Her hand on his arm, Lara becomes the voice of reason as she speaks to my father in that way of hers that always seems to calm the beast. “We should take this someplace private, so we don’t attract any more attention.”

Attention? Glancing over, I realize we’re far from being alone. The building manager is standing in an alcove with his hands on his hips and wearing a deep, disapproving scowl.

To me, Lara says, “You’re father and I will have a talk with him,” she says, indicating the manager, “and we’ll meet you back in your apartment as soon as we get this handled. You two go get dressed.”

I search her face for any kind of anger or judgment. I’ve only known Lara a few years, but out of all the women my dad has married, she’s the only one I’ve ever liked. She’s the only one to treat me like a son.

I’m not used to feeling ashamed of my actions, but when she looks down at me like that, I only see sadness and disappointment, and I feel like hanging my head. What have I done?

17

“They’re adults, David,” my mother reasons. “They’re not even blood related.”

Rounding on her, my stepfather’s face contorts with rage. “You’re taking his side now? He’s fucking your daughter, for Crissake! DNA is beside the point, Lara! Do you know what would happen if the media got ahold of this? They’d run this whole family through the mud. Him, her, me, you, all of us would be ruined, and I’ve worked too damn long and too damn hard to have it all thrown in the trash because my worthless son can’t keep his dick in his pants!”

I’m horrified by all of this. The second everyone left us alone in the pool, Levi rushed to assure me that everything would be okay. He was determined to make everything right and ensure that he took the blame. I wouldn’t let him. How could I, when I’m a willing participant?

We haven’t been in Levi’s apartment more than ten minutes, but already his father has gone completely off the rails. I’ve never seen someone so irate and, to be honest, it’s scary as hell. Making it even more unbearable than it already is, is David’s constant need to belittle his son. It’s as if he doesn’t even care that he’s sitting right here to hear it.

Every name that’s called, every ounce of anger that’s directed his way, Levi shrinks just a little more. Why does he just sit here and continue to take it? It hurts my heart to hear these things said about him and watch the devastation slowly sink in. I can literally see the words chipping away at his soul and it burns me up inside. It’s not right.

As David continues to pace the floors ranting and raving, I reach out and take Levi’s hand in mine. He shouldn’t feel alone in this. We’re both to blame here, and I’ll be damned if he has to take the punishment alone. His blue eyes find mine from beneath a thick row of lashes and through it all, he somehow manages to muster up a sad smile for me, and that’s when I know I can’t continue to sit here and be quiet. Someone has to stand up for this man.

“I think that’s enough for today,” I speak up. The sound of my voice slices through David’s rant faster than a hot knife through butter. He spins around, looking every bit the dangerous businessman he’s rumored to be. I get the impression that he’s not used to being interrupted. He’s probably not used to being kicked out of places either, but that doesn’t stop me from asking him to leave.

“Excuse me? Just who the hell do you think you’re talking to, young lady?”

Lifting my chin, I force myself to stand tall and will my voice to remain strong. “You might be married to my mother, and I respect you greatly, but I can’t tolerate listening to you stand there and belittle your son like this. It’s not right, so I’m asking you to please leave.”

“You’re asking me to leave?” He barks a short, sharp laugh that holds anything but humor. “Just where do you get off talking to me that way?”

“I live here,” I inform him, as if he doesn’t already know the living arrangements. “As long as I have a bed here, I hold the right to say who stays and who goes.”

“This is Levi’s home, not yours. If he wants me to leave, then he should be the one asking, not you.” Tilting his head, he peers past me with a condescending smile. “And I don’t see him asking.”

“That’s probably because he’s too busy licking his wounds. It’s no wonder he’s hesitant to stand up to you. Considering what I’ve witnessed of your relationship, you’ve probably drilled those vile lies into his head so deep that he actually believes them.”

David’s eyes light up. He takes a threatening step toward me and my mom jumps in front of him at the same time Levi leaps to his feet to jerk me behind his back.

“My family,” David snarls, pointing at me, “and how I handle my business has nothing to do with you, so keep your comments and your theories to yourself.”

“Why should I?” I bite back, pushing at Levi’s back to move him out of my way, but he’s an impenetrable wall of muscle and doesn’t budge an inch. “You treat him like he’s just another one of your pawns, here to fill your pockets instead of being your flesh and blood.”

“You think you know so much,” David throws back at me. “You don’t know a damn thing. Why do you think I handle everything? Levi’s never bothered with running his life or his finances because he’s too busy screwing his way through the female population and partying.”

“He’s more than that,” I argue. “If you took the time to actually get to know him, you might realize that, too.”

“Oh,” David says, as if he’s just uncovered the world’s largest secret. “I see what’s going on here. You think that he actually cares about you.” He laughs, and it’s so full of cruelty, that my stomach drops. I don’t want to hear what he has to say, but I can’t make myself turn away.

“Dad, just stop. This has gone on long enough,” Levi urges him.

But David looks right through him to me. “Did Levi tell you about that night, the first time you two were together?”

I swallow, my throat suddenly thick. Making it worse, my mother’s eyes dart frantically to each of us, eventually landing on me in askance.

“First time? Vista, what’s he talking about? What first time?”

I don’t have the words, but being the gracious man he is, David fills in the silence. “Four years ago, on the night before our wedding, I came home to the sound of our children having sex. I waited in Levi’s bedroom and, hours later, when he snuck in, I told him to cut her loose or else.”

“What?” I gasp, looking up to Levi for answers.

His pained eyes fall on mine and the hand he’s using to hold me back flexes around my thigh. “It’s true. He caught me and told me I had to end it.”

“Or what?” I ask, hurt and anger flooding me. Four years. I went through so much turmoil, thinking something must be wrong with me, because of that man. To know that I might not have had to makes me want to drive my fist through David’s face. He has no idea what Levi was to me, how many nights I stayed awake thinking about a future together after long talks and stolen moments. No idea at all.

“That’s the most interesting part,” David comments. “I didn’t have to threaten him with anything. I told him to end it, and he did. Just like that.” He snaps his fingers, and the finality of the sound causes me to flinch.

It was that easy? All he had to do was tell him to walk and he did? God, I didn’t think there was a worse heartache than the one I already went through, but this...this has claws that dig deep.

“It wasn’t like that,” Levi insists. Turning on his heel, he takes my face in his hands and forces my head back. “Vista, princess, look at me.”

“Princess? Give me a damn break,” David mutters behind him. “Now you’re assigning pet names to the notches on your bedpost?”