“That’s not fair.”
“Does she cry when she thinks of leaving her husband?” I didn’t need to wait to hear the answer. I knew she didn’t. “Or is she the one pressuring you to let her move in? Because she’ll be so happy to be with you? I’ve met her husband, Dad. He’s not that bad of a guy. He’s a good coach too.” I paused a beat. He looked away. “He could’ve been my coach.”
“Stop.”
I was getting to him, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good. I shook my head. “Why this woman?”
“What do you mean?”
“She has you wrapped around her finger. Why her? Does she have magical lube or something?” I channeled Logan. “Is her vagina some fairyland for your prick?”
“Stop it. My god. You and Logan. You’re both so crude sometimes.”
I shrugged. “I say it how I see it. Sometimes.”
He shot me a look, tugging at his collar again. “I’m aware. You’ve been barely tolerable since the divorce.”
I snorted. “You mean since you started cheating. Wait, that’d be your entire marriage, wouldn’t it?” Even thinking about it was making me angrier. “Why’d you marry her? It’s obvious you didn’t love Mom. Did you think you did at some point?”
He closed his eyes and hung his head. His shoulders slumped downwards. “I tried. I really did, Mason. It just wasn’t meant to be.”
“You didn’t even try.”
“I did too. You have no idea. You don’t remember the beginning, dealing with her family, dealing with her father’s threats.”
“Right. Because Grandpa’s such a controlling ass**le.”
“He was.” The intensity in his eyes made me pause. He softened his tone and ran a hand through his hair. “He was before he died. Your mother never listened to me. It was their way before us. We were doomed from the start.” He grew bitter. “You don’t put someone else’s wishes before your partner’s. You don’t do that. When you marry, that’s your first priority. It should’ve been. I tried, but your mother didn’t see her loyalties like I did.”
“You thought you loved her?”
He grimaced. “I tried to love her.”
I grunted. He never answered the question.
Then he said, softly, “She got pregnant, Mason. That’s why we got married.”
She had been just another one of his women. A hollow laugh ripped from me. Fuck. I’d been the doom of them. I’d been the reason for all the pain for everyone. A lump formed in my throat and I swallowed it down. “That’s a hard pill to swallow. Shit.”
He shook his head. “I tried. I really did, Mason. Your mother wouldn’t take my side in things. She wouldn’t listen to me. It was about what her family wanted. To give Helen some credit, she’s the oldest daughter and they’re old money. They have a lot of expectations for her to live up to. I know that’s part of the reason she held onto our marriage as long as she did.” A soft curse slipped from him. “She’d still be here if I hadn’t ended it. I am sorry for how things worked out.”
“You gave up.”
“Mason,” he sighed.
“Were you ever faithful to her?”
He pressed his lips together and glanced away.
He couldn’t look me in the eyes. I was so tired of the lies and the manipulation. I was sick of everything.
Then he murmured, “I did try.”
“Not hard enough. What? A month?” I was disgusted. “That’s not a marriage. I don’t blame Mom for not giving up her loyalties to Grandpa. I wouldn’t either if my wife had another dick in her after a month of marriage.” I laughed. “What a riot. You tried. That might be one of the biggest lies I’ve heard from you.” It was killing me because he wouldn’t cheat on this new one. I had sensed it in him for a long time. He would be the husband to her that he hadn’t been for my mom.
“I am sorry for putting you guys through all of this. We should’ve been more discreet, your mother and I.”
“Just stop.” I sneered at him. I sneered at my own father. That was wrong, but somehow it seemed so acceptable in our lives. “I don’t want to hear about your failed marriage. I lived it. Say what you came to say.”
“She’s moving in.”
“When?”
“Next weekend.”
I felt sucker punched. We had less than a week.
“Do you want me to tell Logan or—”
I didn’t even let him finish. “No. I will.” He had to hear it from me. “I’ll tell him.”
He stood, nodding to himself. As he went to the door, he wiped his hands down the front of his pants and I had to laugh. He looked up. “What?”
It was like he’d been nervous, but that was the irony. It didn’t matter what we wanted or what was best for us, he was going to do whatever he wanted. We never mattered. For him to be nervous now? It didn’t make sense.
“What?” he asked again.
“I think you’re a coward.”