Page 78 of The Relationship Clause

Owen. Should I…should I tell my dad about Owen? The thought hadn’t occurred to me before. The two of them feel like they live in completely different worlds in my head. I’ve never introduced my dad to any of my boyfriends in the past, I’ve barely talked to him about any of them, but with Owen, it feels like maybe I should.

Apprehension swirls in my belly as Dad’s familiar words come back to me as if he were saying them right now.

“Leave people before they leave you.”

Would he be disappointed that I’m dating someone seriously? Wait, am I dating someone seriously?

“When I’m with you, I feel like I want to try. I’m still really afraid I’ll mess this up, but I want to try.”

That’s what Owen said a short while ago. Words that freaked me out at first, but now…maybe I want to try too, for longer than just this weekend. And Dad will understand that. He worries, but he’ll be happy that I’m happy.

“Also,” I say, holding my breath, “I might want you to meet someone.”

There’s the slightest pause on the other end of the phone. “Oh? And who would this someone be?”

“Um, you know, a guy.”

Another pause, this one longer than the first. “I’d love to meet anyone you bring with you. Listen, sweetie, I’ve got to run. I’ll see you Monday, alright?”

“Okay. Bye, Dad. Love you.”

After hanging up, I take a few more moments to myself, standing by a potted bird-of-paradise. A waiter approaches me to see if I need something, but I wave him off.

There’s so much going on. Between Owen, my dad, and the mole, I can barely keep it all from crashing together inside me.

Fear coils in my belly.

“I’m not running away,” I tell myself. “One thing at a time. Just get through one thing at a time.” And the next thing I have to get through is this stupid dinner.

Sounds simple enough, but when I get back to the table, it’s clear something’s wrong. There’s a distinct tension, and Owen is scowling. His fists are curled and his jaw is clenched, blazing eyes set on his father.

“She wassa conniving, manipulative harpy from th’ beginning.” Fred’s words are slurred. His eyes are bright. I lost count of how many glasses of wine he had, but it’s obvious he’s over his limit. “I was too lovesick ta see it.”

I grimace and place a hand on Owen’s arm as I sit. He doesn’t seem to notice.

“You’re better off without her,” says one of his friends, clapping him on the back.

“Thatssright, I am.” Fred lifts his empty glass, then looks inside it as if surprised at its lack of contents. “You know what else?”

“Dad,” Owen warns, voice low. I reach over, sliding my hand on top of his, but it doesn’t make a difference. He’s shaking now, but his dad either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care.

“She had the nerve to blame me for her affair. Said I drove her to it. Can’t even take responsibility for her own actions, the little—”

His language degrades into a string of slurs and cuss words until Owen snaps. He stands abruptly, his chair clattering to the floor behind him.

CHAPTER 24

OWEN

Anger rises through my body, hot and volatile, clogging my throat and my senses. Violence isn’t usually my go-to reaction when it comes to my dad. Yes, I’ve wanted to hit him more times than I can count, especially when he gets drunk and starts saying unthinkable things like this, but I’ve never actually resorted to physical force.

But tonight, I feel dangerously close.

It’s not even the fact that he’s talking bad about my mom. That’s nothing new, and I’m fully aware of her faults, her mistakes, the way she treated my dad. If it were another dinner on another night and he were saying these things, I’d still be upset, but not like this. Tonight, it’s everything. The revelations about Craig’s wife, the conversation she had with Junie, the stress of trying to hold everything in, protect my business, while also somehow trying to scrape together a relationship with this woman who I could one day see myself promising forever with? It’s too much.

I’m a bull, and my dad is the matador waving a red cape, daring me to charge.

Only, unlike a bull, I won’t attack the decoy. I know exactly who’s to blame for this spectacle.

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