Page 57 of Terms and Traditions

“Bringing the enemy into the fold. You told me you had a suitable partner, not some—” He dropped a curse that had me cringing. “Were you jealous of Zara and me? Trying to upstage our announcement for attention?”

I should have gotten an Olympic medal for refraining my eyeroll. “I didn’t even know about you and Zara before you arrived. Guess I missed that wedding invitation. And Nash and I are dating, so it made sense for him to spend Christmas with me. That’s what boyfriends do, right?”

“Maybe if he was like Jarrett. You need a man worthy of this family. Of the image we represent. I have several important contracts coming up, but you’ll be the ruin of us if you insist on this petty rebellion. Do you know what people think when my own daughter works for my biggest rival? He’s not worthy of us. But—”

“But nothing. Nash is completely suitable. Regardless of the rivalry your companies have going on, he’s here because I asked him to come, and that’s that. It’s not a question of if he’s worthy of rubbing shoulders with the Addams. Or even being worthy of me. He’s entirely too good for me.” Anxiety burned in my veins as I finished my spiel, and my limbs buzzed like I’d had too much caffeine. “And Jarrett tried to assault me. I don’t care that he was a potential big win. After his behaviour, you shouldn’t either.”

“So dramatic. I’m sure it was nothing that bad.” Hiram waved dismissively. “You encouraged him.”

Excuse me? Trying to steal kisses when a woman said no was not nothing or encouragement. Jarrett was lucky to be alive, since it was Hailey and not Gabe who’d found me cornered in the hallway. She’d still managed to give him a nasty concussion with a trusty Sanderson tome.

Hiram continued. “After all I’ve done for you, this is the thanks I get. You’re just like your mother.” The words reeked with derision. “You have no idea what it means to be an Addams, to carry the honour of the family name. You had the best of everything. Name-brand designers. A pony. A new Mercedes at sixteen. Who do you think paid for your high school trip to Europe?”

After all he… what? Thanks to my frayed nerves, the laughter spilled out of me in deranged cackles. “I never went to Europe, Dad. That was Veronica. And Zoe got the Mercedes. You haven’t had an active part in my life since the day you dumped me off on Nana and Papa when I was five years old.” My voice cracked slightly, and I hated the show of weakness, but I pressed on, the words I’d repressed for years tumbling out of me. “You gave me stuff that never fit into my world. Stuff we sold because it wasn’t like you gave Nana and Papa any compensation to raise me. I get it. I’m the family disappointment, who never fit into your vision for the perfect Addams image. I’ll never be good enough for you, no matter what I do or have done. It was never enough! But don’t you dare try and make this my fault.”

I was panting once I finished. I needed air. Out. Get out. Stomping to the door, I hesitated with my hand on the doorknob. “I wish you all the best with Zara, and I truly mean that. She’s a nice woman. Better than you deserve.” I lifted my chin to meet his gaze, those hazel eyes a mirror of my own as he stood there, watching me. How the man had the audacity to look disappointed in me was astounding. Was he really so clueless as to his parental failure? Or did he just not care enough? As long as he kept up the image, who cared about the foundation? “I hope with her at least you realize the treasure you have instead of chasing an illusion.”

Heart pounding like a bass drum and dizziness threatening to overwhelm me, I stumbled up the stairs and locked myself in the bathroom, grateful it was free at that moment. I sank down to the cold tile floor, my back pressed against the door, and buried my face in my knees, tremors rattling my limbs. Emotional fireworks ricocheted in my brain as I felt like laughing and crying at the same time. I’d stood up to Hiram verbally, finding my voice, for the first time in my life. Before this, my decisions were mostly action-based, like declining his offer to pay for college and the complimentary job offer to Nova Designs every Addams sibling received upon graduation. Getting out all the words I’d said to him in my head for years was freeing, but it still made me nauseous. I was exhausted, and his accusations hurt. He didn’t refute anything I said. How could he?

Some hopeful—or delusional—part of me had hoped we could have existed in civility. But it had been too much to dream of, and something inside me snapped. I couldn’t force someone to accept me or even treat me with respect. And I was done reinventing myself into a more palatable shape for someone else’s convenience. I didn’t know what that fully looked like going forwards. But if I’d accused Hiram of chasing an illusion, I was just as guilty of chasing his affirmation. I had a Father who loved me, who’d affirmed me as His child. My beloved daughter. Chasing a flawed man’s acceptance would never be enough. I already had my Heavenly Father’s love and approval. I didn’t have to earn it—it was freely given. No strings attached. Thank you, Jesus.

I inhaled slowly, trying to ease the tension in my chest and the burning of my lungs. This wasn’t how I imagined the holiday would go. Wasn’t how I wanted this chapter to end.

And it wasn’t until I brushed my teeth after disassociating on the floor for twenty minutes, I noticed the tears trickling down my cheek.

Chapter twenty-five

Stephanie

“So…” Hailey dragged out the word when I entered our room after scrubbing all traces of tears from my face and finishing my nighttime routine in the washroom across from the Mistletoe. “That was some kiss.” She wagged her eyebrows in mischief from where she sprawled across the double bed opposite mine, her chin propped in her hands.

I dropped my flour-bedazzled clothes in the laundry bag I’d brought along and spun around to face her. “How did you know?” I touched my cheeks, no doubt burning peony pink on my vampiric skin.

She blinked and closed the fantasy book open in front of her. “Uh, I know the world fades away when you kiss and all that, but you did smooch in the middle of the living room, and we were all witnesses. Unless….” She bolted upright, springing from the bed and jabbing a finger in my direction. “You’re thinking of another kiss. He kissed you again! Steph!”

I groaned and collapsed face-first onto the red-and-green plaid quilt on my bed, but I couldn’t keep the silly grin from my face if I tried. And I didn’t bother denying it. I needed this bit of lightness after that conversation with Hiram.

Hailey squealed and pounced onto my bed. “Tell me everything!”

“This feels very awkward, you know,” I protested. While I’d been on the receiving end of girl talk and hearing my friends recap their dates and relationships, my mostly dateless existence hadn’t prepared me for this.

Hailey shoved a pillow at me. “Stop stalling and spill.”

There was no way I was admitting to Hailey this had started out fake. Not with the precious newness of its realness. So I reluctantly shared about the pantry kiss and the flour bomb.

Hailey cackled loudly like one of those deranged Disney villains.

“Quiet!” I hissed, shoving my hand over her mouth.

She composed herself, propping her chin in her hand as she sat cross-legged opposite me on the bed. “I’ve told Nana several times that flour is dangerous on the top shelf. Never did I think it would have kissing ramifications.” She chortled again before smiling widely. “I’m happy for you, Steph. You’re great together.”

“Yeah.” It was a small admission, light and breathy. There was a steadiness to Nash that was heady. Compelling. Maybe it was our friendship, or the way he’d been such a trooper about my family’s craziness, but things didn’t faze him. He showed up and kept showing up. That was what I lo—liked about him. It was too soon for the other L-word. Was it though? “Hey, where’s Cam? I thought you were bringing him.”

The light dimmed in Hailey’s face, and she shrugged, tugging at the cuff of her crimson silk blouse. “We broke up after Thanksgiving.”

I blinked at her. I hadn’t been home to Nana’s for Thanksgiving this year, spending it with Liz and the rest of Ben’s family instead. But I thought Hailey and Cam had been cute together. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“Like you didn’t tell me about Nash?” she shot back, a slight bite to her tone.