Page 219 of Tell Me I'm Enough

“It’s none of your business how I choose to raise and discipline them,” he says evenly.

“Itismy business. It willalwaysbe my business. It became my damn business when you had me raising those boys when I was only fourteen years old.”

Asher makes a tiny sound and curls in his shoulders like he wants to disappear.

That hits me in the heart, making me feel something violent and primal.

My father turns to him. “You ran and told your big brother?”

Asher shakes his head fast. “No—no, sir. I didn’t—”

I slam my palm on the table before I can stop myself, hard enough to make Rose jump.

“Don’t talk to him like that,” I growl. “Don’t try to make him scared of telling anyone that you put your hands on him.”

My dad just looks annoyed. “Watch your tone.”

“Watch yours,” I shoot back. “You’re barely around, and when you are, you think the solution is to hit them? Be a better dad than that. Show up more than the damn nannies and treat your kids like more than just property!”

He leans back slightly in his chair. “What do you know about being a damn dad?”

The question is meant to put me in my place. Instead, it stings in this deep, humiliating way because the answer is, more than he fucking does.

I swallow. “I’ve been more of a dad to those boys in the last three weeks than you have their whole lives. Hell, I’ve been more of a dad to them since they were born.”

Rose lifts her hands like she’s trying to calm a couple of wild animals. “Okay, okay—let’s not do this at the table—”

“Shut up,” I say without even looking at her, too pissed off to care if she catches any stray attitude.

Her mouth drops open.

My father’s eyes narrow at me. “Donotspeak to my wife that way.”

I can’t help but laugh right in his face. “I don’t care if she’s not the one hitting them; if she can’t stand up to you and tell you it’s wrong, then she’s just as bad as you are.”

“You’re overstepping,” he tells me, so calmly that it pisses me off.

“I’m protecting them,” I spit. “Something you don’t know how to do without scaring the shit out of them.”

He takes his wine glass and slowly sips from it. “They need the structure.”

“They need love! They need a dad who actually shows up.”

He looks at me over his glass like his patience is starting to run out. “At least they’re not being raised by a pussy like your mother was.”

I freeze, clenching my fist and biting the inside of my cheek from how irrationally angry this man can make me.

Rose sucks in a breath. “Scott—”

I stand so fast my chair scrapes the floor. He just looks amused, and it makes me want to break something—preferably his face.

“Say her name again,” I warn. “Say one more fucking thing about her.”

“Sit down,” he says, waving his hand in the air.

I take a step around the table, getting closer to him, wanting to shut him up.

“Mason, please—” Rose says, desperately.