Page 103 of Captured Desire

“Sorry, mom, I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” she said.

“I’m supposed to be mad at you,” her mother said, stepping back. “Everyone at church keeps telling me how embarrassing this is for our family. But…I’m so glad you’re back. I don’t support you staying with him before marriage though.”

“I know,” Iris sighed.

Her father cleared his throat. The sound echoed and we all went quiet. He turned to face me, his hands in his pockets.

“Are you going to take care of my daughter?”

“Yes, sir,” I said.

“And any children you have with her?”

“Yes.”

He took a step closer, brows raised. “I know your reputation, Duran. If I hear that you stepped out on her, I’ll make you pay. I don’t care who your family is. She’s my baby.”

The emotion in his voice surprised me. I could tell by Iris’ face that it shocked her too.

“I won’t,” I said. “I’ll treat your daughter like a princess.”

“Good,” he said. “Because if you don’t….” He drew a line over his throat.

“Dad!” Iris gasped.

“He’s right,” her mother chimed in. “I can take the embarrassment of everyone knowing my daughter was living in sin, but I can’t take hearing that you hurt her. So you’d better walk it straight and narrow.”

I understood what kind of people they were now. They loved her, but they clearly had no idea what damage they’d caused and I wasn’t about to tell them. Shaming her felt like love to them because they saw it as protection. As doing what was best for her.

I knew better. I’d witnessed her tears and her shame. But those things were private. I doubted she would ever want to bring them up to her parents.

“Your daughter will always be safe and treated well,” I said firmly. “But I don’t want to hear anyone making her feel ashamed for her choices. She didn’t get married the way you wanted her to and that’s fine. She’s not you.”

“It’s okay,” said Iris quickly.

“No, it’s not.”

“I understand,” her father cut in. “That’s fine. You’re protecting her and that’s fine. Let’s…let’s have tea.”

I was pissed, but Iris sent me a pleading stare, so I backed off. The rest of the visit was incredibly awkward. Her parents asked where we would live and we didn’t know yet. I could see the disapproval in her father’s eyes that I didn’t have a house set up for her. I couldn’t explain myself to him, he didn’t know why we’d had to get married so fast.

It was an hour and a half later when Iris hugged her parents goodbye and promised to come by to get her things once we were settled. Her father shook my hand and I felt the threat behind his grip.

That was fine. As long as he kept his distance, he was allowed to not like me.

We drove away and Iris let out an enormous sigh.

“That wasn’t awful,” she whispered. “My parents do love me, but they just can’t help themselves.”

“They did better than I anticipated.”

“I don’t think they’re ever going to change. Not really.”

I shook my head. “I think we should visit them if you want to, but I don’t want them offering their opinions on how you live.”

“Boundaries,” she said quietly. “I’m not good at those, but I need to start getting better.”

She leaned back against the seat. I could tell an enormous weight had lifted off her shoulders. I slid my hand up her thigh and gripped her smooth skin.

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