Her body shook with laughter.
“You’re hilarious,” she said.
“Tell me how the meeting with Pissy and Velveeta went,” I asked.
Her head shot up. “Wow. You are definitely Team Violet.”
“Damn straight, woman.”
She settled back down on my chest and told me all about her call. About the comment Missy had made about the hotel room in New York when a family vacation had been planned, but she was expected to pay for herself while her other siblings were paid for. I was appalled at the way they’d treated her.
I fucking hated them for doing that to her.
I could picture a young Violet, all stoic and brave, acting like her shield would protect her, but I knew she probably went home and cried alone that night.
I was enraged on her behalf.
“It felt good to remind her of how it all went down,” Violet said.
“You aren’t one to usually hold back. What is it about your family that’s different?” I asked.
She tipped her head up to look at me. “I think that as a kid, I just felt like I didn’t fit in, and I probably thought it was due to something I’d done. I don’t know. I figured my dad rejected me because there was something wrong with me.” She sighed. “But now that I’m older, I realize it has nothing to do with me. I was a baby when he left. And I sure as hell am not going to apologize for being born.”
“Damn straight. I’m guessing your stepmom just resents the fact that he had a family before her. But I can’t imagine turning my back on Harper just because I met someone else. There’s nothing that would ever make me walk away from my baby girl,” I said.
She nodded. “Yeah. Seeing the way you are as a father has really opened my eyes. He’s not the victim in the situation. He’s a weak man who hasn’t stepped up for me. I don’t respect that. And I don’t need to try to make something work when it’s terrible. What am I even fighting for? They can take me or they can leave me. I don’t need my father’s love to survive. I’ve survived a long time without it.”
“Trust me when I tell you, it’s his loss.”
“The tricky part is that I have siblings that I love. And they have a different relationship with my father and Missy, so it makes things a little more complicated.”
“I get that. But you can have boundaries for what you’ll tolerate,” I said.
She smiled. “I can’t believe we’re talking about this stuff. Especially after the orgasms.”
I laughed and said, “I’m glad you’re sharing this with me.”
“It’s a lot, Charles. But we’re not talking about them anymore, because today is a happy day. Especially after this epic surprise.” She blew out a breath. “So, you either need to feed me now, or I’m going to get up and ride you like a stallion.”
“Can I take both?” I asked.
“Good answer.” She laughed as she moved on top of me.
My fingers interlaced with hers, and it was on the tip of my tongue to tell her how I felt.
I am in love with Violet Beaumont.
But it wasn’t the time to tell her just yet.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Violet
“Well, I’ve received twelve calls from Missy Beaumont today while you two have been over at the venue mapping things out.” Blakely pursed her lips. “She’s a real piece of work, Vi.”
I chuckled. “Oh, trust me. I have years of therapy that supports this statement.”
“She is so impatient. She asked me if you’d checked the hotel reservation four times. I assured her you have checked. What is her deal?” she grumped, which was rare because Blakely was never in a foul mood. But no one knew more than me how difficult Missy could be.
