Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56256 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56256 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
“What?” Anya says. “This is why you wanted to keep us a secret because you knew Callum was going to act like an animal?”
Callum snaps his angry green eyes toward her. “He wanted you to keep it a secret because he broke a promise. A promise that he swore he’d never break. When I told him to promise he’d never touch my little sister.”
“What? You made him promise not to touch me?” she shouts. Her sad eyes slide to mine and the hurt I see shatters my heart. “You were never going to tell anyone, were you? I was a dirty little secret that you intended to keep hidden.”
“Callum, seriously?” Brock says.
“Now it’s making sense,” Tripp whispers with a sly smile.
“Well, look at the prodigal son,” a booming voice says from the middle of the room, causing all eyes to look over.
Callum lets go of me and I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me.
My father. In the flesh. And he’s here.
Why?
“Dad, what the hell?”
I haven’t seen or spoken to him in nearly four years and tonight, while my world is falling apart, he chooses to make a fucking appearance.
“I saw you in the paper,” he says, holding up the article. “Seems my boy is real successful and that’s good cause you owe me eighteen years worth of food and rent.”
“Get the hell out of here,” I hiss, trying desperately to de-escalate the scene rapidly unfolding.
He laughs and continues further into the brewery. “A party for the Mayor. That’s pretty big, boy. Never thought you’d amount to shit, but look at you.”
“I believe you were asked to leave,” Callum says, crossing his arms, standing between me and my father.
“I believe I’ll be having a beer while I wait for my son to get my goddamn money,” he replies, clearly drunk. His eyes are still the same as they were when I was younger—angry and sullen, with a glassy sheen that speaks of too many nights spent drowning his sorrows. His face has aged over the years, deepening the creases around his mouth and making the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes more noticeable. His once robust frame has grown gaunt, his skin now sallow and sagging, with a scruffy, unkempt beard adding to his disheveled appearance. The smell of alcohol clings to him, mingling with the faint, stale odor of sweat. His clothes, wrinkled and stained, hang loosely on his thinning body, completing the picture of a man who has seen better days.
“Go wait outside for me,” I say, trying to get him out before he causes an even bigger scene.
“Go back to the party. Make sure everything is still running smoothly,” Callum hisses at his brothers and sister.
Anya has tears running down her cheeks and I feel like I can’t breathe. I’ve destroyed her and now my punishment is so much worse because my father is about to destroy us all.
“Mr. Mayor, how about my fucking son over there? Won’t give his father the money he owes him. What do you think about that?” My father’s now yelling for the whole room to hear him.
The room grows silent as my father staggers closer to the mayor, and I can’t believe this is all happening right before my eyes.
I march over toward him, grabbing my father and pushing him up against the wall. There’s shouting, screaming, and I swear I hear Anya’s soft cries, but it doesn’t stop me. I take a swing and he falls to the ground. A pile of trash crumbled on the floor.
I get a few steps away before I fall to my knees. The weight I had on my shoulders finally taking over and crushing me.
I’ve lost everything in a matter of minutes. My best friend, my pride, my success, and the love of my life.
“I’m so fucking sorry,” I whisper, to everyone and to no one.
Chapter 25
Anya
Griffin rushes from the room like it’s on fire. Somebody was smart enough to call the authorities and Griffin’s father, Mr. Cole, is being carted away in handcuffs.
This is not how I envisioned this night going. At all.
I head to the back server area, and Patrick stops me.
“Are you okay, Anya?”
I brush past him, trying my best to make it to the restroom. “Just get everything cleaned up,” I tell him, making sure the guests are still being taken care of.
Patrick nods, and together with Tripp’s help they head back into the room to take care of the party.
I push the bathroom doors open, and Callum follows me inside. “What are you doing?” I ask him, tears falling down my face.
Luckily for him it’s late, and the bathroom has nobody in it.
He crosses his arms. “What were you thinking? Griffin?”
I roll my eyes. “First, you are not the boss of me. I can date whoever I want. And I will date whoever I want.”