Page 27 of What She Wants

Esme

“Dad!We have to do something about this heathen walking around telling the world that I’m engaged!”

I call out my reason for visiting as I walk around the massive foyer on my way to his office.

His light brown eyes are shining with too much damn amusement for my liking. Leave it to him to have on a long sleeve button up, a vest, and slacks at ten in the morning on a Saturday. Like where in the hell is he going?

“Heathen? Dr. Delgado is a well respected doctor on this island from a prominent family.”

“Whom of which you hate,” I complain and slide into his office chair.

He shakes his head and drops his eyes back to something on his computer. “I don’t hate the entire family. Just his mother and her father, rest his soul. Hell, I even understood her father’s obsession with it, his parents fed him the lie his entire life but Mireya’s mother didn’t believe it. She even showed them where her in-laws were wrong, still fools gold and all.”

“Interesting,” I say in a way that lets him know I think it’s the opposite. His warm laugh reminds me of home but I need some veto power here. “Back to the crazy Costa Rican, what are we doing about him?”

“We?” He repeats but is already shaking his head. “I promised to stay out of the marriage business after Karessa.”

“It’s not the same. You hooked her up, I’m trying to be unhooked.”

He leans back and steeps his hands together like he always does when he’s going to ask me a series of questions that get me nowhere.

“How did you get ‘hooked’ initially?” I withhold a sigh because I know he knows the answer to all the questions he’s about to ask me.

“He had an…unexpected date at the art gallery.”

“Where you said?”

“That he was my fiancé. But it was only pretend and he knew that.”

“Did the rest of the world know that?”

“Nooooo,” I whine.

“I see,” he says as he says as he sits forward and places his elbows on his desk. “So who actually created the narrative?”

“Technically still him. I told one person.”

“In front of the paparazzi. The only reason it wasn’t out sooner is because she didn’t want to put it out there that her son was supposed to be engaged to you. I cannot intervene on a story you created that Marín wants to follow through. Hell, y’all kissed at the wedding.”

That kiss rocked the socks I wasn’t even wearing but I’m not going to admit it. I look around and lean in. “Can Mr. Bishop just kill him?”

My dad laughs harder than I’ve heard him laugh in a very long time. “You’re going to be a beautiful bride. In fact, your wedding can unite the country. No more frivolous stories or lawsuits.”

I gasp, appalled. “Are you saying I have to marry him?”

“I’m saying I see more good than bad from it. You are nowhere near where she portrays you but it doesn’t hurt to have a little stability. You’ve been dodging boyfriends since middle school. If you truly hate the idea of marrying him, you need to fix or just be accountable for your actions, sweetie. You said he was your fiancé and he’s acting as such. Change his mind or pick out your dress.”

I narrow my eyes at my dad. “It feels like by not picking a side, you’re picking a side.”

His smile is all sunshine. “Darling, I’m not picking a side. I must, however, point out that I played matchmaker once. It was a terrible beginning,” he points at the picture of Xerxes. “But all is well now.”

My narrowed eyes are now grouped with folded arms. “Sounds like someone is pulling strings like a puppet master in this ‘marriage business.’”

My mom hits the corner before my dad can respond. “Moooom! Dad is trying to marry me off to a psycho.”

Over the refereeing, she pivots and leaves the room while shooting. “I love you.” Over her shoulder.

I need a new family.

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