Page 123 of Collect the Pieces

“So you said.”

“I want to get back together.” He lets out a snotty chuckle. “He can’t wantthatguy for a son-in-law.” Daniel holds out his hands. “How could having a grungy-looking gangster hanging around here be good for the family business?”

Ignoring the insult, I keep my face smooth and calm. “Is that what you said to my father?You’dbe good for our family business?”

“No. Not exactly. I just asked him why he was letting you run around with that guy?—”

“Youwhat?”

“He said he makes you happy.” Daniel pulls an annoyed face, like the concept of happiness is too trivial to ponder. “Come on, Margot, I can make you happier.”

Dad actually said that?

Finding out my father feels that way is more important to me than anything else I’ve learned in this conversation.

Time to wrap up our chat with a hard dose of the truth. “You made me miserable every second we were together,Dan.” I shorten his name just to piss him off, then speak slowly, so he understands how serious I am about this next part. “I’d rather die alone and be eaten by mice than waste another second of my life with you.”

His eyes widen, as if he’s stunned I don’t have fond memories of our time together. “Be serious, Margot.”

“I’m deadly serious.” I cross my arms over my chest. “Do you remember what you said about me?”

Red crawls up his neck and over his cheeks. He averts his eyes, maybe remembering the long, long list of shitty things he said to me during our time together. “We were engaged. We said lots of things to each other.”

I step closer and lower my voice. “You compared me to acorpse. Which, in hindsight, is hilarious sinceyouwere the one who was so awful in bed,” I finish in a harsh whisper.

“Wh…what?” he sputters. “What did you want me to do?”

“Gee, I don’t know. Maybe give me an orgasm, just once.”

He wrinkles his nose like a child who still thinks girls have cooties. “Don’t be crass.”

A wild thought pops into my brain and out of my mouth before I think it through. “Daniel, are you sure you actuallylikewomen?”

His face turns redder than a beet.

“It’s okay if you don’t,” I say as gently as possible.

“Of course I like women,” he says through clenched teeth. “Why would you even ask that?”

“Because everything about me seemed to annoy or disgust you.” I swallow hard, debating my words. “You put me down every chance you got. For the strangest things. You were quite hateful.”

He lifts his chin. “I don’t sugarcoat the truth.” He sweeps his gaze over me and his lip curls in disgust. “You’re not a ten, Margot. You’re adequate. You come from a good, traditional family. You’ll make a good wife. And I’ve reached a stage in my life where that’s more important. Getting married.” He drops his gaze and sort of sneers at my body. Not the look of a man attracted to me—or any other woman. “Especially since you seem to have lost a few pounds.” He raises a hand and slowly swirls his finger in the air around my midsection.

Ice crackles in my chest. Tears sting my eyes.

I don’t care what Daniel thinks of me. I don’t. But damn, who wants to be reminded someone finds you unattractive?

And why the fuck should I care that he’s at a “stage in his life” where he wants to get married?

I swallow hard and gather all my courage.I have years’ worth of things to say, and I won’t allow him to rob me of this opportunity.

“Have you ever had a moment of self-reflection, Daniel?”

He frowns. “About what?”

“Youhave the personality of a baked potato.” I gesture wildly to his perfectly styled—to cover his receding hairline—dirty-blond hair. “And your hairline looks like it’s trying to run away from your face, yet you have the audacity to stand there and insultme?”

Instant heat sears my cheeks as my cruel words hang in the air. I shouldn’t have stooped to his level of petty insults.

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