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Even if it kills me.
I waituntil I’m back in my guest room at Archer’s place before I pick up the phone.
Archer’s been consistently on edge all afternoon, and who can blame him?
It’s a wonder Colt hasn’t picked up on the bad vibes, but he’s been busy talking to wood artists and laughing with his grandmother. Thankfully, he hasn’t noticed anything off.
I’m happy for him, honestly, but it just makes this whole thing harder.
Predictably, Archer shut himself away in his office right after dinner, muttering about documents to review. Probably an excuse, yes, but it leaves me free to act.
The sound of the phone ringing in my ear makes me feel sick.
“Hello?” Mom answers the old home landline. Just like always. There’s a pause where she checks the caller ID and then her voice changes. “Winnie, honey, is that you?”
“How could you let him do it?” I swallow thickly, hating that I already feel like I’m shutting down. It’s a warm evening, but I’m shivering. “Mom, howcouldyou?”
“What are you talking about? You should come home, sweetie.” Like always, she’s soft-spoken. Outwardly unrattled. No wonder she lets Dad stomp all over her. If she ever had a spine, it’s melted into pitiful compliance jelly after years of his crap.
“That’s not happening, and I think you know it.” I tighten my fist in the comforter. “You never stand up to him. You let his worst instincts take over. You always stand by while he savages other people.”
“Oh, Winnie, really, I don’t know what has you so upset,” she lies. Still oh-so-gentle and deferential even though I’m her own daughter. “You know your father doesn’t discuss his legal affairs with me.”
I hate that it makes her confusion sound sincere.
“You really don’t know?” I sigh. “You never bothered finding out what Dad’s been up to ever since he cut me off?” Somewhere deep inside me, there’s raw emotion, but it’s so choked off, so cold, I can’t feel it. “You mean you neverasked? Not once?”
I shouldn’t be surprised.
If Mom’s good at one thing, it’s living in her own bubble of fake suburban perfection.
There’s another voice in the background then, sharp and authoritative, and I hear Dad take the phone.
“Wynne,” he clips. “It took you long enough to call.”
“How dare you.” I’m trembling when I say it.
For a second, he hesitates before he says, “If this is how you intend to speak to me—”
“No.No,you don’t get to play victim. How about you stop trying tosueArcher Rory?”
“Sue? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dad says, his voice as glacial as mine. “If you mean Higher Ends Incorporated, well, that’s a state matter now. This has nothing to do with a personal dispute and everything to do with enforcing fair business practices.”
“Like hell!” I’m standing before I know it. Some of the coldness has left me now, replaced by boiling heat, the kind that I know will reach my eyes soon. “I’m not stupid, Dad. Can you stop bullshitting me just once?”
“Watch your language, young lady.”
I laugh painfully.
“Watchmylanguage? Listen to yourself!” My throat hurts. A sad part of me wonders why I bother with my next question. “Have you ever wanted to be my father at all? Even if I’m not useful to you?”
“Winnie… I was the first one to hold you when you were born. Do you expect me to dignify that with a response?” There’s a pause, only for a fraction of a second. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” he asks. Hard, angry. “Your boyfriend, threatening your fiancé and a senator’s son with assault. A very powerful senator, mind you, who used to be your boss, and who can make and break careers in this state at the snap of his fingers. This isn’t something we can brush aside, Winnie. This mishap has teeth, and my goal is to make sure they don’t chew up this family.”
Oh, God.
There’s a lot to unpack there, so I go for the easiest one. “He’s not my fiancé anymore, Dad. Or did you miss the memo? We’reover.”
“That isn’t my point. The fact is, the man you’re with now threatened Holden, and frankly I don’t feel confident you’resafe in his care. Never mind the political ramifications, this is a nation of laws. You simply can’t have Neanderthals stomping around and attacking law-abiding people when they show up for a basic conversation. You’re a smart girl, Wynne. Don’t be stupid.”