Page 81 of Perfect Rhythm

“Hell yeah. I know I’ve been dumb for a long ass time. But that’s over now. I don’t give a damn how much it hurts, I have to do what’s best for me.”

I lifted my hand in the air and gave her a high five. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

“Hey, Nyx, can we talk?” Eli said as he walked toward us.

“No, the fuck we can’t. Why are you here?”

“Because your mother invited me.”

“That was when we were together. We’re not together anymore.”

“Look, about that?—”

“No, not about that. You and I are fucking done.” It came out as a whisper, but I made sure my words were loud and clear.

“Hey, baby,” my father said as he planted a kiss on my forehead and pulled me into a hug.

“Hey, Daddy. Happy birthday.”

“Thanks, baby.”

He squeezed my arm gently. “You know, Eli and I were just talking. He told me he just landed a new role in an action film. I know you’ve got to be pretty excited about that, huh?”

I didn’t respond. Instead, I forced out a grin and turned my attention back to Eli. “Is that right? This is the first I heard of it.”

“Oh, really?” My father frowned. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to spill the beans.”

Eli smiled. “Oh, it’s fine, Pops. It wasn’t a surprise. I just hadn’t gotten around to telling her yet.”

Pops? Since when did he start calling my father Pops?

Skye leaned into me. “Oh, he’s laying this shit on real fucking thick, ain’t he?”

“Too thick.” I grabbed Eli’s arm. “Daddy, excuse us for a moment.”

“Sure.”

I turned to pull Eli with me, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he dropped to one knee and pulled a small box from his pocket.

“Iknowyou fucking lying,” Skye muttered under her breath.

“Eli, what the hell are you doing?” I whispered, panic rising in my chest.

“Nyx, I love you more than words could ever say. I haven’t always been perfect, but being with you makes me want to be better every day. You’ve stood by me through everything…never wavering, always pushing me forward. You’ve loved me unconditionally and been my backbone when I needed it most.” He nodded toward my father. “I was a little hesitant about doing this here, but after getting your father’s blessing, I realized there’s no better time than now.”

My eyes widened as I looked over at my father, who was grinning from ear to ear.

He loved Eli, and in his mind, he was the perfect man for me. The thought of breaking his heart with the truth made my stomach turn. Without question, he would hurt for me and hate Eli for the rest of his life. Any other day, none of that would’ve mattered. But this washisday, and he didn’t deserve to feel bad on his birthday.

Eli knew exactly what he was doing, and the more I thought about it, the more it pissed me off.

He grabbed my hand and placed the diamond ring in front of my finger. “Nyx…love of my life...will you marry me?”

My heart screamed,absolutely not, but my lips stayed sealed.

Instead, I smiled…strained, shallow, and far from real.

And just like that, Eli ran with it, oblivious to the storm that was raging inside of me.