t he just accept Karson? He wasn’t going anywhere.
“There is no talking to you when he is around,” her father spat as he stood. “Why don’t you just leave?” Nate yelled at him, and Lacey rolled her eyes.
“In your dreams,” Karson said and Lacey could see the fire in his eyes.
“Do you hear this? Do you see the way this trash treats your family?” he said, pointing and looking at Karson like he was the vilest thing on the face of the planet.
“You have yet to refer to him as my husband or by his name, so yeah, I think he is taking this pretty well. Lord knows I don’t deserve someone to be this patient with my circus of a family.”
“You’re more than worth it,” Karson said, and her heart warmed as she met his gaze. “I can deal with anything as long as I can be with you.”
“I’m not going anywhere without you,” she promised.
“So this is what you chose? Over your family?” her father demanded, causing her brow to furrow. She looked at Grady. Why, she wasn’t sure, maybe for support, but he was looking at the ground, his brows brought in as he slowly shook his head.
“I chose him to be my husband, but it’s not one or the other for me. Why are you making this into a choice? Can’t you just support us?”
“Absolutely not, it’s a choice. It’s me or that.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Karson asked dubiously as Lacey’s heart pounded in her chest. Surely he was just talking out of his ass, because who would do that to their daughter?
But when Nate Martin met her gaze, his eyes told her he wasn’t playing around. “No, make a choice, Lacey, your family or him.”
“No, Lacey, I know how much they mean to you. I want to be with you, I do, but family is important,” Karson said softly. “I don’t want to lose you, though. There has to be another way. Why would you do this to her?” Karson asked her father.
“Because I hate you.”
“What the fuck did I do to you? I love her, that’s all. I promise I can take care of her.”
“You are worthless and don’t deserve someone so gorgeous and amazing.”
“You’re right, but she loves me too, and I can make her happy. Don’t make her choose; that’s just wrong,” Karson said with a shake of his head.
“Stop,” she said, swallowing around the lump in her throat. She looked over at Grady, but he wouldn’t look at her. Still she asked, “Does this go for you too? Are you going to keep the boys from me?”
Nate glared at Grady, but he ignored him, shaking his head. “No, Lacey, you can come see the boys. I don’t agree with what he is saying.”
“Oh, you don’t?” her father asked incredulously.
Grady shook his head. “No, Dad, I don’t. Yeah, we both think she is making a mistake. But she’s right—we never got to make mistakes because you didn’t let us do anything. And I’m getting to the point with you where I really don’t know who you are,” he seethed.
Nate brows came up. “Is that right?”
“Yeah. I don’t know why you are hell-bent on ruining her, but I refuse to keep my family and myself from my sister because she is married to some douche. I don’t have to deal with him, but I want to deal with my sister.”
“So you want her to leave?” Nate asked incredulously.
“No, Dad, I don’t, but I also don’t want to lose all contact with her,” he said, tearing his gaze off their father and to Lacey. “So yeah, after you are all packed and ready, come on over to the house. I know Rachel will want to say goodbye. I’m sure you’ll have to figure things out too with Lacey’s Lace.”
“Yeah, I’ll call you. Thank you, Grady.”
He nodded, but she didn’t miss the tears in his eyes. He then headed for the door, calling to their father, “I’ll be in the car.”
Her father ignored him and glared at Karson before meeting Lacey’s tear-filled gaze. She didn’t understand this. Why was he being such an asshole? “So you are choosing him then?”
As much as she didn’t want this to happen, there really wasn’t another choice. She loved her father. Even with all his antics, he was her father, but she refused to be treated as if she couldn’t make her own decisions. She could and she would.
So ignoring the sob inside her, she said, “Yeah, Dad. I choose Karson.”
When the door slammed, Lacey bit her lip to k
eep it from wobbling. How could her own father do this to her? What kind of person makes their daughter choose between two people she loves without even a second thought? But above all, did she make the right choice?
Of course you did, she thought, but that didn’t stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks and into her mouth. Swallowing her sob, since she didn’t want to worry Karson, she closed her eyes tightly just as his arms wrapped around her from behind. When he kissed the back of her head, she let go. Turning in his arms, she wrapped her arms around his neck and just cried. Her body shook from her sobs, and she held on to him as if he was a life preserver and she was drowning. If a way, she was. In her own tears and pain.
The only comforting thought was she knew Karson would never let go.
Squeezing her eyes tight, she wished her mother were here. She would have supported Lacey, loved her, and would never have made her choose. Even when her father was hard on her, she would take Lacey somewhere and just love her. There was something about her mother’s love that made everything better. It was sort of like Karson’s love. Even with the heartbreaking ultimatum her father gave her, in Karson’s arms, surrounded by his love, Lacey knew that everything was going to be okay.
Kissing her temple, he whispered, “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I really am.”
“It’s not your fault,” she whispered. “It’s his.”
He nodded slowly, kissing her jaw as he tightened his arms around her. “What do you want me to do?”
A sob fell from her lips as her body shook. He was too good to her. What man stood beside someone who had a demonic family? Especially when he had the dream family that everyone wished for. The Kings loved and they loved hard, while all Lacey’s family did was hate. It was so ridiculous, and she really didn’t understand why this was going down the way it was.
“Just hold me for a little bit longer, and then I’ll wipe away my tears and we’ll pack.”
“We don’t have to pack, honey. We can delay everything if you want,” he suggested, but she shook her head quickly.