Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 106041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
"December."
"I spent years trying to be good enough and to make you proud. But I've never felt like I was enough for you. I've always been too clumsy or too awkward or said all the wrong things. I've always felt like a burden you only kept around because you felt like you owed it to my mom." She blows out a breath. "I'm not trying anymore, Cory. If I'm not good enough to be your daughter as I am, then I don't want to be your daughter anymore."
Fuck, she's incredible. She says it calmly, with her head held high. Her voice doesn't waver or shake. She doesn't back down or flinch. She tells him exactly what she needs to say, exactly what she deserves to say, and I'm in awe of her for it. She has no idea how strong she is, or how brave. It's easy to stand your ground when it's someone who doesn't matter. But when it's someone you've always idolized, it's a whole different ballgame. And she does idolize this man. She's spent her whole life trying to measure up to his standards, to be good enough for him.
He's a fucking idiot if he thinks he comes anywhere close to matching her. He's not even in the same dimension, let alone on the same level. She's been badgered and beaten down for years, but she still eclipses the sun. She is the spirit of Christmas, the compassion, the empathy, the endless capacity for love. Never once has she lashed out at him. Never once has she tried to hurt him. No matter what he's thrown at her or how unkind he's been, she's always held onto her love for him. Even when he didn't deserve it, she's loved him.
"December, you don't mean that," Cory says.
"I do mean it," she disagrees. "I'm tired of trying to be someone I'm not just to make you proud of me. It's exhausting!"
"I've never wanted you to be someone you aren't."
"You have," she whispers sadly. "All I ever do is embarrass you. You wouldn't even write me a recommendation letter for my dream internship because you were afraid I'd do something to jeopardize your shot at an endorsement for governor."
"Is that what you think?" he asks quietly.
"It's what happened." She shrugs.
He stands quietly for a moment, processing this. He isn't the same urbane bastard who walked through the doors ten minutes ago. She rattled him. I see it in his eyes.
"I didn't write you the recommendation letter because you aren't meant to work for someone else, December. You have the skill to create your own line, not design for someone else," he says, meeting my gaze. He expects me to hold her back. The fucker.
He's right, though. She shouldn't be designing for anyone else. Her name should be on her designs, not ours or anyone else's.
"Despite what you think of me, I've never been less than proud to call you my daughter," he continues, shifting his gaze to December. "Clearly, I've royally fucked that up because you don't know that. That's on me, kid. You don't have to change a goddamn thing about you to belong in this family." He strides forward, stopping in front of December. "Your mom would be proud of you too, December."
She sniffles.
"I'm going to fix it," he murmurs and then presses a kiss to her forehead. He cuts his eyes in my direction, spearing me with a hard look. "Take care of my little girl, Parrish, or you'll be the one carrying your teeth in your pocket."
"I'll always take care of her."
He jerks his chin in a nod, glances at December again, and then strides from my office.
"Do you think he meant it?" December asks five minutes later, whirling to face me.
"I think we'll have to wait and see, angel," I say carefully. I don't want to get her hopes up, but I don’t want to break her heart either. Surprisingly, I think he did mean what he said. But whether or not he follows through and actually commits to meaningful change or not? Well, that's a different story. And I won't allow him to continue hurting her. He's done it for long enough.
Whether he intended to do it or not, he's spent years convincing her that she isn't good enough. His carelessness hurt her deeply in ways I don't think he even understood until today. He's been too goddamn busy with his career to notice the daughters he's been slowly destroying. And it's not just December. He's been doing the same thing to Jillian, albeit in a different way.
She's had to watch her father slowly pick apart the one person she loves more than anyone. She's been treated one way while her best friend was treated another by the man sworn to protect them both. I can’t imagine that's been any easier for her than it has been for December.