Page 112 of Fear of Intimacy

What no one but Josie knew was that I had a huge chunk of money in a separate account. Money my parents set aside for me when I turned twenty-one. It was…a lot of money. More than I knew what to do with. I’ve never wanted any of my parents' money and every time I saw the amount, it was like a slap to the face. So, instead of using it for myself, I used it for charities. What was the point of having it just sit there?

Walking down the line, I came to a pause when a specific one caught my eye.Toronto’s Women Clinic.With a tight chest, I didn’t even hesitate in writing a number down, making the biggest bid so far.

“Tasha.” Once more, my name was called, but this one made my back straighten. My luck ran out as I turned around to face my parents.

It had been a bit since I last saw them, close to six months since we sat awkwardly at a dinner table together while barely talking, and when we did, it was all about my parents’ law firm.

I kept the surprise off my face as my mother stepped forward and hugged me, followed by my father. I could count on one hand how many times they hugged me over the years. I knew their affection was only because there were thousands of eyes on us. Wouldn’t look good on them if they didn’t greet their daughter.

“Well, you look…lovely.” My mother, Jennifer, looked me up and down, clearly scrutinizing my choice in gowns.

“You do too.”

I had always been told I looked like my mother, which was a compliment. Jennifer Davis might’ve almost been fifty, but she could easily pass off as being in her late thirties. Herblonde hair was cut short and pulled into a tight bun, her cheekbones high and sharp. There was an air of regalness about her that almost made you feel like you were meeting the Queen.

“I see you’ve been making your rounds,” my father, Robert Davis, added. I took note that his dark brown hair had more gray in it than I remembered, as well as his beard. Even with it, my father was the most intimidating man in the room alongside my mother. While I had my mother’s blonde hair and face structure, I inherited my father’s eyes. Cold, crisp, and gray.

One look from them was enough to get me to behave when I was a kid. And it wasn’t just me that shrunk under his gaze. I saw how my parents' employees worked their asses off so they didn’t get that look directed at them. My mother was no better.

“I have. I got stuck with the Pattersons for a while.”

No sooner had the words left my mouth did silence settle on top of us. It was awkward as hell. On a good day, we didn’t know how to speak to one another but everything that happened in the last month made things even worse.

“So, where is thisboyfriendof yours?” I didn’t miss the tone my mother had. The same tone she always inflicted on me when she disapproved of one of my choices.

“He’s on his way. He had a game today.” I forced myself not to look away from their gaze. When it came to my parents, I always caved. In everyday life, I was the last person to let others walk all over me but when it came to them it was like all my willpower disappeared and I became a little girl again, trying to gain her parents’ approval and attention.

I always knew my parents resented me to some degree. They had me at such a young age while trying to balance law school. I was a baby they didn’t really want yet kept. They managed, of course, and grew to be successful in theircareers, but once they had enough money to hire someone to take care of me, I became someone else’s problem.

“So, he plays sports.”

I clenched my jaw at the way my father said it. Like playing hockey was the worst profession to have. If you didn’t own a successful business or law firm, you were nobody in his eyes.

“He’s one of the star players for the Toronto Knights.You know, the biggest hockey team in the league.” I defended Trevor. To my dad, he was the biggest scum on the earth because he didn’t wear a suit everyday for work.

Trevor might’ve played hockey, but he was a better man than my father would ever be. A better man than any in this room.

“Showing up an hour late says a lot about a person.” My mother sniffed, looking around the room. The grip on my wine glass was so tight I was afraid I’d shatter the thing.

I wasn’t going to let it show that Trevor being late hurt. It had been well over an hour since the gala started. With no text or phone call, it was safe to assume he wasn’t going to show. My chest squeezed tightly at him not coming to the one thing I truly needed him to be at.

“He’s a busy man and is making time to be here for me,” I answered through my teeth.

“Hmm.”

The three of us stood there in tense silence, letting everyone glimpse thehappyfamily together. How wrong that was. Every part of me wanted to turn and hightail it out of there.

As a few more minutes passed, I opened my mouth to make up an excuse to get away, even for just a moment. I was on edge, dreading when they would bring up the topic of the arranged marriage—a conversation I had no intention of having with them, especially not here.

Just as I was about to walk away, I heard the faint sound of whispering. Even my parents stopped, turning to see what the murmurs were about. I watched as heads turned, but I couldn’t tell what they were looking at.

Slowly, the crowd seemed to part. Everyone moved to the side just enough for me to finally catch sight of what that had their attention. Well, more likewhohad it. Standing between my parents, I watched with wide eyes as the one person I loved most on this earth appeared.

32

TREVOR

“Dude, you’re going to burn a hole in the plane,” Bryton said next to me, watching my knee bounce up and down.

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