Page 95 of Filthy Devil

Those words take me off guard. I haven’t seen or spoken to my parents since they walked out of Nash’s house a few months ago. It doesn’t surprise me that she doesn’t include my mother, though. She’s way too stubborn to swallow even an ounce of her pride. And on that same note, I’m shocked as shit that he would go anywhere without her.

“Do you want to see him?” she asks, taking me out of my thoughts.

Pressing my lips together, I think about it. I want to allow him into this room, into my life. But at the same time, I know it is just going to reopen wounds and create heartache. Shawn’s fingers flex, causing my attention to return to her.

“I only talked to him for a moment, but he seemed to really want to see you.”

“Closure,” I whisper

She squeezes my hands again and takes a step backward, then lets out a sigh and reaches behind her for the door handle. “I’m staying right here unless you want me to leave.”

Dipping my chin in a single nod, I give her a smile. “Thanks, I appreciate that.”

I know she’s technically my daughter-in-law, but that’s just too weird, especially since she’s older than me and has two kids. She opens the door, and I watch as my father walks into the room.

He’s not dressed to attend a wedding or walk me down the aisle or anything, not that I wanted him to, but I just assumed that’s why he was here. He slowly lifts his gaze from the floor to meet mine.

“You look stunning,” he whispers.

He doesn’t have to tell me that. I know I look amazing. This dress is a light-blue, off-the-shoulder tulle dress with white lace detailing that hugs me at the chest and waist, then goes down to an A-line tulle skirt that has an extreme slit all the way up to my hip.

I don’t respond to my father because there isn’t really anything to respond to. Keeping my eyes on his, I wait for him to tell me why the hell he’s here. I know that my mother is probably tracking him, and he’s going to get into trouble, but I don’t care. That’s his business, not mine. It stopped being my business a long time ago, not that it ever really was.

“I just wanted to see you.”

“And what?” I ask.

He clears his throat. “Tell you good luck, but also let you know that if you don’t want to do it, I’ll help you in any way I can.”

A few months ago, I would have laughed in his face. Right now, I just feel pity. “I don’t need anyone’s help. I have all I need right here with Nashville. These people love me. I’m good.”

He looks down at his shoes, then shifts his attention back up to meet mine. “Whatever you need, I’ll do whatever I can.”

Laughing softly, I shake my head a couple of times. “I know you mean that, but I also know that it wouldn’t happen. So, thank you, and if you’ll excuse me, I have a man to marry.”

Thankfully, he doesn’t say anything else. He doesn’t get the opportunity. Shawn opens the door and stands beside it, waiting for him to leave. He dips his chin, then walks toward the door but stops right before he steps through.

He looks over his shoulder at me, then gives me a small smile before he leaves. That interaction should make me feel some sort of way, but it doesn’t. No, I take that back. It does. It makes me feel sorry for him.

My father has already lost his daughter, his granddaughter, and any great-grandchildren. All he has is my mother. Nothing and nobody else. Just her. I can’t imagine living life that way, allowing one person to push my whole family away for no damn good reason.

“Are you ready?” Shawn asks.

I inhale a deep breath, let it out slowly, straighten my shoulders, and smile. “I’m ready.”

And I am.

So damn ready to become Mrs. Nashville Stanley.

NASH

ONE WEEK LATER

Lifting my hand,I knock on the door. She’s been in there a while, but I want to go out and enjoy the sunset on our last day. Hawaii was everything I thought it would be and more. Most of the honeymoon we spent in as little clothes as possible, fucking at sunrise and fucking again at sunset.

“Yeah?” James calls out.

“You ready for dinner?”

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