A throat clearing breaks us apart and when I turn, I see JP with a smile on his face. “Whitney, I just wanted to let you know the food’s ready, but take your time.” I turn back to look at my dad that’s looking at JP with a look of… hurt? Maybe? Although he’d only shown his anger, I knew my father was hurt. For reasons aside from the fact that I was his daughter. My dad used to always say there were no secrets between him and JP. Both of them knew where all the bodies were buried and that was that. So, I wonder if a part of his anger came from the fact that he didn’t know. There was something about Jacob Price that he didn’t know. Sure, maybe that’s childish but after twenty-five years of the kind of friendship that they had, I get it. I get that my father was hurt that Jacob fell in love and couldn’t tell him. That he didn’t get to be happy for his best friend for meeting the love of his life.

That maybe he’ll never get to be happy for his best friend for meeting the love of his life. Because now Jacob has to assume the role of son-in-law when he’d only ever been his best friend and his daughter’s godfather. It was a mindfuck that I hadn’t realized until this moment when I see my father looking at Jacob as if he’s not sure if he needs to scream or punch something or apologize.

I hold my breath waiting for him to speak, but he doesn’t. He just walks out of the living room and toward the dining room where we are planning to have dinner.

Dinner is quiet. The only sounds to be heard are the clinking of metal utensils against plates and the quiet questions of passing food around the table. Chloe tries to keep the conversation going, but it’s hard for one person who seems to be the really only neutral party, even though anyone with a brain knows she’s on my side only. Dinner ends almost as quickly as it begins and if we were at my parents’ house, a three-hour long dinner turns into dessert and games and more drinking and karaoke and reminiscing about the good old days and dancing and then it’s two thirty in the morning and no one can drive home so it becomes a familial sleepover. My eyes turn to the clock which reads half past nine and everyone is ready to leave.

No one was in the mood for partying.

I’m putting some of the dishes in the sink when my eyes catch something on the back patio. Seated in front of the outdoor fireplace is my dad and JP.

Shit.

Chapter Twenty-Five