Page 107 of Wish I Didn't Want You Back

I crossed my arms. “Do your worst. I’m not afraid of you.”

“You should be, because you are just like my daughter. You have no idea how the real world works.”

I laughed because this was so messed up, it wasn’t even funny. There was no remorse or regret. He would never admit that he was wrong because he didn’t believe he was. He wasn’t fit to be a parent. He only cared about trying to shape her into who he wanted her to be. Maybe he was right. I didn’t understand how his world worked. I’ve never been a pawn in a merger. I’ve never been pushed into a corner like her. He’s never tried to understand her. Hell, he barely acknowledged her until she decided to stand on her own two feet and walk away.

I used to think he was just overbearing and controlling, but this went much deeper. And I was so glad she finally woke up and removed herself from this life.

“You tried to force her back into a life that she didn’t want. When she didn’t bend, you made the decision to break her. That’s not doing what’s best for her. That’s you trying to stay in control. I’m done letting you interfere in our lives.”

He glared at me. “Are you done playing hero now? I’ve got work to do.”

I stepped closer but still kept a little distance between us. I didn’t trust myself. “I love her,” I said, my voice low and fierce. “Always have. I’m going to marry her. I’m going to protect her, and I’m going to make damn sure that you never get inside her head again. I might have been young and naive before, but I’m not stepping aside this time. So, I’m telling you one last time, if you come near her, I won’t just show up here with a warning. I’ll burn your whole fucked-up world to the ground.”

He didn’t move a muscle. He simply sat there with his smug expression, believing he still had a chance to win this round. He would never admit defeat, even though he had already lost.

“Good luck to you both.” He turned in his chair and picked up his iPad like he was trying to dismiss me. “If she ends up miserable and broke, tell her not to come crawling back to me for help.”

I stalked forward, leaned my head over his shoulder, and spoke into his ear. “She may not be rich, but she will never have to beg you for a fucking dime. I will make sure of it.”

For the first time, there was no snappy comeback. No smirk or arrogant dress down. Only silence.

“This is your final warning. Your reign over her ends today. Whatever power you think you hold over us is over. You can keep coming at me all you want, but if you so much as breathe in her direction, I won’t be so polite next time.”

I walked to the door, and with every step I took down the hallway, I felt the weight I’d been carrying for the past five years fall from my shoulders.

When I stepped outside and took my first breath of fresh air, I made a promise to myself that I would spend the rest of my life trying to undo the damage he did to her heart and state of mind.

It was time to put all this bullshit behind us and start moving forward.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

HARLOW

Ipulled up to the lake house and parked my new Nissan Rogue beside Brooks’ truck. Molly and I went car shopping earlier this week because if I was going to live in this town, I couldn’t keep begging people for rides.

I stared at the outside of the house. I hadn’t expected it to look so different. The construction trucks and building materials were gone. It looked like a brand-new home. Even the sidewalk pavers were new, and there were shrubs and flowers lining the front.

I should have known he was up to something when he told me to stay away from the house and focus on the wedding planning.

My phone buzzed in my purse as I walked up the driveway. It had been ringing nonstop since the media reported the story that Bartholomew Zimmerman was being brought in for questioning as a potential suspect for the vandalism of his ex-fiancée’s house. His face had been plastered all over the media, and Senator Zimmerman was running for cover while his campaign was falling off the rails.

As for my father, his reputation was unraveling, one headline at a time. The story was out there for everyone to see. The wealthand power he treasured most were slipping through his fingers faster than sand in an hourglass. The best part of all was that I didn’t have to do a single thing. They did it to themselves.

The afternoon sun was hitting the front porch, and I could hear the water from the lake lapping along the shore. A feeling of peace settled over me the second I stepped inside the house. I swung the door fully open and gasped.

The new hardwood floors were the first thing I noticed.

What did he do? I spun around in a circle, taking it all in.

The house was finished. You could smell the fresh paint everywhere, and it wasn’t just the walls that got a new look. There were pictures and decorations everywhere I turned.

I was in disbelief as I moved from one room to the next.

Brooks installed bookcases along the fireplace. There was a framed portrait of us along the main wall. He literally thought of everything. I pressed a hand to my heart, allowing the tears to spill over at the sight of my mom’s blanket folded over the back of the couch. I totally forgot about that knitted blanket. I had no idea where he found it, but I was too overcome with emotion to think straight.

I looked past the open room into the kitchen. He painted the maple cabinets white. Even the fixtures were new.

The door creaked open, and Brooks stepped inside. I wanted to weep at the sight of him.

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