I let out a slow, measured breath. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”
“I told him he was wrong,” Michael said, crying again. “I told him if he thought that of you, then he didn’t know you at all. I told him he didn’t know me at all either.” His chin wobbled. “I was . . . I couldn’t go back inside. I just had to leave. I couldn’t let you see me.”
“Why? Baby . . .”
He shook his head and tears escaped his eyes. “Because it would have proved your father right. Hell, it did prove him right. I was everything he said I was.”
“A distraction.”
Michael nodded again. “He wanted to make me a distraction just to prove himself right.” He put his free hand to his face and sobbed. “I’m sorry.”
I touched his arm, his face, his hair. “No, Michael. Don’t be sorry. You have nothing to apologise for. I’m so sorry he said those things to you. I’m sorry he hurt you.”
He looked at me then, nose red, eyes wet and puffy. “Bry, what if he’s right?”
I shook my head. “No. No, he’s not.”
He pulled his hand from mine and folded his legs up underneath him, effectively putting a small distance between us. He’d sat like that with me a dozen times, but this felt different.
He wiped at his face and let out a shaky breath. “I never expected your father to welcome me with open arms. But I never expected him to outright despise me.”
“He doesn’t despise you,” I said.
“He despises what I am to you. He wants me out of your life.”
He sounded so defeated, as if he agreed with what my father had said. “Michael, please.”
“I’m just . . . I’m sorry. But what he said really hurt me.”
“Baby, he’s not me. What he said doesn’t reflect how I feel. I love you. That hasn’t changed.”
“I know, and I love you too.”
“But?”
I knew it was coming. I could feel it.
“But I think I need a little time.”
My heart beat in my chest like a hummingbird caught in a snare. “Are you . . . are you breaking up with me?”
He shook his head and fresh tears streamed down his face. “No. I don’t want to.” He chewed on his bottom lip. “But I need some time.” Then he let out a laugh that was half-cry. “And you know what I hate the most? It’s that it makes your father right, and it gives him exactly what he wanted.”
“So don’t give it to him,” I replied. “Give him the opposite of what he wants. If he did this to break us up, then let’s prove to him that we’re stronger than that. We’re together, you and me, whether he likes it or not. And if he thinks for one second that he can dictate what we do or manipulate us into what he wants, then let’s prove him wrong.”
Michael wiped his face with his sleeve again and sighed. His gaze locked with mine, and he almost smiled. “He already doesn’t like me, Bry. I don’t know if poking the hornet’s nest is a good idea.”
“Let me tell you one thing about my father.” I put my hand on his thigh. “He will respect you more if you stand up to him. I’m not just saying that so you won’t dump me like he wants.”
Michael snorted.
“Sure, it might piss him off in the beginning, but in the end, he’ll know where you stand. He deals with all kinds of bigwigs from all over the world, and I can tell you the ones he respects are the ones who challenge him.”
Michael didn’t say anything for a long moment, but eventually he wrapped his hand over mine. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“Then don’t. Don’t punish me because of something he said or did.”
He frowned and got teary again. “I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry. I’m punishing myself too. God, why today of all days? Why would he say that to me today?”
“Because he just sees his own agenda.” I shrugged. “He’s been telling me for weeks that I shouldn’t be distracted, that I needed to focus on my business. Because that’s how he operates. It’s hard to explain,” I said, scrubbing my hand over my face. “My father and I have a very complex and strange relationship. I know he loves me. It’s only ever been him and me and he’s done a lot. He’s also not done a lot, not by any fault of his own. He was creating an empire and thought paying other people to look after me was parenting.”
“I’m sorry, Bry,” he murmured.
“But it made me who I am. It made me independent. Always being on my own made me stronger. If it was urgent or important, he’d be there; there was always the safety net of knowing that. But for the most part, it was just me.” I sighed. “So he doesn’t get to act like an arsehole when it finally dawns on him that I don’t need him or that I don’t think like him, because I’m the product of his parenting.
“Michael, I’m sorry he said that to you. It’s unforgivable, and you have every right to be mad and hurt. I don’t blame you one bit. I blame him. And believe me, he’s gonna know about it. I already yelled at him over the phone.”
“You did?”
I nodded. “Yep. One of my staff saw you and him talking out the front of the store, so I knew he’d said something to upset you. He didn’t even try and deny it when I called him.”
“What did he say?”
“He said it was probably a conversation we shouldn’t have over the phone. I told him he was lucky it wasn’t in person. I’m feeling a lot calmer now that I’ve spoken to you, but I swear to God, I could have punched the piss out of him.”
Michael chuckled and put his hand over his mouth. “Please don’t punch him.”
I shook my head and sighed. I met his gaze. “Are we okay, Michael?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“Thank God.” I brought his hand up to my lips and kissed his knuckles. “I do love you. And I’m glad we could talk this out.”
He smiled, for real this time. “Me too.”
I played with his fingers for a bit. “I’m still gonna let him have it. He’s going to know where I stand and what you mean to me. He was way out of line today and he needs to know that.”
Michael inhaled deeply and let his head rest on the back of the couch. “How did your first day end up?”
“Really good. We were so busy. It was huge. Huuuuuuge.”
He squeezed my hand. “I’m really proud of you.”
His words warmed my heart. “Thank you. That means a lot. I was hoping it was going to be as busy as that, but honestly, it went better than I expected. And I know it won’t always be that busy once things settle down, but it was great. And Niran said to say thank you.”
He smiled. “He was sweet.”
“They’re a good bunch. Hopefully I can keep them as excited about their jobs as they were today.”
“I’m sure you will. Early start again tomorrow?”
I nodded. “Yep. Will be for a while.”
“You must be tired.”
“I am. But I needed to see you tonight.”
Now he brought my hand to his lips and pressed my palm to his cheek. “What are you gonna say to your dad?”