“Oh my God,” she muttered, rolling her eyes.

Karson squeezed her side, hoping to comfort her as they rode up to the top floor in awkward silence. When the door opened, they filed out, Karson and Lacey making their way to the door while her dad and brother trailed behind them.

“Don’t think they’ll knock me in the back of the head, do you?” he whispered in her ear, half joking and half serious but mostly wanting to make her laugh.

She scoffed as she shook her head, but, unfortunately, no smile. “Let’s hope not, but if they do, I’ll drag you into the apartment.”

“Good looking out, wife,” he said, tapping her ass playfully.

“Don’t touch her like that,” Nate barked from behind him causing Karson to laugh.

“You know we’re married, right? And that she is twenty-eight years old?” he asked, but he might as well have been speaking Jabba the Hutt’s language because they both looked at him like he had turned into the character from Star Wars.

“You are nothing to her,” Nate yelled.

“Actually, I am,” Karson said slowly. “I’m her husband.”

“Leave him alone,” Lacey shot back at her dad.

“He is delusional,” Grady laughed. “Why are you even hanging with this loser?”

“Because I love him, and he isn’t delusional, you two are. We really got married, paperwork and rings, the whole nine yards. We are married. I wasn’t pulling your chain or something,” she said as she opened the door. Walking past her, Karson went back to her room and hung her mom’s dress up, unsure if they were bringing it, before placing their bags on the bed. He really didn’t want to go back out there. He wanted them to disappear, but he knew they wouldn’t. They were obviously very set on talking her out of leaving. Too bad that wasn’t happening.

Taking in a deep breath, he walked back into the living room where Lacey was leaning against the kitchen counter with her father and brother in front of her.

“Dad, there is really nothing to talk about. I’m done with this conversation. There is nothing you can do. I’m happy. Don’t you want me to be happy?” she asked, and he could see the tears in her eyes. This was killing her.

“Maybe you guys should go, you’re upsetting her,” he suggested. “We have a lot to do. The movers are going to be here at four.”

“Shut the fuck up, King. No one asked you,” Grady snapped.

“It doesn’t matter if you asked me or not,” Karson snapped back, going to Lacey’s side. “Don’t you see you are hurting her?”

“Well, you should know since you are the king of hurting her,” Nate said, and any other day, he would applaud the guy for his word usage, but not today. Nate could promptly kiss his ass.

“I never would have hurt her if it weren’t for you trying to ruin my career,” he snapped, and the way Nate looked at him could honestly kill a person.

“I’m not going to tell you to shut up one more time,” Grady warned, and Karson couldn’t help but laugh.

“What are you going to do? Hit me? Bring it, asshole,” he yelled, but when Lacey’s hand came onto his chest, he looked down at her. His anger still bubbled inside him, but he instantly remembered his promise to her.

“Don’t, okay?” she begged.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he said, kissing her temple.

She nodded before saying, “And he’s right, just go. We can talk when you two calm down and accept that this has happened. Yelling at me and threatening my husband won’t fix anything,” she said softly.

“Will you stop calling him that?” Grady yelled, his nostrils flaring.

“The hell it won’t, Lacey. I am very disappointed in you and pretty upset,” Nate said, his eyes locked on hers. “I have a lot to say to you.”

Who the fuck cared? Karson thought as he rolled his eyes. He was ready for these people to disappear.

“Who cares, Dad? What did you think?” she asked with a shake of her head, and it took everything for Karson not to laugh. Attagirl, he thought with a grin. “I was going to come home and do exactly what you say? That I would drop him the second you told me to? It worked nine years ago and most of my damn life, but now I am ready to live for me. I have to do what is going to make me happy.”

“You are ruining your life!”

“No, I’m not. I’m making it a life worth living, Dad!” she yelled back.

“Do you see this, Lacey Arielle? The way you are speaking to me? See how this trash is changing you?”

Man, this guy was a dick. He knew he made a promise, but how much was he supposed to take before he put her father in his place? It was getting sort of ridiculous.

“No, Dad, he’s not. I am talking to you like this because I am tired of it all. I have been unhappy for so long, and he comes back, and the next thing I know, I am elated. Like my heart actually pumps harder and I feel alive. You should be happy for me, thankful that your daughter has found happiness. But like always, because I’m not doing what you want, you are freaking out and trying to treat me like a kid,” she said, shaking her head. “You know what? You guys need to go. I really don’t want to talk to you; I am still so mad at you.”

“No, Lacey,” her father said, reaching for her hand. She tried to pull it away, but he held it tighter, his eyes pleading as he said, “I did it for you, princess. He is a cancer, he could have ruined you then, and he is going to ruin you now.”