Cyrus
I was at the very end of my control.
My temper was about to snap. I kept reminding myself of Sadie’s words. Of my promise to her, but it was getting damn difficult to hold myself back. Ralph would just not give up. He kept pushing and pushing, bringing up Kate’s name and claiming Megan as his.
It was infuriating. He kept saying he was a changed man, but he wasn’t taking responsibility for what he’d done. He wasn’t owning the fact that Kate wouldn’t have driven off the road that day if he hadn’t chased after her. I didn’t care that it was an accident. I didn’t care that he thought he loved her.
In the end, it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter because Kate was still gone. And she was gone because of him.
“You know what, Cyrus?” Ralph growled. “You think you’re so high and mighty. You think you’re so much better than I am, but the truth is, you failed Kate just as much as I did.”
My whole body went cold. “What the hell are you saying?”
Ralph had the gall to glare at me. “If you thought I was such a danger to Kate, why didn’t you try to separate us? Why didn’t you try harder to get her away from me?”
So, the bastard did have a death wish. My control snapped. I would have to beg Sadie for forgiveness later, because I was going to beat him to a bloody pulp…
Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming up behind me. Before I could charge forward at Ralph, I felt a familiar hand on my arm.
Glancing down, I found Sadie standing beside me. She was gazing up at me with wide eyes and a pleading expression.
“Cyrus, please,” she murmured. “Enough. Mrs. Plumb and I were able to calm Megan down. I don’t want anything to happen to upset her more, all right? Just call the police and end this. Let them deal with him. It’s not worth dirtying your hands over.”
“You haven’t heard the things he’s been saying,” I said, tensing beneath her touch. “He deserves to have my fist shoved down his throat.”
She squeezed my arm. “Just walk away, Cyrus. Please.”
“It’s not that easy…”
“It is,” she insisted. “Just think of what you’re risking if you lay a hand on him. Megan. Me. You could go to jail, and we’d lose everything.”
I knew what she was saying was true, but it was so hard to think rationally at that moment. I was just so angry and so exhausted. So sick and tired of everything Ralph had put my family through and the excuses he continued to make to assuage his own guilt.
“I’m sorry, Sadie…” I started.
“Cyrus, please,” she begged. “I love you, and I want to be able to spend my life with you. I don’t want you to end up in jail because you lost your temper and beat Ralph to a pulp.”
I froze, her words sinking into my mind slowly. I was barely able to comprehend them at first, but when they did settle, my heart felt like it was going to burst.
I furrowed my brow as I stared down at her.
“You…you love me?” I murmured.
Her cheeks turned pink and her eyes went wide.
“Wha…this isn’t what we should be focusing on right now!” she sputtered. “Just don’t be stupid, okay? He’s not worth losing everything over. Especially not Megan!”
She was right. Of course she was, and her confession was just what I needed to snap me out of my rage-induced haze.
Gritting my teeth, I nodded.
“Yeah…yeah, you’re right,” I sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry…I wouldn’t do anything to risk you or Megan. I…I just lost my head for a moment.”
“I know,” she said in a soft voice. “I know. But it’s enough, all right? It’s enough.”
“It’s enough,” I agreed. “Go call the police, okay?”
She gave me a hesitant look.
“Cyrus…”
“I promise, I won’t do anything to him,” I told her.
She glanced between me and Ralph before saying, “Okay. I’ll be right back.”
Releasing my arm, she turned and made her way back to the house. I watched her go before turning back to Ralph.
He was staring at me, a look of utter confusion on his face.
“What…what was that?” he murmured.
“That was what real love is,” I snapped. “Now, here’s what’s going to happen. If you ever want to see Megan again, you’re going to do exactly what the courts tell you to do.”
“But…” he began to protest, but I held up a finger.
“No, shut up,” I said. “You’re going to listen, or I’ll bury you in so many lawsuits, you’ll live in a courtroom, got it?”
I took a deep breath before I continued with the next part.
“If, and this is a big if,” I said, “Megan wants to reach out to you when she’s older, that will be up to her. If you step out of line or cross me before then, I’ll make sure you never see her ever again. Do you understand?”