Page 96 of Pretend for Me

My voice wobbles. “I cherished every moment, Mom. Moments I’ll never forget, never be able to repay you for.”

Her hands drop to mine and she brings them to her lips. “That’s where you have it all wrong, sweetheart. The thing is, you never have to repay me. The only thing I’ve ever wanted was to see you smile, to see you become the man you are today.You’ve made me so proud, Dev. Both you and your sister. I’ve had the most fulfilling life, not because I’ve had the means to do anything I wanted or travel the world with the snap of my fingers, but because I was blessed with the most loving children, the most devoted husband.”

I can’t help the sob that escapes me, the dam that’s been broken. “How am I going to live without you, Mom? Don’t you see how much I still need you?”

She shakes her head, a tear escaping the corner of her eye. “I’ve given you everything you need, sweetheart. Everything I could have. It’s something I’m most proud of—to have given the world such a beautiful, unforgettable young man.” She takes a breath. “Youaregoing to live, my son. You’re going to flourish. And with that sweet soul as your wife standing beside you, you’ll find happiness, too.”

My heart lurches against my ribs as I gulp in a breath. The guilt of lying to my mother mixes with my true feelings for the woman I’m completely gone for. Not knowing if she feels the same way about me. Not knowing if she’d ever take a chance beyond the terms of this arrangement to actually make me the happiest man alive. I’d give away everything I own to make her stay.

“She’s beautiful, Dev, inside and out, just like you. I can’t wait to see you two on the happiest day of your lives—one of the happiest days of my own—next week.”

Fuck, my heart is going to collapse.

“All I ask is that you take the example of your father and me and never stop fighting for your love. Call her from wherever you are every day, if only to tell her you love her. Those are the only words that matter. Those are the only words you’ll ever find true happiness in.”

My brows knit, my jaw tightening as I try to hold back another sob, but I nod. That's all I can manage.

Mom tires out a few minutes later, her eyes closing, so Idecide to let her rest. I’m just about to reach the door to her room when she speaks again.

“There’s one more person who needs your love, Dev. He’s a stubborn man with sky-high expectations of his children, especially you. No doubt he struggles to show you both how much he loves you, but he’s not a bad man. He deserves your love.”

She heaves in a breath that has my hands fisting at my side. There are no words to describe the agony of watching her slowly slip away.

“Tell him how you feel. Fight it out if you have to. But then, figure out a path forward. You both deserve it.”

Part of me wants to argue that he could do the same. That he could put aside his pride and actually try to connect with his children for once. But she isn’t the one I need to convince.

The man I need to confront has given me plenty of reasons throughout my life. Until now, I’ve tried to maintain a level of respect and subordination with him, given he’s my dad and the man who’s provided me with a lifestyle most can’t even dream of.

But enough is enough.

If fighting it out is what I need to do to find a path forward, like Mom says, then I think it’s about time I do it.

I turn my head over my shoulder to glance at the feeble figure of my mother on her deathbed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mom.”

“Let me guess,” my dad says, shuffling papers on his desk and brushing past pleasantries, as I enter his home office. “You have no contingencies and no backup plans for theshitshow heard on that call today, and you’re here to ask for my help.”

My nostrils flare, recalling his presence on the call this morning with one of our Chinese manufacturers, stating there will be a longer-than-expected delay for a critical component for our newest fleet of cars.

Dad wasn’t invited to the call, but he dialed in anyway—no doubt given information for the call by one of his loyalists on my team. It took him less than three minutes to hijack my meeting and undermine my authority in front of my team.

“We have contingencies,” I respond calmly, though I’m seething inside. “But that’s not why I’m here.”

“How the hell did this happen?” he asks, clearly not hearing the last part of my statement. “How could there have been such an oversight? Are you so preoccupied with your new bride that you can no longer focus on work? And before you tell me that she runs a business herself, she has no idea what it takes to run one like this. Someone with as little education and the kind of background as hers?—”

“Enough!”

My dad’s mouth snaps shut, eyes widening at my sudden outburst. My hands fist at my sides and molten heat courses through my veins. Every protective instinct flares to life for a woman who started off as a stranger but followed me down this crazy path, putting her life on hold for me and my mother—a woman she didn’t even know at the time. Why? Because of her fucking earth-sized heart.

“Before we go down a path we can never come back from, Dad, I’d like to make something clear once again. My relationship with Piper is off-limits. I will not tolerate you dragging her into any of our conversations, unless it’s with the utmost respect. That woman has shown me more compassion and affection than you have in years. So, you either speak of her with respect or you don’t speak of her at all.” I pause, lettingmy words sink in. “As for your insinuation about my focus, it’s both insulting and unprofessional. The manufacturing delay is affecting companies globally, not just us. Like I said, we have contingencies.”

“What do you mean ‘a path we can never come back from’?” he repeats my words, seeming not to have heard anything else past those.

Well, if truth bombs are what he’s goading me for, then those are what he’ll get. After all, I’d already decided I wasn’t going to walk away from this fight.

“I mean a relationship we may not ever have, let alone mend,” I say, keeping my voice steady. “The fact of the matter is, Dad, you don’t trust me. You’ve never believed I was good enough to fill your shoes. Despite the number of times I’ve proven myself, you refuse to relinquish control. And this isn’t just in regards toMenon Inc., it applies to everything in my life, including my decision to marry Piper.”

He starts to speak but I barrel forward. “For years, all I’ve received from you are your impossible standards and ever-changing expectations. Not love, not encouragement, not even your support. And I don’t mean financially; I mean emotionally, mentally.”

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