Page 59 of Silent Girl

I flinch at my father’s words. He hates being lied to, more than anything else in this world. And I just flat-out lied to his face.

“It’s not her fault, sir. I asked her to keep things quiet between us. I wanted to make sure what we have is solid before we let the opinions of others affect our relationship.”

“I appreciate that you’re trying to cover for her right now, but there’s no need. She’s my daughter. She’ll always be my daughter. You’re the one who’s disposable to me.”

“Dad, no. He’s not disposable. Not to me.”

My father looks in my direction, and then above my head. “I’ll be in my room. Aliyah, I expect to see you within the hour.” Then he walks out. Just walks out the door. Without another word.

“Shit, what the fuck, Liam? Why would you tell him that?” I hiss the moment my dad is out of earshot.

“Because he’s your father and I wasn’t going to lie to him,” he says simply. “I’m also getting tired of hiding this. I want you, Aliyah. I want the whole fucking world to know that you’re mine.”

“Oh, yeah, and when you end up at the bottom of an ocean wearing a pair of cement shoes, whose will I be then, Liam?” I yell. I’m frantic, my brain whirling, trying to come up with a way to fix this.

“That’s not going to happen.” Liam wraps an arm around me and pulls me into his chest.

I let myself sink into his touch. “I knew this had an expiration date. Iknowthat. But I wasn’t ready for it to end yet,” I admit.

“Nothing is ending, princess. We’re only just beginning. Our story doesn’t have an end.”

“Every story has an end, Liam,” I say.

“Not ours.” His lips press to the top of my head. “I like you way too much to let you go.”

“I have to talk to my father, see if I can offer up my firstborn or something as leverage,” I joke.

“You’re not giving away our child,” Liam says, sounding almost serious.

“Don’t worry, I’m never having kids.”

“What? Why?”

“Because some people aren’t mother material. I don’t have mothering genes.” I shake my head and push out of his hold.

“Well, that’s the bull-shittiest bullshit I’ve ever heard in my life,” Liam says.

“Just… maybe lock your door. And if Gray comes looking for you, hide,” I tell him as I walk out into the hallway.

It isn’t long before I’m holding my breath while I knock on the door to my father’s suite. “It’s open,” he calls out. I walk in and find him sitting by the window, nursing a glass of whiskey. “Come sit. Want a drink?” he asks me.

“No,” I say, lowering myself down on the chair opposite him.

“How long has this thing between you and King been going on?”

Right, straight to the point, I guess.

“A few weeks,” I tell him. “But you don’t have to worry. It’s not going to last.”

“Why? Has he hurt you?”

“No, it’s not going to last because it’s me. I’m not meant for what he wants. Liam wants a full-on, committed relationship with labels and all. He just doesn’t know yet…”

“Doesn’t know what?” my father asks, staring at me like he’s trying to see past my physical person and into my soul.

“He doesn’t know that I’m not lovable. He likes me, sure. But to have a long-term relationship, you need love, and that’s not going to happen because it can’t.” I shrug.

“What the fuck? Why on God’s earth would you think you’re not lovable?” my father growls, and then downs his entire glass of whiskey.

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