Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Guilt floods Richie’s face while Elena just shrugs. “You didn’t need them. All he wanted to know was if you were okay. He didn’t need to know that. He talked about hockey and music, nothing worth a damn.”
Fucking bitch. “But those words were for me. His words were mine and you stole them, just like you stole him away from me.”
“Fable!” Elena exclaims, setting her with a dark look. “We have said this time and time again—he isn’t good enough for you.”
“That isn’t your choice. It’s mine!” she screams, her body jerking with each word. “I would have chosen him then, and I choose him now.”
“Ruin your life. That’s your choice,” she says, mocking her daughter. “But when he leaves you after spending all your money or learning how damn exhausting you are, you’ll come right on back to us.”
My body shakes against hers as I bite out, “That’s unacceptable.” It’s hard to stay calm, but I need to, when Fable is losing it. “I know you like to lie, but don’t assume that about me. I have no interest in her money. I love her as a person. I let you convince me to leave once, but nothing will keep me from her now.”
Elena scoffs, rolling her eyes, as Richie swallows hard. He looks right at his daughter. “We did it for you.”
“You ruined my life,” she says, tears streaming down her face. “But thankfully, he revived it.”
“I highly doubt it,” Elena says. Her nose is so far up in the air, I’m surprised she can even breathe.
Fable lets out a growl that has me standing straighter. “Apologize to him.”
Her mother laughs, but I’ll give it to Richie. He looks pained. “Fable, we did this for you.”
“Apologize!” she bellows, and that only makes Elena laugh more.
“I won’t. We did nothing wrong.”
“You did,” Kitty seethes. “You tore apart two people who loved each other.”
Elena snorts. “Take off your rose-colored glasses, Kitty. They were young. They didn’t know what love was.”
“I did,” I say as she brings her hateful gaze to mine. “I loved my family and chose them instead of myself. But from now on, I’ll only choose Fable.”
Elena’s laugh is taunting, but Fable looks up at me, cupping my face, and I hold her close. “I’m so sorry they’ve done this.”
I move a piece of hair out of her lashes. “I told you—they don’t matter.”
Her lip trembles as she admits, “I don’t think they’ll apologize.”
I turn my head to kiss her palm. “I don’t need their apology, princess. I only need you.”
Her eyes are flooded with tears, and they continue to flow down her cheeks. She hiccups a sob. “I can’t stay here.”
“Then we’ll leave,” I say, taking her hand in mine. “Let’s go.”
“Fable, my darling, I’m sorry,” Kitty says, and I wish she had just stood there. Another round of sobs hits my girl as she looks over at Kitty. Her grandmother falls back into her seat, pressing her hand to her head. “I didn’t know until it was too late.”
“But you didn’t make it better. Why didn’t you make it better?”
Kitty’s lip quakes, and she looks at us with agony in her gaze. “Your father told me if I did, I’d lose not only him, but you. He’d keep you from me.”
All eyes fall to Richie, and I want to murder the man for hurting Fable and Kitty the way he did. I shake my head, looking at him with nothing but malice in my eyes.
Fable’s voice is small as she asks, “How could you?”
“I was protecting you, Fable Winter. He is not the man for you.”
“He is the only man for me!” she yells, her face flushing so red, I worry she can’t breathe. “Apologize to him!”
“Never,” Elena snaps, shaking her head. “You’ll see. We’re right.”
She doesn’t even look at her mother before she asks, “Dad?”
Richie looks from Elena to his daughter, and I can’t fathom how this man ever thought he could be a father. I would never look at my daughter with such disdain and not give her what she asks for. With a shake of his head, he tells her, “I won’t. We did this for you.”
Fable nods. “Then I am not your daughter any longer. Hope you planted a new one.”
She turns, but before I can follow, Kitty says, “I am so sorry, Jett.”
I nod. “It’s not your fault, Kitty. I love you.”
She covers her mouth, sobbing quietly as she nods. “I love you, honey.”
I send her a sweet smile before I glance at Fable’s parents, both looking distraught and unsure what to do. “No one and nothing will keep me from marrying that girl. I will love her more than either of you could even comprehend, and I will remind her daily how perfectly made she is. As she is. As my wife.”