Page 56 of His to Love
Next to me, Tyson’s body tensed. It didn’t take a genius to figure out I had just pissed him off.
I twisted so I could meet his eyes. They were dark, narrowed, and his lips were pressed into a white line. A muscle jumped in his jaw.
“And?”
I nervously ran a hand through my hair, fidgeting with the fine hairs at the back of my neck. “Perhaps that wasn’t the best way to begin.”
His slowly arched brow was his only response.
Inhaling deeply, I blew out a breath from puffed out cheeks.
“So, my mom is really ill. When I first got into town, the day my dad stopped by my hotel room,” I paused and waited for recognition from Tyson of that morning. When I got nothing from him, my pulse spiked further. “Okay. So that day I went and saw my mom to check in on her and everything. She requested that I give a man they had chosen for me a chance. Said she wants to make sure that I’m taken care of when she passes.”
I blinked away the quickly forming tears in my eyes and looked to my beer.
“And you said yes,” Tyson said. His shoulders pulled back as if trying to push away from me even though I was leaning on him. “Of course you would.”
He ran a hand ran down his face and dropped his head to the back of the couch, eyes closed. I reached out and rested my hand on his chest, right above his heart. I could feel the strong thump beating inside him.
“Only to appease her, and I didn’t say yes to the marriage, just that I’d consider it. We had only just seen each other.”
“He’s playing you.”
There was no need to clarify who he was talking about.
“My father is,” I admitted, nodding. I took my hand from his chest and went back to picking at the bottle label. “Can I tell you something important? About my family?”
He turned his head, narrowed eyes on me. His lips twitched, like he couldn’t figure out how to respond. I took that as my cue to continue. I shifted so I wasn’t leaning on him, but still facing him. I was close enough that his hand rested on the back of my neck, fingers trailing through my hair.
“My dad is stepping down.” Those fingers tensed in my hair. They dug into my scalp slightly but not enough to sting. “I don’t know why, but I think that because of my mom, he’s just had too much to deal with. Or maybe it’s time. I don’t know. I heard something tonight about other families thinking he’s growing weak. Anyway, he’s handing down everything he’s built to someone else. They want me to marry the man who’s going to take over to keep someone from the family still connected…” I paused, bile rising in my throat as I continued with a scoff, “They want to ensure another Galecki can someday take over.”
“Fucking hell,” Tyson groaned and slid his hand out of my hair.
His feet dropped to the floor, his elbows hit his knees, and his head hit the palms of his hands. He scrubbed his hair wildly while he visibly shook to stay in control. “He’s using you like fucking cattle.”
The thought made me sick. He wasn’t altogether wrong.
“I went on a date with Malik, the man who’s stepping up to lead.”
His head snapped toward mine, and those dark blue eyes turned absolutely glacial. “When?”
The inside of my cheek found its way between my teeth and I chewed on it nervously. “That Monday you were out of town,” I admitted with a quiet voice.
Tyson pushed off the couch and paced the living room. I sat there, wide-eyed and stunned at his demeanor and the way his hands kept flying to his hair. He growled indecipherably except for the curse words falling from his lips.
I managed to take a few sips of my beer, before disliking the taste while he ranted and raved to himself, continuing to pace back and forth.
“Tyson?” I finally asked when his anger seemed to be a reaching a boiling point. “I told him I wouldn’t do it.”
He froze mid-step and spun to look at me, hands falling to his hips. “When?”
“Tonight. When my father said Malik has to take me to the benefit.”
His nostrils flared and his chest heaved. “And you said?”
The question lingered in the air. From my silence, Tyson figured out the answer. “Fucking hell, Blue.”
He shook his head, and I clambered from my perch on the couch to walk toward him. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, lifting my hand and placing it on his chest. His heart was beating much too fast. I knew this would upset him, I just hadn’t realized how much.
