Page 39 of Three Stepbrothers Save Christmas

“Who do you hate, Sweetheart?” I ask, trying to provoke what she needs to shout.

“You!” she yells in my face as she stares at me with a hatred I never thought would be possible from her sweet blue eyes. “I hate you!” she punches my chest again, but this time, there’s a small sob that escapes her.

“You don’t hate me,” I tell her softly.

“I do!” she cries as she punches my chest again. “I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!”

“You can scream it louder than that,” I tell her, noticing that each time she tells me she is getting closer to that break in her defences that she needs.

“I hate you!” She screams louder right in my face.

“Louder,” I tell her.

“I hate you!” she screams louder again.

“Louder!” I yell this time.

“I. Hate. You!” she screams at the top of her lungs. Her whole body goes ridged as she starts screaming and can’t seem to stop. All those years of hiding her feelings and bottling it up because of her arsehole of a father come pouring out of her, and I barely manage to hold on to her as she continues to scream. My eyes fill with tears as I see how much I have let her down. This woman has been in our lives for five years, but I never saw how much pain she was in. I never realised how unloved she felt. Well, never again, that I can swear on her life as I will never let her feel pain like this again.

“Let it all out, Sweetheart. I’ve got you,” I whisper in her ear as she gasps for breath.

“I hate you,” she whispers, her throat harsh from screaming.

“It’s not me you hate, Sweetheart.”

“I hate you,” she whispers and as her voice finally breaks and I see that first tear fall, I know we are finally getting through to the pain.

“Who do you hate?” I ask quietly, looking into her red, tear-filled eyes.

“Him.” That’s all she manages to gasp before her whole body starts to shake, and she breaks down in my arms.

“I know, Sweetheart. Let it all out. Cry as much as you need to. I’ve got you; I’m right here. I promise I have you,” I whisper into her hair as she grips my shirt, burying her face into my chest as she screams, cries and shakes. I hold her as tight as I dare, whispering words of encouragement, telling her that it’s okay to cry, to have feelings and throw tantrums. I’m here no matter what. I turn my head to see Ethan and Ryan standing beside me, looking heartbroken as they watch the girl we care so much about falling apart.

“Go fill him in. He needs to understand,” I whisper over Verity’s sobs. Ryan nods and tells Ethan to follow him. I know what I just did will seem extreme to him, and I hope that he will understand after hearing what Henry said to her.

As the door closes I feel Verity stiffen in my arms.

“They aren’t leaving; they're just going to give us some space,” I whisper into her hair. She is no longer screaming; it’s just a continuous quiet sob.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here. If I had known, I wouldn’t have gone. I’m here now, and I am never leaving you again. Do you understand that, Sweetheart? I’m never leaving.”

“You all leave eventually,” she whispers into my shirt as she continues to cling to it.

“Not anymore. Now I know what you need; I’m going to make sure you have it.” I reposition her slightly so I can look into her bloodshot, swollen eyes.

“You want and need someone to look after you, to be here for you on your good and bad days. You want to feel loved and protected, and I’m here for all of that.” Verity goes to look away, and I know she doesn’t believe me, so I gently cup her face with my hands, forcing her head in my direction.

“Look at me. You want all of that, and I am here for it. You want a Daddy to love you, then you have me. I will give you all those things because I love you. I have for a while and thought I was doing the right thing by hiding that. Well, I’m done with that bullshit. I am yours as much as you are mine. If you want the guys as well, that’s fine, but you will only have us, no one else. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Verity nods slowly, and I pull her into my chest.

“Good. Now, this is what’s going to happen. You are going to take all the time you need. If you want to scream, cry, or continue to punch me, you do whatever you need to. I never want to hear or see you hiding your feelings again. You need to let off some steam; come see me, and I will take it all. Don’t listen to the bullshit that no one wants to see you cry. If you want to cry, then cry, understand?”

Verity nods against my chest as I kiss the top of her head.

“Glad we are on the same page. After you have taken all the time you need, the four of us are going to sit down and have a long chat. Things are going to change around here, and we all need to be in agreement.” I run a hand up and down her back as I continue to shower her in affection when she needs it the most. “You aren’t dancing tonight. I’ve already organised for the school to know, and they know you may not be there tomorrow night either. If things change, we will call them then, okay?”

Again, she nods into my chest. I press a kiss on her hair again before reaching over and picking up the doll. It’s a blonde-haired rag doll in a pink tutu with pink ballet shoes. As soon as I saw it in the shop window, I had to get it for her. It was just a small present I hoped would make her smile.

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