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I turn my attention to her, hoping she will help the situation. “I have been writing music for other artists for the past five years, and only within the last year have I started keeping my work for myself. So it’s a different level of recognition now, along with the tour,” I tell her.
“And he’s a new factor.” My father motions to Walker and my defenses shoot up. Walker must feel my protectiveness rising because he reaches a hand under the table and places it on my thigh, giving a slight squeeze as if to say, it’s okay.
“Yes, my relationship with Walker has definitely created more buzz around myself and my music, but he had nothing to do with anything coming out either.”
“I’m sure he didn’t,” my father says sarcastically, and then under his breath, he adds so low I just barely hear him, his words instantly infuriating me. “Just look at him.”
“You don’t even know him,” I say, gripping the armrests of my chairs to try to steady myself against the rising anger flowing through me. I know what my father sees when he looks at Walker and I know it’s all surface level judgments he’s passing. The faded green dye in his hair, the rings on his fingers, the sliver of a tattoo peeking its way out from his wrist. It’s Walker’s way of expressing himself and because it’s not the way my father approves of, he turns his nose to him as a person entirely.
“Fine.” My father steeples his hands in front of him. “Tell me about yourself, son.”
God, he’s a patronizing prick.
I look at Walker, apologies written all over my face at bringing him into this situation but he just gives a small nod of encouragement. Looking past him at Christopher, I watch him shift uncomfortably in his chair, but also there’s a bit of relief behind his eyes that he’s not the focus of my father’s attention.
He may maintain a respectable relationship with my parents for Beth’s sake, but I don’t doubt for a second that he ever feels like he can let his guard down around them, even if they are family now too.
Walker adjusts the cuffs to his shirt as he begins. “Well, I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, my mom is a graphic designer and my dad is a professor. I have a twin sister who is going to be graduating from Harvard Law next month. I moved out to L.A., with my three best friends and bandmates after high school and have been working in the music industry ever since.” He hesitates, not sure if he should add in more detail, but my father interrupts.
“Oh. Interesting to mention that your bandmates are your best friends.” He puts those last two words in quotation marks with his fingers. “Was that not also something I saw in the news recently, you assaulting one of them out on the street?”
His fight with Reid…
Walker pauses for a moment, thinking about how he wants to respond, but my father continues.
“Is that how you treat your best friends? Because if so, then I would be remiss to not be concerned over my daughter’s safety.”
The table is silent for a moment and it’s as if the entire restaurant freezes around us, my vision turning red at the edges and my focus zeroes in on my father. If looks could kill, he’d be a pile of ash under my glare.
I shoot up from my seat, chair rocking back until Walker extends a hand to right it, keeping it from tipping over.
“You couldn’t give two shits about my safety since I moved out, how dare you make such assumptions about him when you don’t even know him.” I seethe, teeth clenched so hard I swear I can feel them cracking. I lean over the table, finger raised at him while my father sits cool as can be, as if I’m nothing more than a child throwing a tantrum.
Walker grabs my hand, pulling my attention to him.
It’s okay, he mouths and tips his head to my seat, inclining me to sit back down.
“It’s not okay,” I tell him as I settle back in, collecting my napkin from the floor.
He gives my hand a squeeze before turning back to my father, chest rising and falling once before he starts.
“Sir, I understand that it may be difficult for you, to see your daughter in the media and have personal and private things aired out about her. But with all due respect, you don’t know her, and I don’t think you ever did. And you certainly don’t know me. And as much as you think those things being publicized affect you, I promise you they affect her ten times over.”
“Now listen—” My father tries to cut in, but Walker silences him with a raised hand and continues talking, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more attracted to him than in this moment, watching him handle himself under scrutiny and disrespect with such grace and fortitude.
“But I’m not going to sit here and let you assassinate my character and insinuate that because I got into an altercation with a fellow band member, which by the way was because I was defending your daughter and her name, that I would ever treat her with anything less than the utmost care and respect she deserves.” Walker’s voice is deadly calm, cold like I’ve rarely heard it, and my heart flutters at the way he’s standing up for himself and me.
I look around the table, taking in the shock on both Christopher and my mother’s faces at the way Walker shut my father up so effortlessly.
My father’s face is bright red, restrained anger wanting to lash out but as he glances around the restaurant at the other patrons, I know he won’t want to draw any further attention to our table or himself.
Beth looks at me, eyes wide but full of…pride? No, I must be misreading her, but as she slightly inclines her head at myself and Walker, the smallest of smiles tugging at the corner of her lip, I think I’m correct.
“Thank you for that additional context,” Beth says, breaking the tension. “We all saw the story but didn’t know what might have transpired behind the scenes. So it is good to know that you had a just reason and were standing up for her.”
My sweet sister, who I sometimes couldn’t feel any more different from, thanking my partner for standing up for me and being open to what he has to say. Tears spring to my eyes, watching the way she accepts not only him at this moment, at this table, but also our relationship. Not that I ever needed her approval, but it feels good to see.
Maybe I have more than one ally sitting at this table with me after all.
