Page 84 of The Grump I Got Stuck With

Ouch. I could feel my heart breaking.

“How about when it comes to my life? My plans, my goals? Am I supposed to set all of those to the side because you feel like pulling a runner?” He knew how much I wanted to continue chasing the connection to my mother—and he knew that meant being in Scotland. But he expected me to forget about all of that because it no longer fit with his agenda. “I guess my happiness and well-being aren’t a priority?”

“The fucking paparazzi that are going to be hanging off my gate tomorrow morning are my concern right now,” he growled, gesturing to the door. “Your happiness is your own damn problem.”

“Glad we’ve cleared that up,” I said, jaw trembling. My chest burned. I was two seconds from bursting into tears, but I would not cry in front of this man. “And since my feelings are no concern of yours, I guess that means we’re back to keeping things strictly business between us from now on.”

He’d already been heading toward the door, but he went still at that. I waited, heart in my throat, to see if he’d turn around, if he’d apologize. If he’d care enough to try to make this right instead of disregarding me like I didn’t matter.

“Fine by me,” he said, cold as ice, not even bothering to face me. And then he walked away.

I waited until his footsteps had retreated down the hall, then collapsed back onto the couch, head in my hands as the tears rolled down my cheeks. I was a complete idiot for thinking we could make a relationship work. I’d actually believed I was special to him, but I was only convenient after all. And now that I wasn’t quite so convenient anymore…I was discarded. Should’ve seen that coming, given how many times it had happened before. In Connecticut and now in Scotland.

I thought I’d found somewhere to belong, here with Alistair and Kenna, but I’d been wrong. I was never going to belong here.

And this relationship—whatever we were—was over.

25

ALISTAIR

“Daddy, pleeeease can I go outside?” Kenna asked, following me down the hall toward my office. It had been a week of constant badgering, and having to repeatedly say no to her was making us both miserable. “Please, please. Just for a little while?”

“I already said no, sweetheart.”

“But I’ll be so good and clean up all my toys after tea and eat all my mash.”

“You should be eating your mash anyway.”

Kenna pouted, folding her little hands together. “Please.”

“No,” I repeated. I was so sick of that fucking word. And so was Kenna, judging by the way she stamped her foot, stopping in the middle of the hall to scowl up at me, those tiny eyebrows pinched together in the most furious frown her sweet little face could muster. I hated upsetting her. But there was no other option. The paparazzi had descended en masse, setting up camp at the edge of the property and in town, flying their bloody drones all over, hoping for a glimpse of us.

It felt much worse this time, and I think it was partly because Kenna was older. She was used to having a lot of freedom around Braeburn, thanks to my friends and Madison. Freedom that I’d had to take away over the past few days, for her own good.

“You always say no!” Kenna thrust her arm out, holding up five fingers. “I just want to go outside with Princess for five minutes. Then we’ll come back inside.”

“Absolutely not.”

She huffed, running down to the playroom, throwing her arms around Madison’s legs. “Daddy said no!” she wailed.

Madison laid her hand on the back of Kenna’s head with such gentle care and obvious affection that Kenna seemed at least a little calmer just from that. Madison had a magic touch—being close to her, being cared for by her, was enough to make anyone feel better.

Not that that was an option for me. Not anymore. I looked away to spare myself the temptation to step closer.

“It’s not fair,” Kenna said, sniffling into Madison’s leg.

“Not everything is fair, Kenna,” I told her. “But Daddy knows best, and it’s his job to keep you safe.”

Kenna grumbled, “I don’t want to be safe. I want to play outside.”

Madison finally glanced up at me. I didn’t know if that look in her eyes was judgment or something worse, but I couldn’t let myself care, either. I was doing what was best, whether the ladies of the house agreed with me or not. Since the media had arrived, I’d laid down a strict ban on Kenna being allowed outside for any reason. Period. Despite her pleas, that included going to Weston’s to hang out with Aisling or going into town to see Locke and Isla. I knew Kenna was struggling with the new rules, but it was my job to protect her, especially from things she didn’t understand.

“Why don’t you two see if there are any nice bead sets you want to order?” I told them. “You can do that while I finish my meetings.”

“Sure,” Madison said, turning her back on me to usher Kenna into the playroom.

Kenna sighed heavily, looking between us briefly. I knew she’d picked up on the distance between us even though we’d done our best to act normally when she was around.