He squeezes harder. “FUCK YOU. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” he roars. “WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT LITTLE ASSHOLE TALKING ABOUT?” he says, referring to Parker who I see is no longer in the room.

Not that there was any more damage he could have done. He destroyed my life in three minutes.

His final words to me come charging into my brain. What goes around comes around. I want to go after him and ask why. And how? How could he do this to me? I hadn’t intended to hurt him. It wasn’t malicious. It just… happened. But I couldn’t leave JP here to fend for himself against the only two people that he ever loved more than me. Two people that are looking at him now like they hate him.

“Honey, stop.” My mom touches my father’s arm and I watch as he visibly relaxes, turning to look at her and for a moment I’m lost in how they look at each other. How they love each other. The conversation they’re having with just their eyes right now. The moment quickly dissipates when my father lets go of Jacob’s throat allowing him to take a breath. Coughs escape Jacob’s throat as he rubs his neck and no more than a second later, my mother’s hand comes flying through the air and slaps him hard against the cheek.

I let out a cry and I move in front of Jacob, putting myself between him and my dad in case he decides to go for round two. My back is to my dad as I put my hands on his neck to see the marks from my father’s hands. “Shit! I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” I cry and I can see the hurt, pain and devastation in his eyes. I drag my fingertips over the marks from his fingers, wanting to run my lips over them instead.

I’m sorry I did this, his eyes say.

“YOU’RE SORRY!? Whitney, move,” my father growls and Jacob tries to move me gently out of the way.

“No!” I spin around, planting myself firmly in front of Jacob. “Can you stop acting like a psychopath right now? This is your best friend!”

“Was my best friend, not anymore. Not after this,” he snaps as he takes a step back, probably realizing that I’m not going to move. “My best friend wouldn’t have touched my daughter behind my back.” I look at my mother, who’s shaking her head at me, the tears still pouring from his face.

“And you all just fucking knew!?” He points at Chloe and Mason. “You, I give a pass.” He says to Chloe. “Because you do whatever the fuck Whitney tells you even if it is idiotic.”