Chapter Two
I walked out of the kitchen to see a tense Connor trying to make conversation my father, who isn’t pleased in the slightest about the attempt at an interaction. Connor was sitting on one side of the love seat while my father was sitting in an arm chair that was across the room from where Connor was sitting. I quickly joined Connor on the love seat to ease the growing tension in the room.
“So father, how was your day today?” I asked, trying to fill the awkward silence. From the corner of my eye, I saw Connor take a small breath of relief. I chuckled a little before sliding my attention back to my father.
“Well dear, it was quite a good day until you told us that he is coming over to dinner. But alas, I don’t seem to have very much say in who is coming to eat meals in this family.” My father said without looking up from his newspaper. He hadn’t even so much as to glance Connor’s way when he stepped foot into the house. It was like his eyes were glued to the page and the newspaper was far more interesting than my boyfriend. I stared at his stern features. There were hints of laugh lines around his hazel eyes, which obviously say that he laughs a lot. It also indicates that he’s a happy man. Or at least, used to be a happy man.
“Oh you don’t mean that. You’re happy that he’s here, right honey?” My mother said, walking into the room and sitting on the arm of father’s chair. Father eyed mother before letting out a sigh.
“Is the food ready? I’m famished.” I saw mother’s face fall for a fraction of a second before nodding and walking back into the kitchen. I grabbed Connor’s hand and practically dragged him into the dinning room.
“How can your father be so intimidating? It makes no sense.” Conner whispered as he sat down in the seat next to me. I shrugged and smiled. That’s just my father. He’s a stern but goofy man. At least he used to be goofy. When I was younger he would joke around all the time. It got to the point where you didn’t know if he was telling the truth or joking sometimes because he joked so much. In the past few years, he sort of changed. I don’t know if it’s because he’s gotten older or just things have changed with him. I sometimes miss that old father. The one where we never knew if he was joking or not. But that was in the past, and maybe it should stay in the past. Keep it with my other childhood memories.
Mother and father both walked into the dinning room each holding two plates of food. Father placed a plate in front of me and mother placed one in front of Connor’s before placing one in front of their own spots. Father blessed the food before we all dug into the food. The only sounds that could be heard were clanging of utensils on the plates and cups banging on the table as people were setting it back down on the table. The sound that wasn’t present that normally is with family meals was talking. It was dead silent. I could tell that the silence was also bugging my mother.
“How is school going for you Connor? Are you planning on going to college?”
“It’s going well. I am planning on going to college. I’m planning on going to the local community college and then transferring to a four-year in the state.”
“What is it that you’re going to study, son?” Father asked. I saw the slight fear pop into his eyes at the sound of my father’s voice.
“Well sir, I’m planning on going to medical school to become a surgeon.” There was a tone of uneasiness in his voice that I’m almost positive that my father picked up on.
“Do you have a plan on how you’re going to get there?” I knew where this was headed. It wasn’t going to end up well. This is exactly why Connor doesn’t like spending time with my father.
“Father, can we please not do this now? Can we please just have a nice dinner without getting upset?”
“No Evelyn. We are talking about this now. I need to know if the boy that is dating my daughter going to have a plan with his life in case he does marry her. Now, do you have a plan on how you’re going to get there?” Connor shook his head.
“I still need to do a little bit more research before making an actual plan.” His voice slightly went up a few octaves.
“Harry, it doesn’t matter anymore now does it? You can stop the interrogating of the poor boy.” Mother said.
“What do you mean by it doesn’t matter anymore? Why wouldn’t it matter?” I asked. Father glanced over at mother with an angry look in his eye. Mother’s face turned a ghost white shade of pale.
“I’m sorry Harry, I didn’t mean to-” My mother started before he cut her off.
“I was going to wait until after dinner and after Connor left, but I guess that plan went out the window.” He looked at mother again. She lowered her head and looked at her plate. Fear started to bubble in the pit of my stomach. I have no inkling of an idea as to what what any of this could possibly be, “Sweetheart, you’re eighteen now. That means that you have a few responsibilities that you have to fulfill as your role in this household.”
“Father, what are you getting at?”
“I’m getting to it. Now, as your role in this family, it has come to my attention that there are certain aspects of my job that could be in jeopardy unless you accomplish one tiny favor for me.”
“And what is that favor?”
“You are to get married to my boss’s son, Wyatt.” My heart and jaw dropped. Married? To my father’s boss’s son?
“You can’t possibly mean that. This certainly can’t possibly be happening. Father. You would never.” I looked over at mother and her face was painted all in a somber expression.
“I’m sorry honey, but this deal is what could mean me keeping my job and getting fired. You need to do this.” Connor’s hand made its way to mine underneath the table and intertwined his fingers with mine.
“No. I’m not going to do that. That’s unfair to me, father. You can’t expect me to just marry a stranger in order for you to keep your job. And mother, how could you let father make such a deal?” A single tear fell down her cheek. She opened her mouth, but father beat her to it.
“There’s no objection to this. You’re going to do it and you can’t say anything about it. I am the father and you are the daughter. You do as I say, and what I say goes. You are going to marry Wyatt and you aren’t going to complain nor make things difficult. I already have a lot on my plate to deal with and I don’t need teenage drama on top of it.”
My eyes started to get blurry from the tears forming. I got out of my seat, grabbed Connor’s hand, and dragged him out of his chair and out the front door. Once out the door, he opened his mouth to speak, but I grabbed his face and kissed him. All I wanted in that moment was to feel him. I wanted to be felt by him. I wanted the heat in my chest whenever he touches me. After his moment of shock, he began to kiss me back. I wrapped one of my arms around his neck and put my other hand in his hair. I could feel both of his hands trailing down my back. Every one of his fingers pressed into my back.
I deepened the kiss. Each kiss was a desperate plea to not leave. To not let me go back inside and have to deal with what the bombshell that I just heard was. We separated and were gasping for air. We put our foreheads on each other's and just sat there for a little bit.
“Please don’t leave me. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I go back in there.” I said. He sighed.
“Evie, we both know that I can’t stay. Your father is a man of his word. What he says goes. You have to do this. You need to marry that Wyatt guy.” That’s when the tears really begin to fall. The acceptance. I have to do this. There is no way around it. My father made up his mind and no one can change his mind after that point. I fall to my knees and start sobbing. Connor wraps sits down with me and wraps his arms around me and just sits there. I don’t know how long we sit there like that, but all I know is that I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want to leave him.
“So father, how was your day today?” I asked, trying to fill the awkward silence. From the corner of my eye, I saw Connor take a small breath of relief. I chuckled a little before sliding my attention back to my father.
“Well dear, it was quite a good day until you told us that he is coming over to dinner. But alas, I don’t seem to have very much say in who is coming to eat meals in this family.” My father said without looking up from his newspaper. He hadn’t even so much as to glance Connor’s way when he stepped foot into the house. It was like his eyes were glued to the page and the newspaper was far more interesting than my boyfriend. I stared at his stern features. There were hints of laugh lines around his hazel eyes, which obviously say that he laughs a lot. It also indicates that he’s a happy man. Or at least, used to be a happy man.
“Oh you don’t mean that. You’re happy that he’s here, right honey?” My mother said, walking into the room and sitting on the arm of father’s chair. Father eyed mother before letting out a sigh.
“Is the food ready? I’m famished.” I saw mother’s face fall for a fraction of a second before nodding and walking back into the kitchen. I grabbed Connor’s hand and practically dragged him into the dinning room.
“How can your father be so intimidating? It makes no sense.” Conner whispered as he sat down in the seat next to me. I shrugged and smiled. That’s just my father. He’s a stern but goofy man. At least he used to be goofy. When I was younger he would joke around all the time. It got to the point where you didn’t know if he was telling the truth or joking sometimes because he joked so much. In the past few years, he sort of changed. I don’t know if it’s because he’s gotten older or just things have changed with him. I sometimes miss that old father. The one where we never knew if he was joking or not. But that was in the past, and maybe it should stay in the past. Keep it with my other childhood memories.
Mother and father both walked into the dinning room each holding two plates of food. Father placed a plate in front of me and mother placed one in front of Connor’s before placing one in front of their own spots. Father blessed the food before we all dug into the food. The only sounds that could be heard were clanging of utensils on the plates and cups banging on the table as people were setting it back down on the table. The sound that wasn’t present that normally is with family meals was talking. It was dead silent. I could tell that the silence was also bugging my mother.
“How is school going for you Connor? Are you planning on going to college?”
“It’s going well. I am planning on going to college. I’m planning on going to the local community college and then transferring to a four-year in the state.”
“What is it that you’re going to study, son?” Father asked. I saw the slight fear pop into his eyes at the sound of my father’s voice.
“Well sir, I’m planning on going to medical school to become a surgeon.” There was a tone of uneasiness in his voice that I’m almost positive that my father picked up on.
“Do you have a plan on how you’re going to get there?” I knew where this was headed. It wasn’t going to end up well. This is exactly why Connor doesn’t like spending time with my father.
“Father, can we please not do this now? Can we please just have a nice dinner without getting upset?”
“No Evelyn. We are talking about this now. I need to know if the boy that is dating my daughter going to have a plan with his life in case he does marry her. Now, do you have a plan on how you’re going to get there?” Connor shook his head.
“I still need to do a little bit more research before making an actual plan.” His voice slightly went up a few octaves.
“Harry, it doesn’t matter anymore now does it? You can stop the interrogating of the poor boy.” Mother said.
“What do you mean by it doesn’t matter anymore? Why wouldn’t it matter?” I asked. Father glanced over at mother with an angry look in his eye. Mother’s face turned a ghost white shade of pale.
“I’m sorry Harry, I didn’t mean to-” My mother started before he cut her off.
“I was going to wait until after dinner and after Connor left, but I guess that plan went out the window.” He looked at mother again. She lowered her head and looked at her plate. Fear started to bubble in the pit of my stomach. I have no inkling of an idea as to what what any of this could possibly be, “Sweetheart, you’re eighteen now. That means that you have a few responsibilities that you have to fulfill as your role in this household.”
“Father, what are you getting at?”
“I’m getting to it. Now, as your role in this family, it has come to my attention that there are certain aspects of my job that could be in jeopardy unless you accomplish one tiny favor for me.”
“And what is that favor?”
“You are to get married to my boss’s son, Wyatt.” My heart and jaw dropped. Married? To my father’s boss’s son?
“You can’t possibly mean that. This certainly can’t possibly be happening. Father. You would never.” I looked over at mother and her face was painted all in a somber expression.
“I’m sorry honey, but this deal is what could mean me keeping my job and getting fired. You need to do this.” Connor’s hand made its way to mine underneath the table and intertwined his fingers with mine.
“No. I’m not going to do that. That’s unfair to me, father. You can’t expect me to just marry a stranger in order for you to keep your job. And mother, how could you let father make such a deal?” A single tear fell down her cheek. She opened her mouth, but father beat her to it.
“There’s no objection to this. You’re going to do it and you can’t say anything about it. I am the father and you are the daughter. You do as I say, and what I say goes. You are going to marry Wyatt and you aren’t going to complain nor make things difficult. I already have a lot on my plate to deal with and I don’t need teenage drama on top of it.”
My eyes started to get blurry from the tears forming. I got out of my seat, grabbed Connor’s hand, and dragged him out of his chair and out the front door. Once out the door, he opened his mouth to speak, but I grabbed his face and kissed him. All I wanted in that moment was to feel him. I wanted to be felt by him. I wanted the heat in my chest whenever he touches me. After his moment of shock, he began to kiss me back. I wrapped one of my arms around his neck and put my other hand in his hair. I could feel both of his hands trailing down my back. Every one of his fingers pressed into my back.
I deepened the kiss. Each kiss was a desperate plea to not leave. To not let me go back inside and have to deal with what the bombshell that I just heard was. We separated and were gasping for air. We put our foreheads on each other's and just sat there for a little bit.
“Please don’t leave me. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I go back in there.” I said. He sighed.
“Evie, we both know that I can’t stay. Your father is a man of his word. What he says goes. You have to do this. You need to marry that Wyatt guy.” That’s when the tears really begin to fall. The acceptance. I have to do this. There is no way around it. My father made up his mind and no one can change his mind after that point. I fall to my knees and start sobbing. Connor wraps sits down with me and wraps his arms around me and just sits there. I don’t know how long we sit there like that, but all I know is that I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want to leave him.
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