Page 73 of Pucking Obsessed

“That’s enough.” Michael’s rumbling voice is coldly dangerous. “No one questions that my husband is amanin such an ignorant and prejudiced way. Cody is smart and talented. He wins the biggest surfing contests in the state. He’s a champion. You should be proud of him. Plus, he’s the best baker I’ve met, which you’d know if you’d taken up any of our many invites to come over for dinner. His cooking is unparalleled. He deserves to be praised and appreciated. He always will be by me. If you can’t accept him for who he is, then you don’t deserve for him to keep giving you these second chances.”

“That’s not your decision to make.” Dad prowls toward Michael, prodding him in the chest.

He backs Michael toward the edge of the decking.

My eyes widen.

The decking is wet, and both men are way too fucking close to the edge that’s without a railing because it’s the area for people to swim out from the yacht, once it stops.

“Watch it,” I yell.

Alarmed, Cody and I stand up.

“Small reminder to be careful,” Michael grits out, “becauseI can’t swim.”

Cody rushes toward Michael. “You’re right. It’smydecision, Dad. You keep hurting me. Maybe we should only see each other at work.”

Dad swings toward Cody.

His face is red with anger. “I haven’t even touched you.”

Cody’s expression becomes determined.

He lifts up his chin. “I told someone yesterday that it was okay because now you can only hurt me with words. But the thing is, they do harm me. They tear me down. And they bruise me as much as the strike of a belt.”

A belt?

Bile rushes up the back of my throat.

Dad never hit Cody with a belt, did he?

My eyes burn with tears. I’m trembling.

At the same time, I’m cheering inside that Cody is standing up to Dad like this.

Finally, the boil is being lanced.

It needed to happen, even if I wasn’t expecting it to happen right now.

Dad clenches his hands. “I don’t want that. Our family is meant to be coming together and not breaking apart.”

“Dad?” My voice is quiet, frightened.

I want him to deny it.

I know that he won’t.

Dad doesn’t say anything.

“I wanted to go boating with you more than anything,” Cody says, quietly. “Do you know how much of my life growing up was spent longing to be out here with Robyn and you? Wishing that my own dad cared enough about me to invite me along, even once? I hoped that today we’d work a few things out and then move forward. But the problem is that you still see me as that dumb, bad kid, who’s locked up in the house. Thisenvironment…” He raises his arms. “…is too toxic.Youare. I can’t be around it. At least, not right now.”

“You’re my son,” Dad bursts out, making a sudden move toward Cody.

Adrenaline spikes through me. My heart is in my mouth.

“Don’t,” I leap toward Dad.

Instantly, Michael takes a step between the two men.

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