Always His | (Book 3) 18+

twelve

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. The fact that my father was lecturing me about this proves that I was a fucking dick to her. I'm always going to hate myself for that.

"I'm not," I said, watching him raise an unconvinced eyebrow. "I'm serious. We had a talk about it before you and Ma arrived. I'm serious about her, Dad—always have been."

Dad crossed his arms over his chest. "What made you change your mind?"

I never didn't want her, the fuck?

"It's complicated."

He watched me closely, waiting for any sign that I was just fucking around. When he didn't, his face relaxed and the same grin I've grown up with returned. Dad sat back, chuckling to himself.

"What's so funny?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, feeling my body relax at the fact that Dad wasn't pushing on the entire it's complicated part of things.

"Emara and I would talk about how we wanted our kids to get together," he responded. "I'm glad to know our silent wish came true."

My lips curled up into a grin and I looked back into the kitchen, finding Ma and Mia talking back and forth. I always liked how Amelia was close with my family from a young age; I mean, until she was about 14 years old all she did was come over almost every weekend. Then she hit puberty, started high school, and I started realizing I had more than just a tiny crush on her—especially when other guys started seeing how beautiful she really was.

I'm pretty sure I beat a few dozen of them after I heard them bragging about how they had almost done (or had done) so and so with her before kicking her to the curb. I knew it was all a load of bullshit because I would call her and ask her about it but it was the fact that when Mia thought she found a nice guy, she realize they only wanted to fuck her.

Now that she's with me, I plan to prove to her just how I want her for much much more than that.

***

"I love your parents," Mia whispered to me as she helped me prepare dinner. "I've missed talking with them."

I smiled in agreement and kissed her shoulder. Ma and Dad decided to stay the rest of the day, not that either of us were bothered. Throughout the day, we all chatted until it had gotten dark, where I decided to help my mother make dinner. It involved a lot of Italian yelling, scolding, and swearing—oh, and she hit my arm and the back of my head countless times for talking back or not doing something right when cooking.

Let's now forget that I've dealt with this for 25 years now. Ma left the kitchen last second to talk with Dad in the living room so Mia decided to slip in to help me out.

"I didn't know they were coming over," I mumbled and kissed her cheek, hearing Mia's quiet chuckle.

"I figured from how giant your eyes got when you saw your mum," she replied. Once everything was being cooked and we had to wait for the timer, Mia turned around. "I'm gonna have to head home tonight, okay? Just so that Hayden knows I haven't died and have someone pretending to be me."

I groaned and shook my head to myself. "Just call him. I'll drive you home on Monday."

Mia smiled up at me. "Lucian..."