The moment is so many things. Hilarious because she doesn’t realize theboyfriendshe saw Poppy with is me. Endearing because she’s standing up for me. I don’t know why, but it really surprises me. I know Casey loves me, but this fierce protection I never expected.
She points a long finger, probably thinking about the door to leave, but it really just goes to the kitchen. “Get out!”
I hate knowing what I’m about to do will embarrass her, so I have to intervene. “Whoa, Case. Calm down.” Blond hair swishes around her shoulders as if caught in a violent wind, so I grip her face, dipping just enough to be eye level. “It was me you saw her with on Friday.”
Her mouth drops, but her eyes narrow on Graham. “You knew it was him,” she accuses. “Why would you let it continue? You know she has a boyfriend. She told us.”
Poppy stands, taking Casey’s hands. “Casey, don’t be angry with him. I lied. I don’t have a boyfriend. I never did, and I haven’t in years. The lie was stupid and had no purpose except that I had a mild case of reactive panic.”
“You lied?” Poppy nods, looking ashamed. “Why would you panic?” Casey looks confused, but the judgment in her eyes has gone.
“Because I do that sometimes for no reason. I was…I…” She looks at me, eyes pleading for help because she’s not technically allowed to say where she works.
“She was trying to get a job at a place that could cause problems with the ballet company,” I offer. “She didn’t want to put you in an awkward position.” I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s on par for Poppy.
“You have three jobs!” Casey yelps, not even acknowledging the part about causing problems, too surprised because, as much as Casey struggled—thanks to her stubbornness—I don’t think it occurred to her to get more jobs. In her defense, she also had school, but she’s currently deferred for a semester because of her role inSleeping Beauty.
“Yeah,” she sighs. “But Jagger saved my ass. And maybe my life.”
“Wait. How long have you two been…”
“We met a couple of weeks ago, Case,” I tell her before she can spiral. “I begged for almost two weeks until she agreed to spend time with me this weekend because she was worried about upsetting you and…” I let the rest hang in the air because her connection to Renee isn’t important right now.
“Begged my ass,” Poppy mutters. “You bulldozed, extorted, and blackmailed me.”
“Oh, my God.” Casey blinks, eyes wide and wet as they dart between us. Then, surprising me for a second time tonight, she launches herself at Poppy. “He didn’t save you. You saved him. Thank you.”
“Hey,” Lily yelps. “Why does she get thanks, and I got the silent treatment for months?”
Liam clears his throat. “Hey, Lil.” He drags his thumb over his throat a few times. “Not the same thing, babe.”
“Okay. Now that all that’s been handled, let me go deal with Dad, so we can head out.”
I kiss Poppy’s head and start up the stairs, but I’m not alone. “You don’t need to come play protector,” I tell Graham, refraining from adding my usual asshole remark. “I can handle him.”
“Wait,” he grumbles, grabbing my arm. “You think I’m coming to protect you?” His eyes roll as he drags a tired hand over his face. “Jagger, I’m coming to back you up and to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”
Try as I might, the intrusive, negative thoughts swirl, and the words I shouldn’t say spill. “Because that’s what I do. Stupid shit, right?”
“Can you go a fucking day without being so goddamn defensive?” Graham snaps. “I never said you’re stupid or you do stupid shit. But I’m also not an idiot. I can see it in your eyes, jackass. Every time you two get into it, you’re a second away from attacking him. I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret later.”
“Pretty sure I wouldn’t regret it,” I mutter and start climbing the stairs again.
“Yes, you would,” he argues, following me to the next floor.
Moments later, I open Dad’s office door without knocking. He’s leaned over a stack of paper, glasses perched on the end of his nose. He peers over the top of the wire-rimmed glasses, then pulls them off. Papers are slid across the desk, his finger pressed into them until it turns white. “Sign them. You refused the other day, so sign them now.”
The sound of me sucking my teeth moves between us. My anger is instant. “I’ll tell you what I told the lawyer. I’m not ready to sign them. Forcing the matter won’t make it happen any faster.”
The chair slams against the wall as Dad stands. “Why the hell are you fighting this? It was your idea. We did what we had to do in order to revoke Krista’s parental rights. Six months we’ve waited, and now that the papers are ready to be signed and filed, you want to back out.”
“And in those six months, I’ve changed my damn mind, okay? When I asked you to adopt him, I didn’t think I’d be able to move past what happened, but then I spent time around him and realized he wasn’t what fucking triggers me. You are.”
“I trig—Why the hell would I triggeryou? You are the one who slept with my wife under my roof.” His palm comes down on the desk. “You betrayed me. Do you really hate me that much?” He leans across the table with his fist holding his weight. “I provided everything you could ever need, and you fucked my wife as a thanks. And when you chose to shirk your responsibility—refused to be held accountable for your actions—I stepped up. I’ve raised that boy like he’s my own. No questions asked. Not you.”
My vision tunnels. I don’t know if I want to hit him or laugh.
“You’re right, Dad,” I scoff. “You didn’t ask questions. Not a single question. I told you the fucking truth, and you believedher!After every goddamn thing she’d done at that point, you still believed her over me.”
