Page 80 of Unhinged Love

“She didn’t want to do it, but she ended up having a good time. She was feeling really good about herself. She was happy. Have you seen her looking happy since she moved in?”

“This does not absolve you,” he growls.

“I didn’t think it would. I’m just saying, I’m working really hard on making up for what I did. There’s no excuse. I can’t defend myself. I can only try to make up for it, because I really want to.”

He looks about as surprised as I feel. Hell, I wasn’t planning on saying any of that. I didn’t even know I was thinking it. But now that it’s out in the open, I feel how true it is. All I want now is to make her life a little better every day. One day at a time, until she’s everything I know she can be. I want her to give herself a chance.

Finally, Dad scrubs his hands over his face. “But you still sent those photos out.”

“I didn’t, I swear to God. It was somebody else—I was over at Kellan’s. I’ll give you the names of the people who were there, and they’ll tell you that one of the girls took my phone and went through it, probably because I told her off since she already bullied Elliana before you ever left for your honeymoon. I told her to get lost, and she was pissed. I would never have sent those pictures around to anybody. It’s bad enough I took them.”

“It’s terrible that you took them.”

“I know, Dad. Believe me. I know.”

He takes a deep breath before he starts to pace in front of the coffee table that sits between us. “Tell me one thing. Tell me you weren’t getting ready to hurt her when we walked in.”

My skin is crawling with humiliation. Talk about bad timing. But I feel worse for her. She looked like she wanted to stop breathing. “I was not getting ready to hurt her,” I murmur. “I will never hurt her again.”

He’s still staring at me like he’s processing that when the front door opens. My heart lodges in my throat, and I jump to my feet, expecting to see Elliana again. I just want to ask if she forgives me. I’ll beg if I have to.

But instead of two people walking in, there’s only one. Irene runs her hands under her eyes, glaring at me. “I do not even know what to say to you, Carter.” She goes to Dad, holding her arms out, wrapping them around his waist. “I’ve never seen her that upset. My poor baby. She doesn’t deserve this.”

“Where is she?” Dad looks over her shoulder, through the doorway leading out to the entry.

She pulls her head back, looking up at him. “I took her to a hotel. Best Western down the road. She needs some alone time.”

My jaw is practically on the floor. “You left her alone?” I can’t believe it. She comes in here, acting all tearful and heartbroken, but she left Elliana by herself?

“Excuse me.” Her eyes are gleaming when she turns my way. Like she was just waiting for an excuse. “Last I checked, young man, you are in no position to question anything I do. Some kind of sick pervert who would take advantage of an innocent girl like my Elliana. I can’t believe you would ruin our happy family like this.”

“Wait a second.” Dad holds up a hand like he’s calling for silence, staring at her the way I’ve been. “You left her? I thought the point was to support her. So she knows she’s not alone.”

When her face crumbles, I know what’s coming. She is almost disappointingly predictable. “Why are you getting mad at me?” she whines, and before long, tears fill her eyes. Right on schedule. “I am not the bad guy here! It’s my daughter who?—”

“Your daughter, who you dumped at a hotel when you supposedly care so much about her,” I mutter. This bitch.

Her gasp is ridiculously theatrical. “Are you going to let him get away with this?” she demands, staring at Dad. “Are you going to let him talk to me that way after what he’s done?”

“You shouldn’t have left her there,” Dad murmurs as his face falls. “You really shouldn’t have.”

“Unbelievable! He’s already turned you against me!” With a broken sob, she stomps her way out of the room. Her dramatic weeping echoes as she runs up the stairs. A door slams up there, and Dad sighs.

Before I can say anything—really, I don’t know what to say except to tell him I’m sorry he married who he did—he lets out a soft groan. “You heard her. The Best Western down the road. Somebody should go and be with her, so she knows she’s not alone. She’s already been alone long enough.”

I know we haven’t solved anything. This isn’t a family sitcom where problems are wrapped up in twenty-two minutes plus commercials. But for now, it’s enough that he’s willing to set everything aside so I can be with Elliana, which is the only place I want to be.

It only takes a few minutes to get there, and while I drive, I call her. “I’m on my way over to see you,” I tell her voicemail, since she’s not answering. “We’re gonna get through this. Don’t worry about anything.”

Why didn’t she answer? I hope she’s not too emotional. Who knows what Irene might’ve said? I shudder to think—I wouldn’t put anything past her.

I’m barely through the sliding doors and in the lobby before I bark, “I’m looking for my stepsister. I’m guessing she would’ve used my dad’s credit card to reserve a room. Elliana Montego is her name, but my dad is?—”

“I know your father is Chief Wilder,” the middle-aged bald man behind the counter tells me.

“Please, can you tell me which room she’s in? He sent me over here to see her.” I mean, it’s kind of true.

“We don’t normally give away information about our guests, but she’s in room 215.” He points me toward the elevator at the end of the lobby, and I take it up one floor, following the signs to find her room. It’s dead quiet up here, without anyone out in the hall. The perfect place for Irene to dump the daughter she doesn’t give a shit about.

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