Page 58 of Tear Me Down (Descent to Darkness Trilogy #2)
“She said we’re dating?” Carter asks confused, and I glare at him, warning him not to push any buttons until we can ease some of this tension, but Richard turns to look at him—giving him a stare that could possibly kill him before he turns back to me.
“Regardless of whatever you call this, it’s all very sudden and odd.
Nothing makes sense, especially with who Ashia is.
” He stands abruptly, scooting the chair back and causing it to scrape across the floor.
“Then Serena tells me Ashia is engaged, and I had never even spoken to you! I'm not her father, and I don’t have a right to ask questions about what is going on here, but God damn it, that’s my daughter!
Both of my daughters!” He thrusts his hand towards the door and lets it slap back at his side.
“I won’t sit back and be quiet this time! ”
“May I?” I ask plainly, trying to contain my own aggravation.
His concern is justified, and I can’t argue with his logic and the pain that I’ve caused her, but for him to think that I would intentionally hurt her, or Carter hurt Serena, is completely off base, and I need to settle this before it turns into a brawl of some sort.
He aggressively gestures for me to continue with a circling motion of his hand.
While normally that would urge me to break his wrist, I remain stoic, knowing that hurting him would be something I couldn’t come back from.
“I completely understand your reservations, and I respect how you feel—especially considering Ashia’s past.” He narrows his eyes at me, trying to decipher my true intentions.
“I can assure you that every choice she’s had since I met her was her own.
Well, except one.” I chuckle slightly and Carter looks at me curiously as he harshly shakes his head, urging me to shut the fuck up.
For anyone else, that may be the best course of action, but that’s not what needs to be done here.
Richard is the type of man that respects honesty, and who can see through layers of bullshit like they have labels.
Anything less than the truth is going to make the situation worse, and while I can’t tell him about DH, I need to approach this in a way that will suffice for him.
“And what choice would that be?” Richard crosses his arms and stands guarded, daring me to continue .
“I'm an honest person, Richard, so I won’t lie to you. I didn’t give her a choice on whether she was with me or not.
I knew from the moment I saw her that she had to be in my life.
That choice I didn’t give her, but she chose everything else.
She decided not to run from me or our relationship.
She wanted to move in with me, and she chose to love me.
I didn’t make her do any of that. She could’ve chosen to hate me, and I would take every show of that with grace, but she didn’t, and I'm grateful every day for it.”
“You expect me to believe that Ashia, a woman who’s practically been a recluse for six years, just up and decided to move within a few weeks of knowing you?” he asks skeptically.
“That’s exactly what I expect.” I proclaim.
He draws his head back, almost in shock from what I said.
“Only because it’s the truth. We have a connection people only dream of, and from what she’s told me, you and Marla know something about a connection like that.
Ashia is a much stronger woman than most people give her credit for, and she’s finally let herself have something she’s always wanted.
I’m just lucky enough to be the one she loves. ”
The uncertainty swirls in the colors of his eyes, and I can see that he wants to continue. I knew this wouldn’t be a short and sweet conversation, but now I’m starting to doubt that there’s anything I can say to make this better.
“This is just a lot to take in. All of this, and then the fight she and Serena had, it all seemed like déjà vu. She lied to us last time, told us that everything was fine, and that we had no reason to worry. When the reality was that she was living in hell and felt that her agony was a burden to us. She thought coming to us for help meant she was a problem, that she took more from us than she gave, and I don’t ever want her to feel like that again.
I want to believe that she’s truly safe and happy, but I have to ask these questions. We had to see for ourselves.”
“I understand that, too. All of this is definitely out of character for her, but she’s not that meek, scared, little girl anymore, Richard.
She went so long without any control over what she could say, what she could do, and how she could feel, that I swore to never take those choices from her, and I meant it.
Every other choice was hers . She has finally found herself again, and I didn’t make her do that either.
She just needed the room to breathe, the affirmation that someone was going to be there for her, no matter what, and she flew,” I reply honestly, and thankfully, I’m met with a nod of affirmation.
It’s clear that he sees a difference in her now, just as the rest of us do, but he’s having a hard time convincing himself that it’s real.
“She seems more like herself when we talk,” he admits quietly.
“I hear the happiness in her voice, and it’s not closed answer conversations like it was in the past, but it still feels like she’s hiding something…
That you’re hiding something. Whatever it is just better not put her in harm’s way.
No offense meant, but you are the least of my concerns. ”
“I don’t need you to parent me, Richard. I have my own family for that. You should always put her needs first. Just like I do.”
He doesn’t move. There are a few moments where he just stares directly into my eyes, and I don’t falter as I stare back.
He needs to know that I’m not backing away from my woman for anything, including him and what he probably calls ‘a stern talking to.’ After a moment, he slowly releases a breath, and some of the tension in his body starts to fade out.
“I just want her to be happy. She’s earned that,” he replies quietly but sternly, showing his clear affection for her.
“Damn right, she has. She is content with me, sir, but most importantly, for the first time in her life, she’s pleased with herself, and that means more to me than anything else.
I love her more than words could ever express, and I know she loves me too.
So, as much as I would like your approval and your blessing, sir , I don’t need it.
” He nods at my statement, almost appreciatingly.
“You have my word that she will always have a choice, and she’ll always be safe and loved with me.
I will take care of her, but I won’t coddle her.
She’s too strong for that.” He nods once at me as he sits back down, seemingly thinking the conversation is over.
While this may not have been the encounter I expected to have with the Andersons next, I’m glad that Richard and Marla are the straightforward, protective people I’ve read and heard about.
Even though his doubts in my love for her piss me off, I know that it comes from a good place, and the fact that he had the guts to storm into my home unannounced to question me just adds to the level of respect I initially had for him.
After he takes a deep breath, he finishes his drink, sets the cup on the desk, and then turns to Carter.
“And what about you?” He asks just as harshly, and I have to hold back a snicker at Carter’s shocked face.
“Um, I-I mean, I really like your daughter, but we just started hanging out, and I’m not really sure if we’re…”
“She told me, I'm just messing with you.” He grins and starts laughing, and I can’t help but unleash my own amused chuckle while Carter nervously joins in. “As long as they’re taken care of, we’re fine here.”
“They are. I'll even give you a code to the front gate. You're more than welcome anytime. Even if there’s no heads up,” I joke and he nods again in understanding.
“So, that other one? In the kitchen? Would that be the brother Serena told us about?”
My eyes widen a little, not expecting that from him. I’m not shocked that Serena told her parents about Zeke, but I am shocked that she hasn’t disclosed that to Ashia yet.
“That would be him.”
“You think it would upset Ashia if I talked to him?” he asks genuinely, and my protective instincts settle.
“Maybe for now, because I’m not sure she’s aware that you know. She hasn’t said anything to me about it. ”
“I’ll leave that alone then.” He straightens his button-down shirt. “Shall we join the girls?” He gestures to the door.
“Of course.” I set my glass down and lead us to join our women.