Take Me with You (Take Me #2)(68)

“I cannot believe you all treated my boyfriend like that.” My voice came out steady as I slowly rose to my feet. “None of you know him. None of you have any clue of the kind of person he is!”

“Your brother and Henry were both very clear about the kind of person he is,” my father said.

“Neither of them know him!” I cried. “You’re all going off of a stupid prejudice, and I’m over it. I’m done.”

I left the table and walked toward the door.

Henry tried to stop me. “Aribel, wait. Be reasonable,” he said.

“Don’t touch me!” I yelled at him.

“How can you go after him? He yelled at you at the concert. It was completely unwarranted. Aaron tells me he’s slept with half of Princeton. He’s on tour and probably sleeping with a different girl in every city. And now, he made a fool of himself in front of everyone.”

“So, this is what you think of him? This is what you all think of my judgment?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“We want what’s best for you, honey,” my mother said.

“I don’t want you getting caught up with someone who is going to take advantage of you,” Aaron explained.

“Is that so?” I asked, feeling my anger bubbling up.

My father looked me square in the eyes. He didn’t have to say anything to me in that moment. I knew that he agreed with them.

“You want what’s best for me? And you think the best for me is…Henry?” I asked.

No one answered directly, but I knew. Henry even smiled as if he believed I was finally in on the secret. From the beginning, I’d known that my family was trying to pit us together.

“Well, that truly shows you how shitty your judge of character is! Henry has hounded me to see me when I’ve told him I wanted to be left alone. He got me drunk after New Year’s and tried to take advantage of me, and then he did so again in my hotel room in New York City on my birthday. He’s an *, who is just trying to get an in with me so that he can get another promotion in the company. Think about the person you’re trying to set me up with when you’re pushing my boyfriend away.”

With that, I turned and left.

Henry didn’t follow.

No one followed.

I found Grant a few minutes later. He had walked out across the patio, through the garden, and into the outdoor pool area. He was leaning against a wooden pillar and staring off into the still water.

“Hey,” I said softly. I came over to him and immediately wrapped my arms around his waist. “I’m so sorry about my parents.”

He circled my waist and kissed the top of my head, but he didn’t say anything. I didn’t even know what he was thinking. Was he regretting his decision to come here? I wouldn’t blame him. My parents had been truly awful.

“Grant?”

“You shouldn’t apologize, Princess. I tried to hold it in, but I f*cking blew up anyway. I’m sorry that I embarrassed you.”

I sighed. He was sorry because he thought I was embarrassed.

“Oh, Grant, no. I’m not ashamed of you.” I pulled back to look at his face. “I’m ashamed of them.”

His eyebrows scrunched together. “I know I’m not like Henry.”

“I’m glad. Henry’s a f*cking prick, and I told them as much before I walked out.”

“You know what I don’t f*cking understand?” he said, running a hand back through his hair. “Why would they even f*cking invite me here? Was it just to f*cking humiliate me? Well, congratulations! It worked.”

I consolingly ran my hand down his arm. “They’re stupid. I should have known better. I desperately wanted them to meet you and love you like I do. It took me a while to get to know the real you, but I know you are not the villain they are painting you as.”

“Aren’t I? I have the f*cked-up past. I slept around. Those things they said about me weren’t a lie. I can’t take care of you. I can’t even f*cking take care of myself right now, Ari.”

“I don’t care about those things! Do you know how many guys I’ve brought home to meet my parents? None. Not one,” I told him fiercely. “But I brought you.”

We stared at each other in a pregnant silence before he finally looked away.

Footsteps behind us drew our attention. Aaron was walking straight toward us. I groaned.

Great. What the hell could he have to say?

“Aribel,” he said in greeting as he approached.

“What do you want, Aaron?”

“To speak with you.”

“Obviously.”

“And to apologize.”

My eyebrows rose. “What?”

“I won’t say that I approve of you dating this guy,” he said, looking at Grant.

Grant just shrugged.

“But if Henry acted the way you claimed, then he’s no better. In fact, I’ve acted nearly as bad in the past. We all have stories. We all have pasts.”

“And Mom and Dad?” I asked.

Aaron shrugged. “They asked Henry to leave after you walked out.”

“They asked him to leave?” My eyes bulged. “Are you sure they’re the same people?”

“Pretty sure. I can’t believe Henry did those things. We would never have kept bringing him around if we’d known he was like that, but it’s the same reason I don’t trust Grant,” he said casually as if it didn’t matter. “Anyway, I don’t think we’ll all easily come around to this, Aribel, but I have to say that I approve of you finally standing up to Mom and Dad. I would never have guessed it would be over a guy, but if you’re doing it, knowing full well how they would react, then he must be important to you.”