Princess

Chapter 32: Be Mine

Damon

Full blown fucked.

That was apparently what I was, as Christian told me on the phone. I already had his begrudging approval of me and his sister "being involved" and had declined to give him any more information about our current three week-long relationship of vicious, incredible, and addicting sex, late nights eating takeout, and watching movies with both of us denying that it was anything real. Granted, Christian's full approval was not easy to get. I had to let him pummel into me all morning for the last two Sundays when we boxed to the tune of a sappy and gruesome overprotective older brother speech that I was confident Jane Austen had ghost written.

I took a couple notes for my own future speeches too because if Francis was right, Christian and Robyn were soulmates and that meant I could serve this shit right back to him.

But Christian's phone call referred to her father who was apparently livid with me.

Strolling into my father's home office, I noticed Jackson and Christian sitting in the dark upholstered chairs and I nodded at my friend. My father sat calmly in his leather chair, sitting back and resting an ankle on his knee.

"What's up?" I asked casually, knowing it'd get under her father's skin. The last time I spoke to her dad did not end well.

Jackson Ryder responded before I could say anything more. "Have I or have I not told you to stay away from my daughter?"

"Dad," Christian started.

"You stay out of this," he snapped and Christian shook his head, looking at his father with general disgust and abhorrence. Christian hated his father with a burning passion that he somehow kept hidden from the public well.

"You did," I responded calmly, taking a seat as he stood in front of me.

"And do I need to remind you that you work on retainer for me?" Ryder Sr. all but yelled.

"You don't," I responded.

"Then why in the name of everything holy am I hearing that you are with my daughter?"

"For the record, we aren't together."

"She is not made for people like you. She needs stability. Assurance. Protectio—"

"She doesn't need anyone's protection or concern. Your daughter isn't a wallflower. Not that you'd have any idea."

"Don't you dare talk to me about my daughter."

"Why not? You clearly know nothing about her."

He blinked at me.

I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a caustic breath.

"Stop treating her like she's fucking fragile and incapable of surviving without you in the world. She is more than what you think she is­–more than you will ever understand. She's a doctor, for fuck's sake and the most grounded one of us all."

"You have no idea how to take care of her."

"What makes you think you do? You almost fucking broke her."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Damon..." Christian warned. I raised my hand.

"Now it's high time he knows." I exhaled a deep breath, knowing that once the words tumbled out, it would be irreversible. "That asshole doctor you loved seeing her draped on? The one you were so ready to marry her off to? Did you ever wonder what happened to him?"

A scowl marred his face. "You had nothing to do with that."

"I had everything to do with that," I snapped. "For two years, she suffered quietly as he broke her down. He made her doubt who she was. He made her hurt. And you were too blind to see it. For two fucking years. You just liked the positive attention she brought you. It's the perfect story, two doctors fall in love and get married, bringing honor and pride to the Ryder family."