Page 21 of Muffin Top
Honey made a dismissive gesture. "Flatterer."
We all chuckled. I turned back to Helen and immediately stiffened. Over her shoulder, Emily looked like she'd swallowed a lemon, while Richard stared at his youngest child, a mystified expression on his face.
"Honey? You're dating Honey?" Helen asked, her hands now hovering above her pearl necklace.
"That's right, Ma'am." I reached out, pulling Honey to my side and wrapping an arm around her. I didn't like the vibe in the room. It felt cold and uncomfortable.
"But she's… But…" Helen's hands flapped for a moment, her mouth opening and shutting like a fish.
"Fat," Emily drawled from behind her. "That's the word you're looking for, Helen. Fat."
"Yes, I mean… but-"
Calvin and Willodean protested while Emily and Helen explained all the reasons why we didn't belong together. Richard stood mute; his gaze locked on his glass the entire time.
Beside me Honey didn't react - which told me everything I needed to know.
"Come on," I turned us towards the entry.
"Where are we going?"
"Home."
She blinked up at me, little confused frown lines marring her forehead. "We're leaving?"
"We're definitely not staying after that. I won't have you talked down to, abused or offended. We're done."
Honey followed me, allowing me to put her into the car then rush back for our coats. Helen stood at the door, Claude holding our coats at the ready.
"Tristan, I must say, this is very disappointing. I expected so much better from the Sheriff of our town."
"And I expected better from the parents of the woman I love." I shook my head, pulling the coats into my arms. "Your daughter is talented, beautiful, intelligent, and a magnificent human being. She works hard to improve the lives of other people. Her business is thriving, her colleagues and friends adore her." I turned, moving towards the door. "If you can't appreciate that then you don't deserve her."
I left, shutting the door firmly behind me. In the car, I gently draped the coat over her then immediately pulled out of the driveway, heading back to town. Silence dominated the small space, my anger sitting above us like a small storm.
"Tristan?" Honey finally asked as we hit her street.
"I'm not sorry," I burst out, anger still sizzling in my veins. "I'm not going to apologize for leaving or offending your parents. I'm done with them. You want me to make another approach, fine. We'll do it. But ground rules are they're not to talk to you like that. They, or that fucking harpy you call a sister-in-law, speak to you again like that and I'm walking us out."
"Tristan," Honey said again as we pulled into her driveway.
"I'm serious, Honey. I won't have anyone disparage you. You're worth more than that lot combined. What the fuck were they thinking? Don't they see you're a motherfucking queen? You're the best woman I know. You're caring and gorgeous and clever and witty-"
"Tristan!"
"What?"
She raised a hand, cupping my jaw. Eyes warm but a little wet. Anger crackled again seeing those unshed tears.
"I'm trying to tell you I love you." She whispered.
For a moment her words didn't penetrate, the world still bathed in red anger. But then they registered, and all the anger drained from me, leaving behind heat.
"Baby," I whispered, a hand creeping up to fist in her hair. "You have the worst timing ever."
She snorted. "You just literally pulled me from a situation I have been in a hundred times before. I would have put up with it, the backhanded comments, the overt insults, because that's what I do."
"No more," I ordered. "You deserve better."
