Page 14 of Dirty Daddy

“Don’t be. You got your vacation and got to tick some sexual fantasies off your bucket list.” Her face contorts in pain but I can’t stop the words from spewing out of me. “Go back to school, Tess, at least the next guy you fuck, you’ll have more experience now, huh?” Tears gather in her eyes.

“That’s enough, Tyler,” Dad snaps as he enters the living room.

“Whatever,” I force out and storm up the stairs, only to nearly crash into Kaiden. He holds a finger to his lips. I roll my eyes but remain silent and listen.

“They’re mad at me.” Her tone is watery and I feel like a prick but I’m hurt, she’s choosing to fuck off back to Rhode Island instead of staying here with us!

“They’ll understand in time,” Dad tries to reassure her. “My boys have never wanted for anything in their life. They have always been happy to live their lives here. No woman has ever been able to hold their attention for longer than mere hours. Yet, they find themselves wanting something you aren’t ready to give.”

“What’s that?” she presses.

“More time,” he says quietly. Kaiden and I both drop our gazes to the floor. Our dad is exposing our deepest wants and as much as I wish he wouldn’t, I’m glad he is mature enough to do what we can’t and communicate with her.

“I didn’t mean for… all of this to happen, Clayton, I swear?—”

“Shhhh.” I can picture Dad wrapping his arms around her and holding her while she quietly cries. “None of this is your fault. There is no one to blame, we are all consenting adults, Tess. I guess my boys didn’t expect to catch feelings for a girlwho was supposed to be a guest of their brother’s girlfriend. Now that they have, I’m afraid you won’t be able to escape them.”

“What does that mean?” Her voice is thick with anguish and I want to smack myself for causing her pain. I didn’t mean to but she didn’t pause or hesitate for a second to consider the idea of staying here with us.

“It means, I raised them to hunt. They know in order to survive they have to go after what they want and I’m afraid what they want is you, little minx. They may not be ready to admit that to themselves but when they are, they will come find you and force you to see them as something more than a vacation fling.”

“And what about you?” she asks after a beat of silence.

“I’ve made my feelings for you clear before we even met. You have me for as long as you want me, Tess, but I also won’t force this life of isolation on you. You are still young and want to enjoy college, and if that is what you want, then I’ll support that decision. If you ask me to wait for you while you finish school, I’ll do it but it has to be your choice, not mine or my sons. You must want this life with us because from now on it won’t just be me lusting after you, it will be them as well. We’re now a package deal. I can already tell both my sons have fallen in love with you.”

“They don’t even really know me,” she fires back, causing me to wince at her blatant brush off of our feelings.

“They know what they need to. You can’t choose who you love, Tess. The heart wants what it wants. We are slaves to its needs and wants. You can spend decades with someone and never really know them. Sometimes you can spend two weeks with someone and know more about them just from observing. Don’t underestimate them because I can promise you, they will continue to surprise you.”

THIRTEEN

TESS

Tonight is the first night I have showered alone. Clayton told me he wouldn’t be able to touch me or even pursue anything with me without his sons and I get it, but it also doesn’t make it sting any less. I’m confused. I’m hurting because I don’t know what to do.

When Peyton called earlier it popped the bubble I had been living in. I had forgotten all about the three of them being Van’s family. They became… mine. It was just me andmyguys but then reality came and shattered everything. Peyton told me they would have to reschedule their visit and come up at Christmas time. My chest constricts at the thought of her coming here and staying in this place without me. I never felt at home anywhere, not even in my childhood house but here… I feel like I belong.

A sigh escapes me as I step out of the bathroom and head to the room I was meant to stay in to change. The second I step inside the room, my eyes brim with tears at the sight of my bed. They brought my mattress up and made my bed.

No more sleepovers.

I close my eyes and inhale a deep breath. I made a mess of this whole situation but I didn’t mean to. I never meant to hurt any of them but I also can’t deny that I have a life outside of thisplace. I want to finish school—no, I need to finish school to prove my family wrong. I’m not some disappointment. I am smart enough and good enough to become a writer. I want to achieve my dream. I need to do this for me.

But is my dream worth losing them?

I push aside all thoughts of the guys. Before coming here I had one goal—finish school. It fucking pains me to think about leaving them all behind but I have to do this. I need to do this for me and if they can’t support that choice, then they aren’t the ending for my story. They may have been the climax, but that’s it. I shouldn’t have to sacrifice myself and my dreams for them.

With that thought in mind, I quickly change and pack my things as I can’t stay in this house. I can’t bear the thought of them hating me and having to stay down the hall from them and not be able to touch them freely or even speak to any of them is killing me. I quickly open my laptop and compose a group email. I attach the PDF file and hit send before I can talk myself out of it. I quietly pad from my room with my bags in my hands. There’s no sign of Kaiden or Tyler and disappointment wars inside me, but it’s for the best. I can hear Clayton on the phone in his study and sigh. Fuck, I went and caught feelings for the priest’s family.

Leaving them shouldn’t hurt this much, it's only been a couple of weeks. Surely that isn’t long enough to actually fall in love, is it? I close my eyes and pray for the strength I need to walk out of this door. I would love nothing more than to live out here with the three of them and build a life, but I refuse to lose myself in them. I have a dream and I plan to achieve that.

I dump my bags in the back seat of my car and slip inside. I know the second the car starts Clayton will come running. I keep my focus ahead as I start it, the engine splutters a couple of times before it finally roars to life. I plant my foot on the gas just as the front door swings out. I don’t look back. I can’t. The secondI leave the driveway, my tears fall—I have fought them off since this morning but I can’t contain them any longer. Horrible sobs rip out of me, it feels like my chest is splitting in half.

Clayton was wrong.

I don't think his sons were the only ones who went and fell in love.

I have never felt like this before. I’ve never cared about anyone before. This is all new to me and I hate it, this feeling is crippling and fucking horrendous. I never want to feel like this again!

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