Page 30 of Lovely Deceit

I was hoping Keegan and his father would leave after we ate, but apparently, I’m not that lucky. I’ll just have to corner my father another time to dive deeper into the questions I’ve so been wanting to ask him.

“Well, if you’re not going to bring it up…” Leon Forbes states gruffly, peering over at his longtime frenemy.

Dad stiffens then glowers back. “I was picking the right time.”

“Now is as good a time as any. They should be thrilled.”

Warning bells instantly go off in my head, but I refuse to peer over at Keegan.

My father reaches his hand out to me, and I glare at it for a moment. “Del—Edie,” he says, shaking his head.

I rip my hand back just as I was reaching out to him.

“Listen, honey,” he starts.

Leon Forbes cackles. “Quit coddling her, Astor. It’s no wonder she left before. You let her get away with everything.”

“Excuse me?” I mutter.

Leon turns his dark eyes on me. “You heard me, and I want you to know I won’t tolerate that kind of insolence when you bear the Forbes name.”

The ringing in my ears intensifies. The sharp look Leon gives me is like a spear to the chest. For a moment I’m out of my body, peering down at the four of us. I finally understand what all this was for, Keegan and his dad here with us.

They expect me to marry Keegan now that Dee is dead.

I shake my head.

“I told you I would break the news,” Dad snaps, his face reddening to a bright crimson.

Leon leans back as the waitress sets his coffee in front of him. “They’ll be thrilled to have the families come together again.”

“I’m not Dee’s replacement,” I seethe. I peer over at Keegan, and I can’t get a read on whether he knew about this ahead of time or not. His fists are tightly clenched against the white tablecloth. “The last thing I would do is marry your asshole son.”

This makes Leon laugh even louder. “It’s cute that you think you have a say. You’ll marry Keegan. You’ll be his perfect little housewife, paying the nannies to watch the kids.”

My stomach heaves, and I glower up at him. “The hell I will. I’m not a Forbes showpiece.”

“Well, that’s obvious. I would’ve preferred Delilah, even if she was a little headstrong, but you’re—”

“No.”

All of our gazes lock on Keegan who’s shaking his head. Sweat dots his temple, the sheen morphing his face. Pale is an understatement.

Bloodshot eyes lock onto his father’s. “I’m not marrying Eden.”

Leon reaches out and yanks on Keegan’s arm. “You’ll do as I say. It’s what’s best for both families.”

I turn toward my own father, who looks confused, tension radiating off him. “Dad, you can’t possibly want this… You know Delilah actually loved him. I can’t stand him.” When I was wondering if he actually thought about my future at all, I wasn’t thinking this. Though, I’m surprised the idea never popped into my mind. Of course Leon wouldn’t care. He just needs a female body attached to the right name. “I’m not going to be Keegan’s wife, Dad. I’m not going to watch him cheat on me every day and sit home miserable, taking care of everything while he goes out and schmoozes with people like you.”

His eyes widen as he stares at me. The picture I painted is of every man with a formidable last name that I’ve ever known—including him.

“I’m not going to be happy decorating the house and planning parties while having harmless flirtations with the pool boy!”

“Edie…there are things you don’t understand.”

“Then make me! But if you think for one second that a life with Keegan is a life worth living, you don’t know me at all. You already have one dead daughter, and if this happens, I might as well be dead, too. I’llneverforgive you.”

He blanches, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

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