Page 63 of In the Safety's Zone
“You’d really lie on me with me here and think I’m going to let it slide? Dad, get out. You and Mom need to find alternative accommodations after tomorrow because I’m checking y’all out of your suite tomorrow.”
“You’re what?!”
“The match is over. You don’t need to spend another four days in England especially on my dime. You want to stay, pay for it yourself.”
He took another step toward where I was sitting on the couch. “You ungrateful—”
Anthony and my father were about the same height but that football strength was something crazy. My father was yanked up by his collar with his feet dangling before he could finish saying whatever bullshit was on his tongue.
“Ion’t know how them folk up north do it. But in the south, you call my ol’ lady out her name and that’s grounds for me to put belt to ass. You might wanna tone this hootin’ and hollerin’ down ‘round my girl.” He shook my dad slightly before setting him back on his feet.
My dad’s face was the deepest red it could get while he was still drawing oxygen into his lungs. He looked at me thinking I was going to say something but I agreed with every word that Anthony spoke. I stood behind my decision to cut them off tomorrow. Who would continue to fund their parent’s vacation only so they could criticize their every move?
“This punk is going to be your downfall. He’s gonna do you just like he’s probably done to plenty of women. He’ll fuck you, ‘cause your ditzy ass don’t know any better, and use you as a cum—”
Anthony’s fist was in my father’s jaw before either of us could realize it. Even with the easy way my father fell to the ground from the force I could tell by the way Anthony’s fist was clenched that he hadn’t hit him as hard as he wanted to.
He’d probably done that out of respect for me but I wouldn’t have cared.
Anthony kneeled over my father, his hand going to the Persian rug on the ground before he spoke. “I told you to keep respect on your tongue when you spoke on Aphrodite but you wanna be hardheaded. That hard head made a soft jaw. Keep fuckin’ with me. Ain’t but one person in this room got more respect for Aphrodite than me and it sure as fuck ain’t you. Just cause you treat her a certain way doesn’t mean the rest of the world don’t see her as the remarkable woman she is. Now get the fuck out before I make a scene and drag you out this bitch.”
He stood up and folded his arms waiting on my father to do what he said.
With a surprised look on his face, my father’s eyes landed on me like he thought I was going to say something. “Aphrodite?”
“Put some ice on that before it swells. I know that hurts.”
That was all I had for him. He needed to do exactly what Anthony said because I wasn’t stepping in to save him anymore.
Slowly he rose from the ground glancing between the two of us like we were going to jump him. Backing up to the door he nodded his head as though he were outwardly affirming all the bullshit I know he was talking about us in his mind.
“You got that young blood. Just remember when this shit hits you in the face, Aphrodite, I won’t be there to protect you.”
“Bet, she's got me now. Get the fuck out.” Anthony nodded toward the door of the suite and my father left without saying anything else. Anthony walked to the door and locked it before turning to me.
“Probably not smart to stay on this island.”
“Why you say that?”
“Your daddy got a vindictive spirit. This ain’t the way I wanted my first meeting with him to go but it was inevitable. He needed to see you had somebody besides Billy that wouldn’t takehis shit. Trust I understand cause she had to get my mama in check there for a minute.” He pulled out his phone and started touching something on the screen giving me time to think.
I could only nod because I knew his mother was a sore spot in his heart. Since my parents were already fucking up we weren’t going to drag his scars into it too.
“I was already planning on coming to see you. I just need to get a return flight.”
“Nah, picking you up like that got my mentions blowing up. My people already called to let me know the media is at my condo trying to get a scoop so that ain’t the move.”
“Where you think we should go?”
He smiled like my trust in him to handle this was the greatest gift in the world to him.
“I know a place. We gone get showered, I’ll grab my stuff from my room and see how fast I can get us out of here.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Escape to Paradise
APHRODITE
