Page 14 of Recklessly, Wildly Yours

“I signed the contract just before I flew out of Paris.”

“And what do you plan on doing with your time now?”

And there it is. His silent judgment. My father has always taken issue with my choices in life. Not even developing and managing a billion-dollar app was good enough for him.

“I have no plans yet.”

Mom steps in again. “There’s no hurry to figure it out.”

Dad’s expression would say otherwise but he doesn’t get into it with me. Instead, he allows Mom to direct the conversation away from business talk. She wants to nail down our next family weekend away, so we chat about possible dates for that and where I’d like to go.

Blair ends up dragging Mom away to help her get everyone ready for the cake cutting. After she leaves, Dad eyes me. “Will you be seeing Samantha now that you’re home?”

Fuck.

“We’re long over, Dad.”

“You forget I was the one who found you after she destroyed you. And that I saw how intent you were on chasing her even after what she did.”

“That was nearly a year and a half ago. A lot’s happened since then.”

He nods at the table where Madeline is sitting. “She’s what’s happened?”

I clench my jaw at his patronizing tone. “Tell me, what’s it going to take for you to stop treating me like I’m a fucking idiot?”

“You’re not an idiot, Ethan, but you make questionable choices at times. My job as your father is to help you.”

“No, Dad, your job as my father is to love me. That’s it. I’m an adult and can ask for your help if I need it, and right now, I don’t need it or want it.”

“I’m not convinced. You skipped Bradford’s wedding and now you’ve turned up to Callan’s with a woman who skipped her own wedding to come to this one. For once, I’d like to see you with a woman who has some sense about her. And I’d like to know that you know where you’re heading in life. I’ll sleep a hell of a lot easier at night once you’ve got those things in order.”

His mention of Bradford’s wedding infuriates me. I step closer, getting in his space as all my anger and hurt over the shit he’s pulled on our family throughout our lives pushes me closer to the edge of snapping. “I didn’t come home for Bradford’s wedding because I didn’t want to ruin it for him. Because I fucking would have if I’d had to look at you then. You think I’m a fuck-up? At least I know how to be faithful to a woman and love her well. You’re the fuck-up, Dad, and you screwed your entire family over with the choices you made. Don’t ever talk to me about my choices again.”

With that, I stalk away from him before I ruin Callan’s wedding. I leave the room and head for the escalator to take me downstairs. I need some fresh air and a whole lot of distance from my father.

I spend fifteen minutes out on the sidewalk, people-watching. It’s something I’ve always done. As a child, it allowed me to escape my own life and imagine someone else’s. As an adult, I think about the angles I’d photograph people from to find their unguarded self. To find their candid, unglamorous truth. I’m always looking for human rawness in its purest form. And while photographing people was once my job, I’m almost certain it was therapy for me. Liberating another person of the mask they wear for the world helped me find the kind of connection I’ve always needed. It helped me know I’m not alone in a fucking lonely world.

Tonight, all I can manage is a brief escape and to shake some of my father off. If it wasn’t for Callan and Liv, I’d leave so I didn’t have to see Dad again.

I go back inside and weave my way to the table where Maddie’s still sitting.

She finds my eyes as I take the seat next to her. “Something’s happened. I’m not sure what, but Olivia seems worried.”

My brows pull together as I search the room for my sister-in-law. “I’ll be back,” I say when I spot her at the corner of the dancefloor with Callan, Mom, and her parents.

It turns out Olivia is worried. Her father collapsed while dancing. He’s conscious but complaining of chest pain.

“We’ve called the paramedics,” Callan informs me, his face creased with concern. “And we’re going to take Liv’s mother to the hospital.”

“Do you need me to do anything?”

“No. Hayden will make an announcement after we leave. He’ll sort everything out.”

“Fuck. I’m sorry, Cal.”

He scrubs his hand down his face as his attention turns to his wife. “Yeah.”

I let him go and watch as Olivia grips his arm when he reaches her. I’m glad she’s got him to support her through this.

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