Page 16 of Reaper

Reaper grabs my dress from the grass and pulls it over my head, before yanking on his jeans. “Let me talk, okay?”

“Yeah, well… he’s got his gun, and he’s gonna shoot you.”

“He won’t shoot me.” Reaper lands a kiss on my forehead. “I’m sorry this is all happening so fast. You trust me, right?”

I nod and slip my hand into his. “More than anything.”

Our eyes stay locked on one another, and I swear the entire Earth stops moving. I don’t care what my father says or does. I was meant to be here with Reaper. Tonight was meant to happen. We were meant to be together. We were meant for forever. Nothing is going to change that. My father can storm over here, guns blazing, and it won’t matter. I’m not letting anything keep me from this feeling ever again.

“You piece of fucking shit.” My father aims his gun toward Reaper. “You’re going to fucking die. Any last words?”

I step between them, but Reaper pulls me back and tucks me behind his frame. I know I promised I’d listen, but fuck that. I’m not going to let this happen.

“Mabel Anne! Get your ass over here, right now!” My father’s tone is rough, and though I’m embarrassed and hate that I’ve clearly ruined his friendship, I’m not moving.

“No. I love him, Dad. I’ve loved him for so long.” I step out from behind the giant I can’t get enough of. “You’re either going to accept it or lose me. Pick one.”

“He’s fucking with your head, baby girl. Get over here now!”

I laugh, and walk toward my father, taking the gun from his hand. It’s a bold move. So bold that he lets me do it without much thought. I’m sure he didn’t expect that from his sweet, little, submissive daughter. “You’re the one fucking with my head, Dad. I found the pill you stuffed under the couch cushion earlier.”

He narrows his brows and steps back. “Give me the gun.”

“No. You lie to me. You manipulate me. You take advantage of the fact that I love you. Why?”

His shoulders lower and he falls to the ground.

Reaper meets me from behind, taking the gun from my hand and pulling me against his chest.

My father’s head hangs low, but his fists are still balled at his side as though he can’t decide which emotion to let take him over. “I don’t know when all this started. I know. I’m not doing right by you, baby girl, but the thought of losing you is too damn much.”

“That’s not a good enough excuse, Dad. I spent so many nights worrying about you. I held myself back from so much because I thought you’d die if I lived my life!” My throat is dry as I speak.

Reaper’s big hand holds me close.

“And you end up with my best friend, a man decades older than you, so I guess you showed me.” Dad’s tone is ragged.

“I’m not trying to hurt you. I love him. The end. I’m not letting go, and I’m not sorry about it. Not anymore.”

He pulls up a blade of grass, plucking it apart as he says, “When your mother died, I lost a part of myself. A huge part. Hell, I have memories of that woman opening her lunch box in the third grade. We’d trade cookies every day. Chocolate chip for Chocolate Chip. Didn’t make a damn bit of sense, but hers always tasted better than mine for some reason.” He looks down at the ground. “I guess losing you meant losing whatever I had left of her and…” He bursts into tears. In the years since my mother passed, I’ve never seen my father cry.

I know he did privately because I’d hear him through the walls late at night. But face to face, in twenty-five years, I’ve never seen this.

Dad looks up at me. “This hasn’t been fair to you. I’m sorry I lied. I’m sorry I held you here. You can’t get that time back. That’s… that’s on me.”

Deep down, I know my father isn’t a bad man. For years growing up, he was as steady as they come. He worked hard, loved Mama and I, and he gave us everything he had.

“I’ve been having a hard time moving on too,” I say, making my way to his side. “I still climb up into the loft and imagine her on the front porch, watching you work. And the thought of you moving on without her… makes me sick sometimes. Maybe that’s where we have something in common. We both need to move on, and we should help each other.”

He glances up toward me with blood-shot eyes. “How?”

“We start by hiring some help. You could use the friendship, and you’ll need it when I’m off at college.”

“That again?”

“Yeah, Dad. That again.” I glance up at Reaper. “I’m going to apply somewhere local, get my degree to be a vet, and look for work on the mountain. In the meantime, I hope Reaper and I will start a family of our own.”

“Fuck,” Dad groans. “It’s been five minutes. Shouldn’t this linger for a minute before you talk about starting a family?”

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