Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26073 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26073 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
He's a fucking idiot if he thinks he comes anywhere close to matching her. He's not even in the same dimension, let alone on the same level. She's been badgered and beaten down for years, but she still eclipses the sun. She is the spirit of Christmas, the compassion, the empathy, the endless capacity for love. Never once has she lashed out at him. Never once has she tried to hurt him. No matter what he's thrown at her or how unkind he's been, she's always held onto her love for him. Even when he didn't deserve it, she's loved him.
"December, you don't mean that," Cory says.
"I do mean it," she disagrees. "I'm tired of trying to be someone I'm not just to make you proud of me. It's exhausting!"
"I've never wanted you to be someone you aren't."
"You have," she whispers sadly. "All I ever do is embarrass you. You wouldn't even write me a recommendation letter for my dream internship because you were afraid I'd do something to jeopardize your shot at an endorsement for governor."
"Is that what you think?" he asks quietly.
"It's what happened." She shrugs.
He stands quietly for a moment, processing this. He isn't the same urbane bastard who walked through the doors ten minutes ago. She rattled him. I see it in his eyes.
"I didn't write you the recommendation letter because you aren't meant to work for someone else, December. You have the skill to create your own line, not design for someone else," he says, meeting my gaze. He expects me to hold her back. The fucker.
He's right, though. She shouldn't be designing for anyone else. Her name should be on her designs, not ours or anyone else's.
"Despite what you think of me, I've never been less than proud to call you my daughter," he continues, shifting his gaze to December. "Clearly, I've royally fucked that up because you don't know that. That's on me, kid. You don't have to change a goddamn thing about you to belong in this family." He strides forward, stopping in front of December. "Your mom would be proud of you too, December."
She sniffles.
"I'm going to fix it," he murmurs and then presses a kiss to her forehead. He cuts his eyes in my direction, spearing me with a hard look. "Take care of my little girl, Parrish, or you'll be the one carrying your teeth in your pocket."
"I'll always take care of her."
He jerks his chin in a nod, glances at December again, and then strides from my office.
"Do you think he meant it?" December asks five minutes later, whirling to face me.
"I think we'll have to wait and see, angel," I say carefully. I don't want to get her hopes up, but I don’t want to break her heart either. Surprisingly, I think he did mean what he said. But whether or not he follows through and actually commits to meaningful change or not? Well, that's a different story. And I won't allow him to continue hurting her. He's done it for long enough.
Whether he intended to do it or not, he's spent years convincing her that she isn't good enough. His carelessness hurt her deeply in ways I don't think he even understood until today. He's been too goddamn busy with his career to notice the daughters he's been slowly destroying. And it's not just December. He's been doing the same thing to Jillian, albeit in a different way.
She's had to watch her father slowly pick apart the one person she loves more than anyone. She's been treated one way while her best friend was treated another by the man sworn to protect them both. I can’t imagine that's been any easier for her than it has been for December.
"You're right," December sighs.
"Come here."
She burrows into my arms, pressing her face to my chest. I hold her close, just enjoying the feel of her pressed to my heart where she belongs.
"I love you," I remind her.
"I love you too."
"I'm taking you somewhere for Christmas."
She tilts her head back to look up at me. "Where?"
"You'll see," I say, smiling. "We leave tomorrow afternoon."
"I can't leave tomorrow! I have to work."
"Angel, you're sleeping with the owner. You can do whatever the hell you want."
"Don't say that," she says, wrinkling her nose at me. "You make it sound bad."
I smirk, pressing my lips to her ear. "When I get you home, I fully intend to show you how bad it is, December."
"Alaric?"
December and I both turn toward the door to find Sariah standing in the doorway, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen. Concern shoots through me.
"Sariah? What's wrong?"
"I…I think my older brother and his friends broke into your warehouse last night," she whispers, tears welling in her eyes. "They stole hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of clothing from you."
"Oh, no," December whispers.