Page 122 of Summer People
Which means I have to tell my father the truth, and since he’s currently standing behind me, waiting to leave, it looks like there’s no time like the present.
So I swallow back the trepidation and clear my throat. “Daddy, I need to talk to you.”
Eyes drifting to my face, he slides his phone into his jacket pocket. He’s dressed in a tuxedo, prepared to walk with me down the red carpet. So debonair with his gray hair slicked back.
Does he ever look back and wish he’d done things differently? We both missed so much of my childhood. Maybe he didn’t know better. Maybe his grief was just too big. But I can see all the ways he tried. Just like Fisher, he was stuck. I hate knowing that I’m about to hurt him. This truth will be torturous for him, of that I’m sure. But I can’t lie to protect the feelings of others anymore.
“You’ve met someone and you want to stay in Monhegan,” my father says with a knowing smirk.
There’s no stopping my smile. “Well, yes. But that’s not what I need to say.” I inhale, searching deep for the strength I’ll need for this conversation. “Could we sit for a few minutes? I think we’ll both need it.”
My father is red and shaking by the time I’m finished. By some miracle, I haven’t shed a single tear. Telling Fisher and then my publicist first probably helped.
My father, on the other hand, swipes tears from his eyes, begging me to forgive him.
That’s when I finally break.
“Oh, Daddy. You didn’t know.”
“I should have. Dammit. I should have—” He hangs his head. “Why is he still standing? Why hasn’t he been arrested?”
Plans have been put in motion. After tonight, Brad will be living in the same kind of fear I’ve lived in for years. Maybe he won’t be convicted, but I won’t go quietly. When I’m done with him, everyone will know how sick he is. He’ll face what he did, and with any luck, he’ll never work in Hollywood again.
I grab a tissue from beside me and dab under my eyes. “Everything is being taken care of, but we have to go.”
“No.” He straightens, his expression hardening. “We aren’t going. You aren’t going to give this industry even another second of your time,” he growls. “I was wrong to push you, Libby. I never would have if?—”
I hold up my hand. “You were right to push me. And I deserve to say my piece.”
He shakes his head. “I’ll kill him if he shows up.”
With a long breath out, I nod. “Let’s hope he’s not that stupid.” With a squeeze of his hand, I stand and head for the mirror by the door. I dab at my eyes, thankful my makeup heldup through the tears, then nod to my reflection. “I have to do this.”
I spin as he steps up behind me and straighten his tie.
He heaves out a breath. “I’ll do whatever you want.”
A genuine smile tugs at my lips. “Thank you, Daddy.”
He holds out his arm, motioning for the door. “On the way, maybe you can tell me about this man who’s stolen your heart.”
My chest warms at the thought of Fisher and Sutton. “I’d like that.”
Outside, he helps me into the limo, then sits beside me. At the gate, the car stops. It’s not unusual, but after we don’t continue on right away, I crane my neck and peer out the window.
We sit for a good five minutes before the driver’s voice comes over the speaker. “Sorry, Ms. Sweet. We have a bit of a situation at the gate. Someone was trying to breach the fence. Security is dealing with it, though.”
Instantly, my body goes on high alert. While this isn’t the first time we’ve had a security breach, it’s been a while, and after all the ways Flora terrorized me, I find myself more than a little unnerved by it. Knowing that Brad’s life is going up in flames doesn’t tame my worry either. It’s quite possible that he got wind of my plan and is trying to stop me. I wouldn’t put it past him.
“Call the police,” my father grits out.
“Daddy.”
“No. We aren’t taking any chances. You’ve already come close to death once this summer.”
“Flora’s in custody.” Even as I say it, my voice wavers. Because is she? Could she have made bail? Would she know where to find me?
The questions hit me one after another. Yes, she most certainly could. The woman is determined to have Fisher all to herself, and clearly, she’s deranged.
