“Right, it’s about a girl half your age who’s young enough to be your daughter, so even if it’s not about me, it’s still sick. You’re sick.”
Jesus, that’s what people will say.
No. Fuck that thought straight to hell. Nobody would think it’s twisted like that. He’s just trying to crawl inside my head like he did with Piper. Playing the same manipulative games his grandparents taught him and trying to poison everything he touches.
“Do you think this is easy for me?” I bite out, the words tearing straight from my chest. “It’s not. It’s fucking not. Not even a little. But you need to hear me, and I mean really hear me. I went after her. I chose to take her, and I’m not going to hide it. Not from you. Not from anyone. She knows how I feel, and now it’s on you to figure out how to deal with it.”
“You do realize you’re swimming in waters I’ve already claimed multiple times, right?”
Kid’s got me there, but I’ve already made peace with that particular demon.
“You know…” he starts, laughing under his breath, shaking his head like the truth still stings. “I always knew you had a thing for her. I saw the way you looked at her, but I didn’t think even you would stoop this fucking low. And her? Don’t even get me started on that little whore. I bet she was so eager to spread her legs for you that she forgot whose bed she used to crawl into.” There’s no restraint in him now—just pure, vicious spite. “The truth is, you’ve probably done her a favor by taking her on. She’s used up now. Fucking her boyfriend and his dad just tells the whole damn world what she really is, and believe me, no one else is gonna want her after this.”
Red bleeds into my vision, and for a split second, I seriously consider whether I’m about to murder my own son. Not metaphorically, not even out of anger, but with my bare fucking hands.
The thought pulls me back just enough to take a deep breath.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Even then, my fists are still clenched, like if I let go, I’ll do something I can’t come back from.
“You can be mad at me, Travis. You can be as pissed as you want, but not at her. Never her. And you don’t ever speak about her like that again.”
“You seriously don’t see it, do you? You’ve coerced her and manipulated her. You’ve confused her until she couldn’t think straight. That’s the kind of man you are—a selfish, arrogant piece of shit who’ll screw over anyone to get what he wants.”
“I never forced her into anything, and you don’t get to rewrite that just because you don’t like the truth.” I look him dead in the eye as I continue. “You can’t help who you fall for, and I’m not walking away from her. If I’m hurting you in any way, if you actually care, then I’m sorry, okay? I’m fucking sorry. But I can’t stop how I feel about her, and I won’t step away, not even for you. Your happiness here doesn’t come above mine, not anymore.”
“God, she’s so fucking stupid. Did she tell you I warned her? I said if anything happened between you two, I’d make your life a living hell.”
“Do your worst,” I snap. “Doesn’t change a damn thing.”He steps forward, eyes burning with hate, yet I stay rooted to the floor.“But if I ever find out that you’ve threatened her again.”
Travis shakes his head and lets out another cold, humorless laugh before spinning on his heel and walking back toward the door.
“Did she also tell you the only reason I ever went after her was because I saw how you looked at her that night I met you at Callan’s?” he spits over his shoulder. “I won. For six months, I was balls deep inside her while you were alone. I took what you wanted just like you took everything from Mom. And when you’re dead and buried, which better be sooner rather than later, I’ll take this farm and sell it for a dollar just to watch it burn.”
I want to scream. I want to hit something. But more than anything, my heart shatters because I know, with everything I am inside—with every fucking breath in my body and every scar on my soul—that there’s no coming back from this.
Not for us.
Not this time.
And that’s not something I’m going to learn to live with easily.
“First-born son and all that bullshit you Crawfords live and die by,” he adds with a sneer, reaching for the door.
“In this case, it’s last-born sons, not just first anymore. Thinking it’s time I change a few things around here.” His brows knit together, like he doesn’t quite understand what he’s hearing. “As of this morning, Callan and Colton’s names are on the deed right alongside mine. If something happens to me, the farm goes to them, and they’ll never let you get your hands on it.”
“You can’t do that.” His face goes pale, completely drained of any color. “Grandpa would be turning in his grave if you changed that.”
“Actually, I think he’ll be toasting with the angels that his sons care enough about this place to make sure it always stays in the Crawford name and never ends up in the hands of a Beauford.”
