“Damien, I expected better than this,” Bradford tells him. “You were here to look after her, not get between her legs.” I can’t help but wince at the words. “If you leave, you will not be on the board of Thorne Corp. I cannot explain to them that my son is gallivanting with an eighteen-year-old child.”
“I am not a child,” I bite out, pushing to my feet. I can’t allow Damien to fight for me on his own. And I need Bradford to see that I’m willing to stand up for the relationship that’s formed between us. “You may not think this is real and, who knows what will happen in five or ten years, but I want to be with Damien. I love him. And if that’s not something you can accept, then so be it.”
He opens his mouth, then closes it, and I wonder, briefly, if he’s shocked that I just said what I did. Fire blazes in my veins, determination sinking into the marrow of my bones.
“Love is love. It doesn’t matter who it’s with.” Those are my final words before he turns away. He looks out of the window, surveying the garden below, as he seems to ponder my retort.
“I have a challenge for you both.” He glances at us. “If you leave, Damien, then you’re on your own. You’ll live together, and if you can survive a year alone, without the job at Thorne Corp, and still feel this way, I will allow it. And you will take over for me.”
“That’s easy enough,” Damien tells his father with the confidence of a soldier racing into battle. “And when I prove you wrong on every count, I want an apology.”
Bradford grins as if his son had just told him a joke. I’ve seen this man smile, but this isn’t an expression of happiness; it’s one of malicious satisfaction. He doesn’t believe we can do it.
“And you,” Bradford says, meeting my gaze. “I’ll pay for you to attend Oxford. Even though you’re truly a Haven now, because of who your mother is, I will not have a woman who’s standing beside my son go to some underrated school.”
“I can’t—”
“It’s not an option.” He waves me off. “If you can’t accept it, then you can walk out of here without my blessing.”
I want to argue and tell him that his blessing is nothing but his control over our lives. Even though his son is nearly thirty, he still treats him like a child. But I don’t. I accept it for what it is.
“Thank you.”
He dismisses us then, waving toward the door. Damien takes my hand. We make our way to the patio where we find Finn and Cass talking. They glance up, smiles on their faces. Finn stands, making his way toward me.
“Little sis,” he says, pulling me into a hug. “You’re official now.”
“What?”
“You and D,” Finn tells me as if I should’ve known that he knew.
“I’m happy for you both,” Cassian tells us, with a grin on his handsome face. His gaze lingering on Damien, and the happiness in his eyes sparkle playfully. Cass has always been the more reserved brother, whereas Finn was playful and almost immature.
But I wouldn’t have them any other way.
“I love you both,” I tell them.
“See, D-man,” Finn says, “She loves us more than you.” We laugh, as we settle into easy conversation about moving to London and our future together. And I know everything is going to be okay.
44
Damien
The private plane is quiet. The solace is welcome. Nesrin’s staring out of the window, and I have a feeling she’s about to start a conversation that’s been lingering in her mind for a while.
Since the night of the party, I know Creed set this in motion, and it’s time I finished it. But I don’t know how to bring it up without her prompting it. I rise, heading to the bar to grab a bourbon. With my back to her, I can feel her eyes burning into me.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” I respond, not looking at her. This is it. The moment of truth.
“What happened between you and Creed?” My chest tightens when I remember that night. When I recall watching my best friend take it a step too far, and the accident that caused us all to walk away.
“One night, when I had just turned twenty-one, Creed and I wanted to challenge each other in the forest. It was a duel of sorts.” I speak, looking through the small window—which is black—forcing me to see my reflection. “We took Gen and her sister to the woods, gave them a rose each and told them to run. Creed wanted her sister, and I had Gen.”
I finally turn to see her nose crinkle at my words. This isn’t going to be easy to hear, but I need her to know.