Page 88 of Will to Run

He has the gall to look at her, surprised, as if she should be grateful. “I think you’re great, Elizabeth. You’re a good person, you’ll be a good mother. You’ll have a great fucking life. But we’re not compatible; you have to know that. You were a fucking virgin,” he scoffs with a chuckle. “And I’m not attracted to what you’d be able to give me. You gonna strap on a dildo and fuck me? Be cool being passed around?”

“You’re sick,” her voice wavers as she says it.

“For someone as liberal and accepting as you claim to be, that’s rich,” he chuckles, like she’s the one being unreasonable.

“No, Tripp. I couldn’t care less who you date, who you fuck, how you fuck; that’s not what’s sick. The fact that you were… are still willing and trying… to ruin my entire life so you can have someone who looks good stand next to you… knowing you’d never give us an honest chance. My God. What’s wrong with you?” Della staggers and collapses onto a seat with her hand over her heart, as if everything around her has crumbled.

At least with Cayson and me, she was fiery and pissed. This is a complete resignation. How many more hits can this woman take?

“Since my mother died, everything is a lie. I can’t believe I ever agreed to marry you,” she puts her head in her hands. It kills me that I can’t hold her.

Hazel, who has been uncharacteristically quiet this entire time, takes it as her opportunity.

“Listen, man. You’re done here. Done with Della and done with being on this property. You have approximately,”—she looks at her watch— “two minutes to get the fuck out.”

“And why the fuck would I listen to that empty threat? What are you going to do, sweetheart? Stomp on my foot?” he scoffs, demeaning her.

Bad move, city boy.

“You’re going to do it because I’ve been recording this whole thing,” she holds up her phone. “I’m sure someone out there would love to hear your spiel… maybe one of those papers you desperately want to be seen in with Della. They might love to hear you talking about using a person for a photo op, an heir, and maybe you can give them an exclusive on the strap-on situation.”

Tripp lunges toward my sister to grab the phone, but I step in front and push him back.

“Get the fuck out of here,” I say, in a tone that lets him know that I’m done being nice.

“This isn’t over, Della. Your father is going to lose everything because of you,” he shouts past me.

“No,” she looks up and replies in such a steady voice that I’m blown away. It has to be at complete odds with what’s happening inside her right now. “He did that to himself. I tried to help him after my mother died. He blamed me and then sold me off under a guise. Sold me off,” she scoffs as if she can’t believe the words coming out of her own mouth. “Now he’s going to lose both the business and me. Tripp, we are done. Forever. I’m sure you can find someone pretty willing to fit your bill, but it’s not me. I will kick and scream and tell the world about your secrets if you try. The only thing I have of yours is that diamond hairpiece you gave me, but if you stay here, I’ll go get it. I had donated it to the people that do bridal hair, but on second thought, I’d rather not have that bad juju existing here.”

Silently, I cheer on my girl for standing up for herself while my sister grabs her hands and lifts her to her feet. Together, they walk into the lodge.

Standing in place, I just glare at the absolute piece of shit in front of me, not bothering to look at Cayson when he comes to stand next to me. He has to hear me seething, because he doesn’t chastise me even with the blood that has painted both the person in front of me and the ground. It’s the most united we’ve been since that day in my office. Everest pulls up and jumps out of his car right after. My sister must have texted him when they walked up.

“All good here?” Everest asks.

Since Tripp doesn’t answer, I do it for him. “This here is Del’s ex-fiancé. She ran to the lodge to get something because she wants all traces of this prick gone from her life.”

Tripp balls his fists, but he’d be a fool to instigate anything right now.

Nothing else is said as we stand and stare. Finally, Tripp blinks first by retreating to his car door, opening it, and getting in. And with that, I take the first deep breath I’ve taken since he showed up.

“What the fuck is that about?” Cayson asks.

“That guy is a piece of shit,” I reply, still glaring at the car, hoping my eyesight has gained the superpower of melting things.

“That much is obvious. Why the blood?”

“I punched him.”

“What happened, Jax?” Everest asks.

“Everything. Things are worse than I knew, than Della knew. Her father deliberately leaned into blaming her for her mother’s death so he could weaponize her guilt. He needed her desperate to make things right. Then, he presented her with the opportunity to marry this guy. I knew that the dad pushed her towards the marriage by manipulating her and telling her that the Worthington family could help them financially, but I don’t think she knew that she was the debt relief. The marriage and her virginity were given in exchange for loan forgiveness. It was all calculated.” I speak through my teeth because I’m not sure I can unclench them when talking about this.

“What?” Everest hisses. “But what kind of a father would do that? And why would the virginity matter if he’s not into women?” Everest asks.

“I… I don’t know. He even said in his little speech to her that she couldn’t give him what he wanted. I can’t figure out why. Control? Bragging rights? Appeasing his own parents? Fuck. You should have seen her face. She didn’t know. You guys, she didn’t fucking know. This is bad,” my eyes close, and I feel like I’m going to puke.

“Holy shit,” Cayson says.