Page 18 (1/1)

"That’s not the point," my father hisses His face is flushed andout of his forehead "What happens next, huh? Who’s going to take care of you? You’re a grooman with no skills, no bankable assets other than a pretty face, and even that’s already on the wane"

I gasp, feeling the chill of the truth strike one He catches hi his voice "I’es a concerned tone "Can’t you see? All couples fight, it’s part of every relationship But one little disagreeether"

He takes a step closer, reaching for ly Suddenly, the anger is gone, and his face is the picture of fatherly worry "Your wonderful house, all those trips you take together You have a good life with him, I couldn’t bear it if you made a rash decision now and then spent the rest of your life regretting it You are getting older," he adds with an aard chuckle "I’oodI’ve already told myself, and it’s no less true than whenontothat can’t be overcoood ain, dise is about coive him a chance"

"I already did," ave hio back to him, Dad I won’t I don’t love him"

"Since when does that matter?"

I look back at him in shock

"Oh, come on, Carina, we’re both adults" My father rolls his eyes, as if I’ "Your sister et swept up in all that soulmate nonsense, but you and I both know only fools fall in love without looking first"

I shaketo admit that I’ me the truth

Haven’t I joked about it with my friends, that line from a Marilyn Monroe movie: it’s as easy to fall in love with a rich man as it is a poor one? We would all cluck under our breaths talking about a friend or classmate who’d thrown caution to the wind andside of the tracks To us, anything less than six figures and a trust fund was a failure; how else would we keep our bright, glossy lives running the ished?

Dad gives et cold feet, but let’s be honest, you’re running out of ti of failures, you’d be lucky to have a ed to hook hi "But you always did find a way of getting what you want Are you really going to throw all that hard work away?" he proa, you won’t be able toto block out his words He always had a silver tongue, he could char with hi," I try to explain "I don’t want to go back, I don’t want to coood reason," my father de coet paid on their own? Thatpanic rise in my chest I don’t want to tell him, but I can’t think of any other way to make him see just how impossible it is with Alexander My father thinks this is so out of proportion

"I can’t go back," I tell hi "He…" I stop "He hurtHe has to understand

My father looks away

"You had a fight, and things got out of hand," he says s my eyes "But he’s sorry, he wants to make it up to you Let him, pumpkin Go back and sort this out"

My blood runs cold

I stare at hi right here in front of hi him what happened, that this man hurt me

And he still doesn’t care

All he cares about is himself, and how the breakup will affect his life Like I’o obediently back to the , and for what? The promise of some investment deal? Tables at the best restaurants, party invitations and a charge account?

Is that all I’ inside ed wound so sharp I could cry

"You should go now," I whisper, turning away before he can see the tears stinging inin the dark"

"Not until you see sense," he insists, as if he’s still in the right