For some reason, I wanted to laugh at Zack’s ridiculous question. It was plain to see what had been going on.
“Zack, calm down!”
I grabbed his arm. He roughly shrugged me off as rage consumed him. He was bright red and I was worried what he was going to do to poor Connor.
“Get the fuck out of my house, you little bastard!” Zack screamed at the top of his lungs.
“Dad, don’t shout and swear like that. It’s not just Connor’s fault. We are in love Dad and I am sixteen. I’m not breaking the law, you know!” she defiantly told him, staring at him.
Zack stalked over and slapped her hard across the face. The noise was sickening and I had to look away. It must have really hurt her as Zack was the strongest man I had ever met. Her cheek was bright red and she was sobbing uncontrollably as she cowered under the covers.
“Don’t hurt her!” Connor bravely shouted.
He looked really mad.
“Shut up!” Zack screamed as he headed over to him.
I thought he was going to lunge for him.
“Zack, stop it!” I pleaded with him.
“You are breaking the law in my house, Scarlett!” he said as he roughly yanked Connor out of the bed.
He was trying desperately to cover himself up and he looked completely terrified.
“I’ve already told you to get the fuck out!” Zack shouted right in his face.
Connor didn’t need to be told twice as he grabbed his clothes and ran down the stairs.
“I hate you, Dad. How could you?” Scarlett sobbed.
Her face was red and blotchy and my heart ached for her.
“Get some clothes on, you little slut!” Zack shouted at her before stalking out of the room and slamming the door in my face.
I pulled the door open and ran after him.
“What's going on, Dad? I just passed Connor half-naked running down the driveway,” Jasper asked as he walked up the stairs.
“Leave it, Jasper!” Zack barged past him.
Jasper suddenly seemed to put two and two together and realised what had happened. Scarlett’s loud sobs could be heard echoing down the hallway. He strode over to the door and gently knocked.
“Scarlett, it’s me, sis. Let me in,” he whispered.
She opened the door, stared at me, let Jasper inside then slammed it shut.
Chapter Fifty
I had a wander over to the stables to see how Puzzle and the other horses were as I thought that Zack needed some space.
After about an hour of hanging around doing nothing, I quietly knocked on Scarlett’s door.
“Go away, Dad! I don’t want to talk to you! I hate you!” she shouted.
“It’s me, Jennifer. Please let me come in, sweetheart.”
“Okay,” she sniffed.
Scarlett was lying on the bed in her pyjamas.
“Has the bastard calmed down yet?”
“Don’t call him that, Scarlett. He is a wonderful father. I know he over-reacted. He will realise that once he has calmed down. Your Dad has a tough job bringing up you two on his own, you know. He does a bloody good job.”
“I have never been so embarrassed in my whole life,” she wailed.
“I know. I quickly realised that you were upstairs with Connor but I couldn’t catch up with your Dad’s long legs!”
“What on earth happened to his face?”
“He had spat with Alex, one of your Mum’s exes. Alex sent a couple of heavies to dish out some punishment.”
“What did he argue with this Alex about?”
“He wanted to buy a dance with me and he tried to kiss and touch me. Your Dad was just defending me. Obviously they have history.”
“He was sticking up for you, though. I know he’s not all bad.”
“No, he’s not. You and Jasper are the most important people in the world to him, Scarlett. He loves you both so much.”
“What, even more than you?”
“Yes, even more than me and that’s how it should be. Did Jasper cheer you up?”
“Yes, he did. I know we fight sometimes but I love him to bits. He always looks after me even though I am a bitch to him sometimes!”
“He is a sweet boy.”
“I might just go and see Dad.”
“Leave him a while longer to calm down. He wants to make up with you, I am sure,” I told her, hugging her.
Scarlett sobbed into my shoulder as I gently stroked her hair.
Chapter Fifty One
I went downstairs to defrost something out of the freezer as I didn’t think that food would be a priority tonight.
Zack was sulking in his study and Scarlett hadn’t come out of her room yet. I could see both sides of this predicament but I felt so sorry for Scarlett. If my Dad had pulled a stunt like that, I would have wanted to disappear off the face of the earth and as for poor Connor, he wouldn’t be welcome in this house again.