It Will Be, Right?

ROBERT

“You shouldn’t feel guilty. It’s better to know the truth than to live a lie. She would have figured out what a jerk he is sooner or later.”

Ansel tries to soothe a heartbroken Rainey, who’s lying on top of him. Her head rests on his chest while he gently runs his fingers through her hair.

He’d put ointment on her bruised cheek as she shared the story of her confrontation with her mother.

The image of her mom’s tear-filled eyes is all she can think about.

Even though Miranda never showed any concern for her daughter during Jeff’s abusive episodes, Rainey still feels a strange sympathy for her.

She doesn’t hate her mother, despite her emotional and physical neglect.

“I know. It just hurts to see her cry.” She gives a sad smile and shakes her head. “I know. I’m being silly, right?”

“No, you’re not. You just have a big heart, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I guess.”

Ansel sighs softly, lifting her chin to look at him. Her brown eyes are stunning as she gazes at him.

“Everything will be okay. I promise,” he whispers, and her lips twitch into a half-smile as she silently hopes his words are true.

Everything will be okay soon, right? She’s been through enough, so she deserves a happy ending…right?

As if sensing her doubt, Ansel lowers his head to kiss her. His hand slips down to her neck, holding her in place as he slides his warm tongue into her mouth.

If a simple kiss could erase all her worries, Ansel would never stop kissing her.

Rainey can’t deny that when their lips touch, her racing thoughts quiet down. It’s as if Ansel has the power to silence the voices that constantly echo in her head.

He’s like a painkiller, easing her worries and replacing them with a wonderful feeling that bubbles up from deep within her.

With his warm, inviting lips pressed against hers, his hand leaves her neck to trail down her back. Carefully, he cups her butt over the fabric of her school skirt.

To his relief, Rainey doesn’t flinch at the contact, and Ansel sighs as he runs his hand over her round bottom.

Pushing her a little further, he slides both hands under her skirt, nipping her lower lip to distract her as he grabs her lace-covered butt.

He feels himself harden as a soft moan escapes her lips, her face turning a deep shade of red.

She doesn’t pull away from him, and Ansel decides to reward her by deepening the kiss, groaning into her mouth as his hands continue to explore.

Squeezing. Kneading. Until she’s practically grinding against him.

“Rain, there’s someone—” The door to the room flies open, and they quickly pull apart as Aiden spins around.

“Jesus, Aiden.” Ansel quickly removes his hands from her, pressing a palm to his forehead. “Don’t you know how to knock?”

“I didn’t see anything, I swear.” His voice is tinged with amusement, and Ansel puffs out his cheeks as a blushing Rainey hurriedly pulls her skirt down.

Ansel frowns, sitting up. “What is it?”

Aiden’s back is still turned as he fights to hide a huge grin. “There’s someone at the door asking for Rainey.”

With a puzzled look, she tilts her head to the side. “Who?”

“I don’t know, but he looks a lot like you. It’s a man.”

Ansel looks at her with narrowed eyes as she quickly hops off the bed and scurries out. Aiden smiles at her, stepping back, then turns to Ansel, cheekily wiggling his eyebrows.

“Don’t even. Don’t even say anything,” Ansel warns, and Aiden laughs as his brother climbs off the bed to see who the visitor is.

Riley, Alex, and Arden are gathered in the living room, and as Rainey comes down the stairs, she looks at them with a questioning glance. Then her eyes land on a familiar face at the door.

Her dad.

Stunned, she freezes in place as she takes in the sight of him.

He looks a bit older than the last time she saw him, and she immediately notices that he’s lost some weight. But he still looks healthy.

Her dad is a perfect copy of her. She got most of her features from him, which is why she looks nothing like her mother.

He’s dressed in a crisp suit, perfectly tailored and ironed, and his amber eyes are wet with what look like tears. He’s a handsome man and looks much younger than his age.

“Dad.” She barely gets the word out, unable to believe that he’s standing right in front of her. This has to be a dream, right? He’s not supposed to be home for another three months.

He tries to smile, revealing wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. “Rainey.”

Her brain kicks into gear, and she rushes over to him, pulling him into a tight hug as she buries her face in the familiar scent of his jacket.

His eyes close as he wraps his big arms around her, pressing his lips to her hair.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers.

She sobs softly, squeezing her eyes shut as his comforting cinnamon scent surrounds her. She’s been longing for her father’s embrace for months.

This feels like a dream come true. It’s so surreal, it feels like an illusion. She pulls back, looking up into his teary eyes.

“H-how did you get here?”

“I texted your friend. She gave me directions.”

Rainey’s eyes drift to the gate, where his young driver is standing next to a black JMC van, and fear starts to creep in. He’s not leaving right away, is he?

“Dad—”

“Riley called me yesterday morning, and I immediately booked the earliest flight home.”

Rainey turns around, looking for her friend's support, but the living room is empty. They've all left to give them some privacy.

“She told me everything.” His eyes fill with tears again, and Rainey's gaze snaps back to him, scanning his face in confusion.

“About what?”

“About what that fucking asshole did to you. And what his friend did too.”

Her throat tightens, and she stumbles back a few steps before collapsing onto the couch. She stares at the rug while her dad sits next to her, shaking his head over and over.

He looks too big and out of place in the small living room.

“I can’t believe I failed you.”

“It’s not your fault.” Rainey feels the tears welling up, and she blinks rapidly, meeting her father’s heartbroken gaze. “It’s really not your fault.”

“How is it not? I was so wrapped up in work I didn’t make time for you. Why didn’t I see the signs when I came to visit?”

He grinds his teeth, his temples straining as he breathes heavily. “I confirmed it with Miranda before coming here. I just can’t believe she knew all about this.”

The realization of what those men did to his daughter is too much for him to bear.

Riley called him early yesterday. She was worried about her best friend after her impulsive decision to cut her hair, and she felt the need to let him know what was really going on.

She knew Rainey wouldn’t tell her father anything, and she felt she owed it to her best friend to take matters into her own hands.

When he heard the news about the abuse, he nearly had a heart attack.

Rob is a workaholic, but despite always being busy with his job, he loves his princess dearly and would count the days until he could be back home to spend time with her.

He often worries about her, which is why he had Riley enrolled in Crosshill High School. He wants her to stay close to Rainey to keep an eye on her.

Rob caught the first flight home from Dubai and arrived at Miranda’s house just after Rainey had left.

Miranda had just finished crying and came downstairs to find an enraged Robert standing in her living room.

“Why are you here?” She was taken aback by his sudden arrival, another big surprise she wasn’t ready for.

“Where’s your fucking boyfriend?” Rob’s lips pulled back in a snarl, and Miranda’s expression hardened as she put a hand on her hip.

“Excuse me?”

“I said, where is your pervert of a boyfriend?” He moved closer to her, his eyes dark with anger as his jaw clenched tight.

Miranda swallowed nervously, standing up straighter to appear confident. “What—what do you want with him?”

“What do I ~want~ with him?” Rob scoffed. “If I get my hands on him, he’s a dead man. How dare he touch my daughter! HOW DARE HE!”

She flinched at his deep growl, fear washing over her. She let out a heavy sigh. “Listen—”

“Shut up.” He pointed a finger at her face. “I hope you know that both he and his friend are going to jail for this!”

She narrowed her eyes, genuinely confused. “Friend? What friend? I have no idea—”

“Greg Taylor. He was the first one to touch my daughter inappropriately. Don’t pretend you don’t know!”

Miranda looked puzzled as she tilted her head to the side. “I have no idea what you’re talking about—”

“Well, you’ll find out in court.”

Court? A lawsuit would ruin her financially and socially.

Rob started to walk away, and she desperately grabbed his arm. “Robert, please…”

He jerked his arm away and turned to her. “You make me sick. You disgust me, Miranda. I’m so glad we got a divorce, because you’re a pathetic excuse for a mother.

“How can you sit around here and let your asshole boyfriend abuse my kid and not say or do anything about it?”

He narrowed his eyes, pointing a finger at his head. “Are you mentally ill? Are you fucking sick? You and your man are the same!”

“Rob, please listen—”

“I don’t want to hear it. This is partly my fault. My damn fault!” He ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair. “I should have never let her stay with you!

“She won’t be living in this house anymore. I hope you know that. Get ready to talk to my lawyer.”

“Robert! Please!”

He shook his head in disgust and walked away, heading angrily for the door.

She tried to grab him as she ran out of her house barefoot, but he didn’t even look at her as he nodded to his chauffeur.

“Robert, you’ll ruin me!” she cried helplessly. “This will ruin me, Robert. Please!”

With a stony expression, he slid into the back seat, and the car sped away from the gates, revealing an elderly neighbor who was watching curiously as Miranda cried.

Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were red and swollen as she wiped her nose.

“If he loves you, he’ll come back,” the nosy woman said, and Miranda hid her face in embarrassment and stumbled back up to her front steps.

She had been trying to protect her reputation this whole time, but this ordeal would surely be the end of her career.

Robert texted Riley as his chauffeur drove down the street, and she gave him directions to Ansel’s house, which is why he’s now sitting here in the King family’s living room.

“I’m so sorry, princess. This is all my fault.” He hangs his head, feeling a heavy wave of guilt wash over him. A tear falls from his eye, landing on his perfectly polished shoe.

This is something he’ll be blaming himself for the rest of his life.

~He should have been there. He should have protected her.~

Rainey’s voice wavers, on the brink of tears. “You didn’t know. I should have told you, but I didn’t want you getting hurt.”

“No, sweetheart. I’m your dad.” He turns to face her. “I’m supposed to protect you. I ~was~ supposed to protect you, and I didn’t. I’m so sorry.”

Her defenses crumble, and tears start to flow freely. She buries her face in her hands, sobbing.

Her dad wraps his arms around her, a single tear slipping down his clean-shaven face as Rainey’s body shakes with sobs.

She lets it all out, crying into his jacket while he rubs her back in a soothing rhythm.

“I’m so sorry, Rainey. I let you down. I’m so sorry.”

Her mind flashes back to the countless nights she had screamed for him to save her, her own desperate voice echoing in her ears.

~Daddy!~

~Daddy!~

She’s angry that he didn’t come to her rescue, despite her frantic screams. But she’s also relieved that he knows now, and he’s here with her, holding her close.

She loves him so much.

She missed him so much.

Her sobs are muffled by his jacket, but they’re still loud enough for Riley and the brothers to hear from upstairs.

She’s been holding it all in for too long, and now it’s time to let it all out, to free herself. Her father strokes her hair, crying with her, encouraging her to let out all her pent-up frustration.

It feels like an eternity before she finally stops crying. She feels lighter, and her father brushes damp hair from her face, his eyes red and tired.

She looks up at him, and he kisses her forehead. When he pulls back, his face hardens, and he clenches his jaw.

“They won’t get away with this. I won’t let them get away with hurting you, baby. I’m going to make sure they go to jail. Where are they now?”

Rainey swallows. “In the hospital.”

He cocks his head. “The hospital?”

“Yeah. My boyfriend beat them up.”

Her father raises his eyebrows, looking impressed. He seems to be thinking, a hint of confusion on his face. “Which one of the boys is your boyfriend? They all look exactly the same.”

She laughs, and a small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.

“He wears glasses, but he doesn’t really wear them at home, mostly at school. He’s the one in the red T-shirt.”

Her father smiles, nodding. “Mm, I see. Sounds like a good kid.”

She manages a small smile, and he runs a hand through her hair.

“Just because those bastards are in the hospital doesn’t mean they won’t go to jail. As soon as they’re discharged, they’ll be put on trial.

“I know some people in the court system, and some politicians too. I’ll make sure they get what they deserve.”

Rainey nods as her father pulls her into a hug, kissing her head. “You’ll be okay, sweetheart. You’re safe now. I love you.”

She smiles, closing her eyes. It’s comforting to know that her dad is here with her. It’s what she’s been hoping for these past few months.

“I love you too, Dad.”

And even though she still has to face the storm that is Ron Moretto, she has a strong feeling that everything will be okay in the end.

It has to be okay.

~It will be, right?~