Page 53 of Cruel King

Ronan and Kellen meet me in the hallway, and all I see is sadness in their faces. Grabbing my arm as I pass them, my youngest brother quietly says, “Dad was asking about you. Are you going to go see him now? He’s awake and pretty coherent.”

With a shrug, I nod and start on my way down the hallway again. “I guess.”

When I openmy father’s bedroom door, I see him sitting up in bed and looking pretty good for someone who’s supposed to be close to death. His pale color looks about the same as I remember from the last time I was around him, and he waves me in when he sees me in the doorway.

It’s when I hear his voice that I know he’s not well. Weak and trembling, his words seem to have to fight their way out of his mouth.

“Matthias, I’m glad to see you.”

I walk in and sit down in the chair near the window as far away from him as possible. I’ve avoided this all day, and now I know why. Seeing my father like this unnerves me in a way I’m not prepared for.

We sit in silence, neither one of us uttering a word until he finally speaks again. “I hear you’re giving Ava a hard time. Why? She’s taken care of so much for me, and I thought you two were close.”

“We’re not anything,” I say, barely able to contain my rage as I speak that little nugget of truth.

My father seems confused by my anger. “Really? I thought you, Theo, and Ava were as thick as thieves.”

His inability to correctly remember the past when it comes to Ava Sutton only further pisses me off, so I remind him of that conversation all those years ago when he told me I wasn’t to even think about her. “You were the one who told me not to even look at her. Remember that? So what makes you think we’re close?”

He frowns and turns to look out the window, and for the first time, I notice how old he looks. He’s barely in his sixtieth year, but right now, he seems decades older.

“That’s not what I wanted, Matthias. I remember how your mother used to talk about how wonderful it would be if Ava and you ended up together.”

I stare at him wondering if he’s delirious. “Then why did you forbid me from even thinking about her?”

Not that his warning ever stopped me. If anything, it only made me think about her more.

“That wasn’t my decision.”

“Whose was it then?” I ask, needing to know who kept me from the only woman I’ve ever truly cared about in this world.

He doesn’t answer at first, but then he turns his head to face me. “Don’t blame him. I put so much pressure on you that he was worried anyone you ended up with would be miserable. I’m happy you and Jillian turned out so well, though.”

For a moment, I consider whether I should tell my father what happened between us. On one hand, he doesn’t need to be thinking about how my life is falling apart as his is ending. On the other hand, though, maybe he should know that the person he forced me to marry didn’t turn out to be the wife he thought she would.

“Jillian called. She’s not coming, but she’s divorcing me. Not that it matters. You liked her more than I ever did.”

I watch as my father’s expression darkens. So much for a happily ever after for his firstborn.

“I’m sorry, Matthias. For so much. Once your mother passed, I did so many things wrong. I hope you can find someone and be happy now.”

Standing, I begin walking toward the door, needing to get out of this room right now. Under my breath, I say, “I found someone, and she left too. I should have listened to you when it came to Ava Sutton. I wish I never laid eyes on her.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE

Ava

My phone chimes tolet me know my brother’s calling, so I answer it, excited to hear when he’s arriving. I know he was scheduled to fly out early this morning.

“Hey, Ava. Is Dad around? I tried his phone, but it went to voicemail,” Drew says.

“He’s up at the house with Mr. King. He asked for him today. I think he’s getting close.”

I can’t bring myself to say he’s close to dying. I’m too emotional lately, and simply saying those words will make me cry.

“Oh. Well, I wanted to let him know my flight was cancelled. We’ve got a hurricane coming, so I don’t know when I’ll be able to get up there.”

“This early in the season?” I ask, disappointed to hear my brother might not arrive before Mr. King passes. My father’s going to need all of us around him when it happens.