Page 116 of Emergence and Ascendance

“Do you want to talk about it?”

My eyes fastened to hers, noticing tears were forming before she shook her head. When one of those damn tears escaped, I got pissed but kept my composure. “Tell me why you’re crying.”

Scotlyn’s relationship with her father wasn’t the best, but regardless, he was still her father. I understood having a love-hate relationship with a parent. That was the case with both of mine, and when our father died last year, I felt indifferent. I stood at his grave with my siblings and didn’t even shed a tear.

He spent his last few years in a facility with round the clock care because of his condition. I never visited.

I had very few memories of him loving and nurturing me. It was different for my sisters but even they were divided. Both Jona and Cress spent their lives trying to live up to our parents’ incredibly high standards for what their children should be and never quite measured up in our parents’ eyes.

If Scotlyn was crying because the loss of her father hurt, I could deal with that. But if she was crying because he hurt her once again, that was an entirely different thing.

“I hate him so much…” she said quietly before adding, “But I don’t know how not to love him too.”

“Both are valid. What do you need?” I pressed my forehead to hers.

“To leave. I want to stay for Val and Alex but I just really don’t think I can be here for any of this. I know that makes me look like a horrible daughter but…”

“It doesn’t. There’s no script with this shit, Scot. You can feel however you want and there’s not a damn person in this worldwho can judge you for those feelings. If they do, they can see me.”

“You can’t fight the world for me, Christian.”

“You sure about that?”

She smiled and sighed. “I’m sure.”

“Tell me what you need.”

“Is your jet still here?”

“Yeah…”

“Can we leave?”

“We can but you sure that’s what you want?”

When she didn’t answer right away, I made the decision for her. “How about we stay the night and see how you feel in the morning? If you still want to leave, we can.”

She nodded and tightened her arms around my neck. “Can you give me something to distract me from all this? Just for a little while.”

“Yeah, I can do that.” I kissed her. “Come on.”

I lifted Scotlyn off the counter, wrapped her in my arms, and dropped a kiss on top of her head. “Are Alex and Valerie staying with you tonight?”

“Alex won’t if you are, Val might.”

“Would you rather I get us a suite?”

She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. We can stay here. I’m going to see what their plans are.”

“Aight, I’m going to make a few calls. I didn’t bring anything with me…”

Scotlyn frowned, as if just considering that, and I kissed her temple. “Go talk to them. I’ve got this covered.”

While she talked to her siblings, I made arrangements to get some stuff brought to me. By the time I was done, both Alex and Val were gone, which worked in my favor, because for the next couple hours I planned on providing the distraction Scotlyn apparently needed.

twenty-one

Scotlyn.

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