Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
My mother shook her head. “How can you turn your back on your family this way? In our time of need. When did you become so cruel?” She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand.
Mr. Calloway could officially retire tomorrow and live the rest of his life in a level of luxury I couldn’t comprehend. They had more money than some small nations. None of these theatrics was truly about helping his family in their time of need. They’d lost control over their son and couldn’t handle it.
Ryder’s stoic mask slipped a fraction. He’d stayed firm and appeared unaffected, but the hits had to be bruising his heart. I was the grumpy asshole who didn’t give a shit what people thought of me. Ryder had a softer soul. Everyone loved him. For his own family to attack his character had to hurt.
He sighed and looked down at me. A silent question passed between us.
Should we go?
Yes.
Simple as that.
Ryder took my hand and tugged me to my feet. “We are going to head home. I think it would be wiser to have dinner another time when tensions have cooled. Please give the chef my apologies.”
“You may only return to this house once you’ve come to your senses. Otherwise, you’re not wall… well… welcome,” his father spat out before shifting his attention to me. “Don’t drag him down to the gutter where you reside. He was born for more.”
His mother didn’t speak but nodded in agreement.
Ryder gasped. “Dad, what the fuck?”
Mrs. Calloway reared back at her son’s use of profanity. “Ryder! Language!”
Really? That’s what she cared about?
“How can you two—”
I turned to Ryder and placed my hand on his chest, stopping whatever he’d been about to shout at his parents. Shame and heartache were written all over his face.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered to me, his voice full of agony.
And that’s what rocketed me to my limit.
Fuck this conversation and fuck these people. I didn’t give two shits what they said or thought about me, but to make Ryder feel like he had to apologize to me for their cutting words?
Hell no. I pressed a gentle kiss to his lips before facing his fuming parents. “Ryder will return to this house when you pull your heads out of your asses.”
Mrs. Calloway gasped and pressed a hand to her heart.
Whoops. Too rude? Too controlling? Did I mention I wasn’t one to stand back and take bullying from anyone? Apparently, that included my boyfriend’s father.
“Young man, this has nothing to do with you,” Mrs. Calloway said as she looked down her nose at me despite being seated while I stood.
“Maybe not, but I’m here because your son wants me to be here.” It seemed I wasn’t done telling these people off. I stepped closer. “Do you have any idea who he is? What he loves and is passionate about?”
His father narrowed his eyes but didn’t respond. Nor did his mother.
“Have you ever seen him working with kids? Maybe at the LGBTQIA+ youth center where he’s been volunteering for years?”
His mother blinked. “I thought you’d done that for an assignment back in college.”
Ryder scoffed and shook his head.
“Maybe if you spent two minutes trying to get to know your son instead of thinking of nothing but business, you’d realize what an amazing man you raised. I’m sure others can fill the CEO position… men and women who’ve worked at your company for years and would love the challenge. You can’t see past your ego to how this job is consuming him. It’s stealing the life he wants and replacing it with the life you wanted for him. And last time I checked, that makes you pretty damn selfish humans and shitty parents.”
I sank my teeth into my lower lip. My heart hammered against my chest as adrenaline coursed through my veins. Someone needed to shut me up before I went too far, though, by the purple shade of Mr. Calloway’s face, I might already be there.
Everyone in the room stared at me as though I were a lone performer on stage beneath a bright spotlight. My face flamed. I could only hope it didn’t look as flushed as Mr. Calloway’s. The man’s head looked seconds away from blowing straight off his neck.
From behind me, Ryder slid his hand into mine. “We’re leaving.” His voice sliced through the tension with a harsh finality.
Shit. I had gone too far.
He tugged, and I followed without question, nearly running to keep up with his rapid clip. We raced through the hall and past a startled D’Angelo, who got a quick wave from Ryder as goodbye.
The heavy arched door loomed in front of us, a beacon of freedom from this golden house of misery. But with each step we took, my heart dropped lower in my chest. Ryder radiated waves of fury and frustration. How much of that was due to me jumping in and running my mouth where I shouldn’t have?