Empire of Desire by Rina Kent

“Then how did I end up in front of Dad’s house?”

“It was my uncle and his wife. They wanted me to get rid of you since they found out I was pregnant, but it was too late at the time and no clinic would do it. They abused me, hit me, pushed me down the stairs, and kicked me all the time so you’d die. But you didn’t; you were a fighter. Until you weren’t, or so I thought. For twenty years, I believed you died because I couldn’t protect you properly. Because I was so young and clueless and didn’t know how to keep you safe.”

Gwyneth sniffles as if she could feel the pain behind Aspen’s words. She’s an empath that way, so even though she hates her, she can still allow her emotions to seep inside her. After a moment, she murmurs, “Why didn’t you go to Dad?”

Aspen scoffs and glares at him. “We didn’t know each other.”

“Jesus Christ.” King runs a hand over his face.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Gwyneth asks, and when he avoids her gaze, she squeezes his hand. “Dad, tell me. Don’t hide anything from me.”

“I don’t remember her and she doesn’t remember me. The night…we conceived you, I was drunk as fuck and so was she. It was dark and messy, and I have barely any recollections of it or her, except for waking up in my friend’s house and knowing that I’d had sex.”

“I went to a party with a friend,” Aspen continues. “And I didn’t know my own tolerance, so I drank more than I should’ve. I remember this jock coming to me and we talked. He said he was seventeen and I lied and told him that I was sixteen, and then we were drinking together and…that’s it. I really don’t have much recollection of him or that night. I remember leaving while it was dark because I had exams the following day, and I was still a little tipsy.”

“Nine months later, you showed up at my door, Angel.”

“But how?” Gwyneth stares at Aspen. “I thought you said you didn’t remember my dad.”

“I didn’t. I tried to find him when I realized I was pregnant, mainly to protect you from my aunt and uncle, but I had nothing to do with it. My aunt and uncle must’ve dug deeper and gone asking around about the night of the party, because they clearly planned to leave you with Kingsley. You have to believe me, I would’ve never…never left you like that if I’d had a choice.”

“But you did leave me.” Gwyneth wipes her eyes. “I spent twenty years without a mother and that can’t just be erased simply because you’re back in the picture again.”

Aspen’s shoulders hunch and King doesn’t hide his sadistic smile.

“I…want to be alone.” Gwyneth strokes my hand and I slowly let her go.

She doesn’t look at any of us as she jogs to her car.

Everything in me screams to follow her, but I don’t, not yet at least, because I need to talk some fucking sense into these two idiots first.

King flicks his Zippo open, then closed. “Go to Seattle and take the witch with you, Nate. You two can continue your fuck buddy relationship and leave me and my daughter in peace. Incidentally, you fucked both mother and daughter, you sick motherfucker.”

Before I can punch him, Aspen raises her hand and slaps him across the face, hard. So hard that he reels back from it.

She’s about to continue, but I pull her back by the arm, pining for patience myself. “You need to watch your fucking mouth, King. Aspen and I never had sex.”

He runs a hand over the cheek that she slapped but smiles in his manic fucking way. “You’ll pay for that.”

She struggles against me and points a finger at him. “I’m not leaving.”

“She doesn’t want you. No one does.”

“Maybe you’re talking about yourself, Kingsley. Your daughter doesn’t respect you anymore and you already lost your best friend. Congratulations for winning the shitty person of the year award.” And with that, she leaves.

“I’m going to fucking break her,” he says in a low, dark tone.

“Leave her alone.”

“What? Protective of your fuck buddy?”

“I told you we never had sex. And you need to bring down the psychosis a notch if you don’t want things to get uglier. Aspen is Gwyneth’s mother whether you like it or not. The decision to have a relationship or stay as acquaintances is only up to them. Stay the hell out of it.”

“Or what?”

“Or you’ll lose Gwyneth. She’s already scared of you because of me. Stop micromanaging her, stop being the boss of her, just stop all the crazy and save it for when you deal with Susan. Don’t make your daughter lose all respect for you, motherfucker.”

He flicks his lighter open, then closed, and I don’t like the expression on his face one bit. “Do you still care about Gwen?”

“I never stopped.”

“Good. In that case, you’ll do something for me.”





36





Gwyneth





Nate is gone.

He disappeared the same day my life shattered to pieces after I learned I’ve had a mother all along who didn’t know I existed.

The same day my dad threatened to remove her from my life again.

The same day I cried until there were no tears left, then instead of going home, I went to Nate’s apartment because I needed him. Not anyone else, just him.