The Boy Who Didn't Love

45 - a game

  "Dad."

  The two of them averted their gaze from each other and looked towards the voice. Sawyer stood at the entrance, the door ajar, as his eyes flickered between his fiancée and his father.

  "You've been out here for a while, Alice," he informed her, and she nodded.

  "Sorry, I was talking to your dad. We had a very meaningful conversation," she said vaguely, unwavering in her stance when he eyed her briefly.

  "And did it end well?"

  Ali smiled a bit at his question, then glanced over at the man behind her and shrugged. "I'll let him answer that."

  The two Price men locked eyes. Two sociopaths—one who unapologetically did not hide his true nature, and one who did. The father's face had once again returned to its disguise, while the son didn't bother to change his own. Although bonded through blood and brain chemistry, they couldn't be more different from one another.

  Finally, Mr. Price broke the silence as he plastered on one of his famous and well-rehearsed smiles. "Why wouldn't it go well, son? And why do you look so morose? Shouldn't we be celebrating right now?"

  The fiancés exchanged looks, then both nodded in unison. Sawyer stepped aside to let his father by, watching him as he easily became the life of the party within seconds, before turning to his future wife.

  Ali quickly pecked his cheek, then lowered her lips to his ear. "Everything is alright, Sawyer. Let's talk about it after dinner, okay? We deserve to celebrate."

  He hesitated for a short moment, but ultimately agreed. They headed back into the restaurant hand in hand and joined their guests at the table.

  They were all engaged in conversations as they ate, chatting in a cordial and relaxed manner. Mr. Price, who easily entertained everyone, seemed to waver a bit whenever Ali added to the conversation, now that he saw her in a new light. The difference was minimal, but for the two people who had interacted with him countless times and knew about the incident that occurred over a year ago, it did not go unnoticed.

  While the two fathers and the groom-to-be began to speak about another topic, Brady and Marina quickly jumped to action.

  "City girl," Brady whispered harshly as he moved his chair closer to her, with Marina trailing behind him. "You were out there talking to the boss all that time, right? It looks like you definitely made an impact. What'd you say to him?"

  Ali shrugged casually, keeping her voice low to impede any unwanted listeners. "Just that Sawyer needed some love and acceptance in his life. Two things that aren't so difficult to give."

  Brady and Marina both peeked at their sociopathic coworker and mulled over the subject. The lollipop lover sat back in his chair and momentarily zoned out before he spoke.

  "Well, hear me out. I feel like that's pretty easy for you to say. You were never really manipulated by the gaslighting god, so you weren't hurt. To accept and love someone, even after they completely betrayed your trust, is probably one of the most conflicting concepts ever. I mean, how would you know if they actually deserve it? Marina knows what I'm talking about, don't you?" Brady asked her, and she slowly nodded.

  "It's hard not to feel offended by his actions, and even more so when he doesn't seem to feel any remorse for them. It's different for you because he cares about you and your feelings, but that's not the case for us. It's really hard to accept someone like that, no matter their condition," Marina admitted quietly, while Ali listened intently and respectfully to the both of them.