“Do not raise your voice at me, Louie Giuliani. And she’s my daughter too. She’s also a grown-ass adult and can date whomever she chooses.”
“No, she can’t!” Dad screams. “Hudson, get your brother. We’re leaving in five.” Dad storms out of the room.
“Mom, you have to stop him,” I plead.
“Hudson, do not get your brother,” Mom orders.
“You know he’s right. She can’t be dating a Lopez,” Hudson says from where he’s standing behind me.
“Yes, she can,” Mom insists. “I’ll be back.” I watch as she follows my dad and pray that she can talk some sense into him.
Then I pull my phone out of my pocket and text Emilio.
Me:
He knows.
Emilio:
Who is he and what does he know?
Me:
My dad. He knows about us.
Emilio:
Are you okay?
Me:
I’m not the one he’s planning on gutting.
Emilio:
Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Want me to come and get you?
Me:
You coming to my parents’ place is the last thing I want right now. I’ll be home soon. I just need to sort out this shitshow.
Emilio:
I can come and help.
Me:
Nope. I’ve got this.
I pocket my phone and follow the direction my dad and mom went off in. I find them in my dad’s office, in his walk-in safe that looks like an armory. He’s picking up guns, magazines, knives. Shit.
“You can’t do this to me,” I tell him.
“I’m doing thisfor you,” Dad says.
“Louie, you’re being unreasonable,” Mom tells him. Which he ignores.
“Clearly, I can’t stop you from doing whatever it is you want. But if you do this, if you hurt a single hair on Emilio’s head, I will never forgive you. I will never talk to you again. I’ll just disappear and be gone.” There are tears running down my face. I don’t want to threaten my dad, but I need him to know how much I love Emilio. “I love him, and if you take that away from me… I won’t… I can’t.”