The words hung in the air like smoke. I shifted in my seat, straightening, forcing myself to keep my full attention on him even though every part of me wanted to recoil.
“Why do I even need to meet him, Grandpa?” I asked, the edge in my voice sharper than I intended. “There’s no reason for it.”
His reply was almost casual, almost careless. “His father called me last night.”
My breath caught. My spine snapped straight as my pulse picked up, pounding in my ears. A thousand scenarios raced through my mind at once. What could they have possibly discussed?
Grandpa’s gaze never wavered from the television. “He said he’s still willing to help us… in exchange for your marriage to his son.”
There it was. The one thing I feared he would say.
Damn it. I knew it.
“But Grandpa,” I burst out, my
