Chapter 168: Disaster Lunch

Isabella POV

I respected my father’s anger, but I was getting fed up with the insults. “Stop talking to him like.....”

“Let it go,” Dante said. “It’s fine, he can call me whatever he wants.”

“And I will.” My father clenched his jaw. “And I can get you a new place.to stay.”

“It’s not just about the place,” I said. “I just like knowing…” I didn’t.finish my sentence, not wanting to share anything too intimate that would.make the conversation even more tense.

“He makes me feel safe and I already said that.”

“Varos is right down the road,” my father said.

“You can stay with him for now.”

“He’s getting married and has a baby on the way,” I said. “He doesn’t want me there.”

“Then find another guy,” my father countered.

“A better one, and one who isn’t a murderer.”

Dante kept a straight face, taking all of this with no reaction. He was the kind of man who shut down insults before they were even uttered and he wasn’t afraid to cause a scene or tell someone off but he kept his silence for me.

“Father, stop,” I said quietly, keeping my voice low because we were in public.

I didn't want to draw attention to our conversation, but I needed him to understand what I was trying to say.

“I don't need a man to take care of me or make me feel safe, that's not the purpose of having someone.”

I paused, trying to put my feelings into words without making it sound like I was depending on Cassian to protect me. “But Cassian makes me feel invincible, with him, I feel like nothing could ever hurt me. I'm not afraid of someone coming through the front door to hurt me because I know he would never let that happen.”

I swallowed, my voice becoming more sincere as I continued.

“And it's not just about protection. It's the way you make Mom feel safe. I feel that way with him too.”

I looked at my father, hoping he could see that I wasn't simply trying to defend Cassian.

“I don't feel that way with just anyone.”

“You don’t feel safe with me?” my father asked.

“My whole life, all I’ve done is keep you safe and I’m telling you now, I don’t like the man you’ve chosen, and I don’t trust him but now, you don’t listen to me.”

“It’s not the same thing, and you know it,” I said quietly. “And you told me you would try, but it doesn’t seem like you’re putting in any effort at all. The second you look at him, it’s like we’re starting over from the beginning again. We need to move forward so we can make progress. This man means everything to me. I want this to work…I need it to work.”

I didn’t want to get emotional because we are in the restaurant, but my eyes were welling up with tears.

Dante turned toward me. “Vanessa, it’ll be alright.” He kept his voice quiet, so quiet I wasn’t sure if anyone else could hear it.

“I’ve already told you that I would leave him if we couldn’t get past this,” I said, ignoring Dante attempt to calm me down.

“I’ve already shown you how much you mean to me, even if that hurts Cassian. Now you need to meet me halfway. You aren’t even trying. All you do is insult him over and over,

and it needs to stop.”

My father didn’t show a hint of remorse. “I told you I wouldn’t be nice to him.”

“And that’s fine with me,” Dante said. “Let it go, Isabella. I told you I’m bulletproof to his insults already.”

My father’s gaze shifted back to him, the anger still heavy and I ran my fingers through my hair, my insides ripped apart. “Just try. You.said you would, and you aren’t.”

My mother turned to my father. “She’s right, this time.”

My father breathed through his flared nostrils, clearly irritated.

“We need to uphold our end of the deal,” my mother said. “Insulting him and ignoring him don’t qualify.”

“What do you want me to say?” my father demanded. “You want me to ask about work? Have fun killing people this week? Or you want me to ask about his family? About his rapist father and his whore mother?”

Dante took a deep breath, the insult piercing him.

“Father.” I glared at him. “Leave his mom out of it. She had nothing to do with anything that happened to us.”

“She fucked my enemy,” my father said. “So she’s my enemy.”

I hated my father like this. I hated his cruelty and I didn’t even recognize him anymore.

My mom rested her hand on his shoulder. “Calm down...”

My father pushed his chair back as he stood up. He stormed out of the restaurant, obviously having no intention of returning. He weaved through then tables then disappeared out the entryway but none of us moved.

Mom didn’t go after him and I wanted to cry. I wanted to sob to myself like there was no one around. Dante stood up next..“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Have dinner with your mother.” He pushed his chair in and walked behind me. “I’ll talk to your dad.”

“Just leave him alone,” I said. “You can’t talk to him like this.”

He leaned down toward me, one hand on the table. “Watch me.”

He kissed my temple before he walked away and left the restaurant and I turned back to my mom, my eyes still wet. “I hate this…I hate this so fucking much.”

My mother gave me a look of pity, a sadness in her eyes and her frown. “I.know you aren’t used to seeing your father like this and it’s been a while since I’ve seen him behave this way. It’s as if he’s returned to thirty years in the past when his life of peace has been disturbed, and he can’t stand it.”

“Well, it’s the first time in my life I’ve been happy, and I don’t want to lose it.”

“You’ve been happy before, sweetheart.”

“Not like this.” I stared at the flickering candle between us. “Mom, I love him and I know he’s the worst possible person I could pick, but it’s how I feel. I’ll never love anyone else the way I love him. I just wish you understood that…”