Filed to story: Swallow Me Whole (Sadie & Ashton) Book Free
Letting go of her shoulders, I cradle her cheeks and close the last bit of distance between us. “Corinne happened before you. And I wasn’t irresponsible, Sadie. I’ve always used a condom.
Always.”
“I never said you were irresponsible.”
I tilt her chin until she meets my eyes. “I was going to tell you.” My gaze lands on her mouth, and I brush my thumb across her bottom lip. “But you already know that. I think you’re using Corinne to push me away.” I pause, the weight of those few beats heavy and suffocating as I search her guarded expression for answers. “What are you so afraid of?”
“You,” she whispers. “You said you were waiting for the right one.” She pauses, guard lowering, and all the hurt and fear she’s fighting fills her jade eyes. “What if Corinne is the right one for you?”
“She’s not.”
“You don’t know that. She’s going to have your baby, and you could fall head over heels for her.”
“I could walk out of here and get struck by lightning too.”
“I’m serious, Ash. She’s going to be the mother of your child, and you walking out on your kid just isn’t possible. It’s not you.”
I lower my hands and back away. “It doesn’t matter what I say, does it? You don’t trust me.”
“I don’t trust the circumstances.”
A laugh of irony escapes me. “Your father should have saved his breath and his goddamn money. You’re pushing me out of your life all on your own.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Daddy Dearest’s proposition,” I say, fishing out the envelope and handing it to her. “This is why I came over tonight. He tried buying me out of your life.”
She takes the envelope from me, and her fingers tremble as she pulls out the check. As she scans the face of it, no doubt taking note of the number of zeroes, her jaw slackens. “I can’t believe he did this.”
I want to say I’m surprised by Joseph Sawyer’s actions, but when it comes to Sadie, I’ve learned there’s nothing he won’t do to get his way.
“What did you say to him?” she asks.
“I wanted to tell him to shove it, but I’d rather you do it. He won’t stop this bullshit unless you put your foot down once and for all.”
A tear hinges on her lashes then slips free. “I’m sorry about this. He went way too far.”
“Don’t apologize for your father’s actions.” I raise my hand and brush the pain from her face. “And don’t give up on us yet.”
She blinks the tears away with a sniffle. “I think we could both use some time apart. You’ve got Corinne and a baby to think about now, and I need to fix the mess I’ve made of my life.” She clears her throat. “I quit my job.”
“I heard, and I’m damn proud of you.” Unable to help myself, I press my lips to hers. “Just don’t quit me, okay? Give us a chance.”
“I’ll think about it.”
At least it’s progress. Before I do something stupid, like throw her over my shoulder and drag her off to her bedroom, I leave her apartment, determined to give her the space she asked for.
Sadie
I’m sitting behind my father’s desk when he walks into his office. Early morning sunlight streams through the windows, painting his masculine desk and bookcases in soft orange hues.
Upon seeing me, he stalls in the doorway. “I knew you’d come to your senses.” He saunters into the room and lets the door shut behind him.
Rising to my feet, I hold out the envelope Ash gave me. Inside is the check and my formal
Fuck you, I quit letter. “I’m here to personally hand you my resignation.”
“I won’t accept it. This is ridiculous. You belong here at the firm.”
“No, you should really open it.” I round the desk and thrust the envelope into his hands.
He turns it over for several seconds, almost as if he knows what’s inside and doesn’t want to face the evidence of his underhanded tactics. Finally, he opens the flap and pulls out my single page resignation, along with the bribery check he wrote to Ashton. “He gave you this?”
Long, turbulent moments stretch between us. “Ashton can’t be bought. If you knew him at all, you’d know that.”
His face reddens, lips pinched in displeasure, but he remains silent as he stuffs the incriminating check back into the envelope. “You na?ve girl. He only did this to squeeze more cash out of me.”
I’m buzzing with too much adrenaline, and as we stand in the middle of his office, three feet apart, I clench my hands. “I don’t think you understand. This ends now. If you ever want to see me again, you’ll back the fuck off and leave Ash alone. Do you understand me?”
“Don’t be melodramatic, Sadie.”
“I mean it. If I have to, I’ll move and change my number. I’ll do whatever it takes to get this through your thick head. This is my life, and you are no longer part of it.” Certain he’s not grasping the gravity of what I’m saying, I close the space between us and straighten my spine. And though I have to crane my neck to look him in the eye, I don’t dare back down, no matter how much I’m shaking on the inside, quivering like the recalcitrant child he’s made me feel like for years. “From this day forward, seeing and talking to me is a privilege you’ll have to earn back.”
For the first time ever, my father is struck silent. His stillness is downright scary, the energy of his overbearing nature slithering under the surface, tainting the air.
I suck in a deep breath anyway. “I didn’t want it to come to this, but you wouldn’t back off.”
“Because I want what’s best for you.”
“You don’t get to decide what’s best for me.
I decide who to marry, where to work, and who to love. I’m not a child anymore.” I’m getting caught up in trying to reason with a man who’s head is as thick as sludge. Nothing I say will get through, so I’m not sure why I bother trying.
Except he’s my father, and I hate the thought of walking out of his life to get him to wake the fuck up.
His jaw is set, the square shape of it unrelenting. The word stubborn is synonymous with my father, and his deep brown eyes are resolute with it as he moves past me to claim his throne behind the desk. “I won’t condone a relationship with Ashton. I’ve humored your friendship with the Levine twins long enough as it is.”
“What do you have against them?”
“They’re not cut from the same cloth as us. I not only expect better for you, I demand it.”
“You’re a snob.”
“Call me what you will, Sadie, but it’s my job to ensure your future. If you walk out that door, I’ll be forced to rescind your trust fund.”
“I don’t need your money.” Sadness drenches my soul, coils around my heart, squeezes the breath from my lungs. I swallow hard to get my voice to work. “And if your behavior is that of a father, then I don’t need one of those anymore either.”
His lips move, but I turn a deaf ear to his protests as I barge out of his office. Only after the doors of the elevator enclose me inside do I exhale in relief. Heading downward, I spiral into a sense of despair and disbelief. I can’t believe I just spoke to my father like that. Not only the assertiveness, but the harsh words.
And I meant every one of them.