Page 41 of I Summoned A Demon For A Date?!
I became aware of a warm weight covering my hand. Aldaine had placed his palm over mine where it clutched the table edge. The touch anchored me, drew me back into mybody. My fingers were tingling from gripping the table so hard.
"Breathe," he murmured, so softly only I could hear.
I drew in a shuddering breath, only then realizing I'd been holding it. The oxygen made me dizzy.
Stephany recovered first, yanking herself free of Roger's arm. "Fine," she hissed, her face twisted with genuine fury now. "If that's how you want to play it, fine. But don't think for a second this changes anything."
She directed the last part at me, naked hatred in her eyes. It should have frightened me, but instead, I felt oddly calm. Whatever power Stephany had held over me, the power to make me feel small, to make me doubt myself, seemed to have evaporated in the sun of my father's unexpected defense.
She turned on her heel and stalked from the room, Roger scrambling after her like an oversized, confused puppy.
In their wake, the tension in the dining room broke. Conversations resumed, though in hushed, excited tones. I caught fragments:
"—never seen Denis stand up to any of them?—"
"—about time someone called out that Roger fellow?—"
"—going to be a very interesting wedding?—"
My father remained standing for a moment longer, looking oddly lost now that the confrontation was over. Then he picked up his newspaper, tucked it under his arm, and walked around the table toward me.
Everyone watched, barely pretending not to. When he reached my chair, he paused, looking down at me with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"Rosie," he seemed at a loss for words.
Instead of speaking, he placed his hand briefly, awkwardly, on my shoulder. Then he nodded once, as if confirming something to himself, and continued out of thedining room.
Jan followed him, pausing as she passed my chair. "We should talk. Later."
I could only nod, still too stunned to form words.
As they left, I became aware of Aldaine's hand still covering mine, warm and solid. The weight of it drew my attention back to him. His eyes, when I met them, were dark and intent, studying my face with such focus I felt my cheeks heat.
"Are you alright?" His voice pitched for my ears alone.
Was I? I had no idea. It felt like I'd walked through a door into a different reality, one where my father defended me and Jan admitted wrongdoing and Stephany didn't always win.
"I don't know," I admitted. My voice came out hoarse, as if I'd been screaming instead of sitting in shocked silence.
The charm in my pocket seemed to pulse warmly against my thigh. I reached down to touch it through the fabric of my dress, finding its solid outline reassuring somehow.
"I've never seen my dad stand up to them before," I whispered. "Not once, in all these years."
Aldaine's expression softened, though something fierce still burned in the depths of his eyes. "People can surprise you."
"Yes," I agreed, looking down at where his hand still covered mine. At the strange, undeniable connection I felt to him, despite everything. "They certainly can."
A server approached, offering more coffee. I accepted gratefully, wrapping my hands around the warm cup. The normalcy of the action helped ground me.
Rita slid into the chair next to me, her eyes bright with excitement. "Well," she leaned forward conspiratorially, "that was certainly more entertaining than the usual family breakfast. Are you okay, honey?"
I nodded, still not trusting my voice completely. The reality of what had just happened was still sinking in.
I felt Aldaine shift beside me, a subtle movement thatsomehow communicated his intent to give Rita and me space to talk. But before he could stand, I found myself reaching out, catching his wrist.
"Stay. Please."
His eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering across his features. Then he nodded and settled back into his chair, his presence solid and reassuring beside me.
