Chapter 0233

I quickly type out a reply:

Hey, it’s Fay. Daniel and I went out for drinks to blow off steam. We're safe. We just...don’t want to be around them right now. All

right?

I wait a few moments and am pleased when a text comes right back.

All right. Come home tonight. I want both of you here, safe.

I send a little star emoji back, purposefully vague, and then slide the phone back onto the bar.

“Seriously, Fay,” Daniel says, and I look up to realize that he’s been watching me. “Seriously, fuck Kent. He’s ruining our lives.

Why do you even care if he knows where we are? Why do you care about him at all?”

“Daniel,” I reply, frowning at him a bit. “He's your dad.”

“He’s a dick,” Daniel insists, and I laugh, shaking my head. “What,” Daniel continues, leaning into me a bit, “are you going to

deny it?”

“No,” I say, crossing my arms and studying him. “But...! admit that I am less willing to talk shit on your dad than I used to be.”

“Because you have a crush on him,” Daniel murmurs, sighing ruefully and taking a too-large gulp of his new drink. “Which is still

weird and gross.”

“Slow down on that, Mr. Green.” I advise, taking the drink out of his hand and placing it back on the bar. “Besides, it’s not like

your dad wasn’t on our side tonight, Daniel. He was just as pissed at Natalia and Alessi as we were.”

“Yeah, but only because it benefits him,” Daniel sighs. Then he looks up at me, his face perhaps a little too serious for someone

so drunk. “Seriously, Fay,” he says, looking at me closely. “You don’t think he'd kick you to the curb just as easily as Natalia did if

it stopped benefitting him? As easily as he did Fiona?”

I bite my lip, hesitating, not knowing the answer and a little afraid of it.

“Fay, he dated Fiona for years,” Daniel insists. “She was practically family. She was like —“ his voice breaks a little here, taking

my heart with it, “she was like a mom to me. And then poof,” He snaps his fingers in the air to emphasize his point. “Gone.”

“Daniel,” I sigh. “Fiona was...my cousin. She was betraying your dad, reporting back to mine. Telling him Kent's secrets.”

Daniel goes a little bit pale at this information and turns back to the bar, reaching for his drink. “Okay well,” he murmurs, “that

makes more sense then. But still, Fay! He cuts ties. You are not safe, just because you're sleeping in his bed.”

“I didn’t think I was,” I sigh, and as I say it...I wonder if it's a lie.

Because honestly, sometimes?

Sometimes that’s the place in the world where I feel safest, the only place that makes sense.

The other night, Kent called me his peace — his refuge. And honestly I wonder if that’s what he is becoming for me as well.

But before I can consider it, I notice that Daniel is sliding out of his chair a little bit, his eyes half-closed.

“Whoaaa, boy,” I laugh, jumping up from my seat and helping him sit up.

“I'm fine,” Daniel insists, yawning and swatting me away a little, looking for his drink.

“I know, sugar,” I murmur, grabbing his phone off the bar again and dialing the first number in his recent call list. “Let's get you

home.”

Twenty minutes later, I smile as I see Jerome come through the curtain.

“Well hello, Mr. and Mrs. Green,” Jerome says, looking us over fondly as he wanders over to the bar, his hands tucked neatly in

his pockets. “My, aren’t you a sight.”

“Just Mr. Green, tonight,” I say,

standing up and tuckin yself\\\

der Daniels ada NSthat he can

léan on me. “Mrs. Green held it

together.” Please read the original

content at .

“Did she?” Jerome asks, looking at me suspiciously as I stumble a little in my high heels.

“Comparatively, yes,” I say, raising my chin proudly and making him laugh.

“You guys all right?” Jerome whispers

to me, curious and con emed: (The!

three aithem gamed Home and it

s...a lot of yelling in Italian.” Please

read the original content at

.

“We'll make it,” I say, giving him a sad little sigh. “It...was a bad night.”

“Okay,” Jerome says, nodding, trusting me to fill him in when he needs to know.

“Hey, ‘rome,” Daniel slurs, finally looking up to see his boyfriend there.

“Hey, handsome,” Jerome says

warmly, and I’m both surprised and

pleased as Jerome steps close to. my

fiancé, reaching pytteriin akan

thmpagh!bartiel s dark hair before

moving to duck under Daniel's other

arm. I've never seen them be this

sweet to each other before. I almost

blush to see it, the real affection

between them on full display. Please

read the original content at

.

“Ready for bed?” Jerome asks Daniel softly.

“With you?” Daniel says, looking over at him as if I don’t exist at all. “Any time.”

Jerome grins at his boyfriend, nods to me, and then together we get Daniel out to the car.