Page 96 of Mr. Frosty Pants
Joel lifted his chin. “Just give him time to realize it on his own. How long will it be before he gets the picture? A month? At most a year, right? Casey’s not an idiot. He’ll see how little we have in common, and when things have cooled off between us—” Jonathan visibly winced, and Joel resisted the urge to smirk. He continued, “He’ll go on to find a wealthy, handsome man like Walker Ronson to be with.” Saying the words hurt, but hearing them stated aloud, he was even more certain they weren’t true. Caseylovedhim. He loved him wholeheartedly, and Walker Ronson and men like him couldn’t compete with what they shared.
“You don’t really believe that, do you?” Jonathan asked, snorting incredulously. He rolled his eyes, and his blond brows lowered darkly. “Have you met my son? He’s stubborn and has his heart set on you.”
“If that’s the case, then what do you hope to accomplish by cutting him off? You’re just going to make him dig his heels in even more. You should have heard him this morning. He’s determined to go out and get a job, use his savings to pay for tuition at UT, and move into my trailer with me!” Joel leaned forward, speaking slowly. “Don’t you see? You’re pushing him away, and if you’ll just let this happen, it will end on its own.”
Joel willed Jonathan to believe that his and Casey’s romance would end in a natural death. On paper, the outcome made sense because love didn’t fix everything and it didn’t make them a good fit. No matter what his heart said, no matter how much they loved each other, arguably theyshouldn’twork. Never mind that they did work, and theywouldwork if Joel had his way. It was still worth a try to convince Jonathan that he and Casey wouldn’t make it if it meant Casey could graduate from NYU.
“I told your father back in the day. I warned him that the two of you were drawn to each other like magnets. I should have moved us out of that neighborhood before Casey set his stubborn sights on you.”
Joel kept quiet.
“You’re an idiot, but it’s also clear that I’m an idiot as well.” Jonathan leaned forward and steepled his fingers together. “So, what are you proposing? I give my blessing and leave it to you? So you can, what? Sabotage this relationship in some way?”
“It won’t need to go as far as sabotage. It will naturally self-destruct,” he lied. It seemed absurd that he’d believed these words himself just a day ago. But now he felt certain that no matter how hard he was trying to sell this to Jonathan, both of them probably saw the truth: he and Casey were too far in, and always had been, for their love to die.
Jonathan laughed and shook his head. “Ah. Well, I’d call that shortsighted on your part. Do you really lack so much confidence in my son’s affections?”
Joel frowned. It almost sounded like Jonathan wanted Joel to fight for Casey. Like he wanted Joel to believe hecouldhave Casey forever. Why?
“Mr. Stevens, please. Allow Casey to return to NYU to finish his degree.”
Jonathan raised a brow. “He’s supposed to start at Wharton in the fall, but he’s told me he plans to stay here. With you.”
“I know. I understand why you want him to go to Wharton. Trust me, I’ll be in his rearview before it’s time for him to start there.” The lie felt so obvious. Jonathan had to see through it.
Joel already had a plan for the Wharton contingency: he’d sell Vreeland’s and follow Casey to Pennsylvania if he decided to follow his parents’ wishes and attend. Hell, Joel would follow Casey to the ends of the earth if he had to. But he couldn’t afford to pay his last semester at NYU; only Jonathan could do that.
Jonathan shook his head in obvious disbelief, his tongue clucking in his closed mouth, and Joel wondered if he’d failed in his mission. “Who made you feel so worthless? Your father?” He sighed. “I can believe it. He was always a bastard.”
Look who’s talking.Joel stayed silent.
Jonathan stood and turned to look out the window behind his desk. His powerful shoulders stretched out his suit jacket. “Well, whatever the case. Deanna isn’t happy. With me, I mean. She wants her boy home for the holidays. She wants him home whenever and however he’ll agree to come. Even if that means bringing you along with him. Say I do this. I just let you be together.” He kept his voice calm. “What guarantee do I have that you’ll cut him loose?”
“I won’t cut him loose. He’ll walk away. It’s just a matter of time.”
“For some reason, I don’t think that’s a bet I’m willing to make. But I’ll tell you what,” he said, turning back around. “I’ll add something to this to sweeten the pot. I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars if you break it off with him by New Year’s Eve.”
Joel shook his head, sickness rising within.
“Eleven thousand. Twelve thousand.”
“No.” Joel’s stomach churned. He wanted to punch the man for thinking Joel would turn his back on Casey for cash. “All I’m asking of you is that you have faith.”
“In what, exactly?”
“In my ability to fuck things up.”
Jonathan shook his head. “Let me tell you a story about Casey.”
Joel swallowed and kept his mouth shut.
“When he was a kid, he was stubborn as hell. He’d throw tantrums on his mother and me when he didn’t get his way. So, I did what my father did when I was a kid. Took a belt to him. Tried to force him to conform to what I wanted.”
Joel clenched his fists. He couldn’t believe Jonathan talked about that so casually. God, he really wanted to punch the smug bastard.
“It didn’t work. All it did is make him quiet. Now he doesn’t talk to me. Now he keeps his opinions and his life to himself. Now he goes behind my back and falls in love with the likes of you.”
“You knew he cared about me.”
