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"Meatif saying that will make you eat it"
"You’re too much like your mother in some ways"
"And toobuttons until the oven preheat lights co to take an hour to bake Can you o out to eat?"
"Nope" Flipping through three cupboards before finding the glassware, he pulls two glasses out and pours each to a third full with the amber liquid He never drinks hard liquor "Neither of us are leaving this kitchen until you explain why you were arrested"
My stomach drops "How did you--"
"Told you, I’m not deaf Besides, Ivy promised you weren’t hurt, but you were in trouble It wasn’t hard to put two-and-two together" He sets both tus the chairs out, and sits "Let’s hear it, frouy is involved, because I’ he’s at the center of it"
Crap Dad’s never been one for delays, so I shouldn’t be at all surprised
"So?"
I pour the whiskey back, gri at the unpleasant burn It’s not nearly as unpleasant as this conversation is going to be "Re last week?"
"It’s not that bad, actually" I scoop a ood"
Dad twirls his fork in his hand absently "The IRA, Aht now"
"See? This is why I lied in the first place"
His answering glare is full of exasperation "And now you’re actually carrying on with thisRiver What kind of name is that anyway? Doesn’t sound Irish"
"I like it, actually It suits hi?"
I roll my eyes Dad’s sarcastic side can be pretty predictable "He saved my life, Dad If it hadn’t been for River, you would have been flying here anyway, only it’d be to visit me in the hospital or collect my body"
The cords in his neck tense "Because of his brother"
"Yes, his brother Not River He had nothing to do with it or with those people Conde me for that mess with Jesse and Alex You knowthe one that cost you your job?"
"My choices are what cost me my job," he mumbles "I can’t blame Jesse for that"
"Yeah, so Alex told mefinally," I say softly "I knohat you did, Dad"
His gaze flashes to me "I’m not proud of what I did but, to be clear, it was the best way to protect everyone under the circumstances"
"How do you know that?"
"I just do And we’re not talking abouton here in Ireland I know you’re twenty-five years old and I can’t dictate what you do anymore, but your mother and I raised you to be better than this Just associating with this family is a bad idea, A You’ve been arrested for lying to a police officer!"