Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 312

Elijah was never one to warm up to strangers easily, but something about Emmett felt different, almost inviting.

He took the initiative, "Hey, I'm Elijah. Nice to meet you."

"Nice, nice! Welcome, and thanks for joining our big, crazy family."

"Thanks for... me?"

"Yeah, your presence just brings this vibe of happiness, man. It's all you, so thank you for that."

Elijah paused, feeling as if a ray of sunshine had suddenly warmed his heart. Emmett's warmth and friendliness touched him deeply. It felt as if he had unlocked a door to a world he never knew, one filled with vibrant colors and life.

Elijah's heart was warmed, but at that moment—

Tarquin's heart was cold as ice!

After all, unlike Emmett, who was rational and harbored a complex blend of resentment and familial affection for Tarquin, Evan only had disdain for him. Not an ounce of love. In his eyes, anyone who loved his mom was a friend, anyone who hurt her, well, they were the enemy.

"Please, just be quiet. I need some peace."

"Could you keep it down for a bit? I'm trying to have a moment here."

"Don't speak!"

"Hey, are you dense? Can you not keep your mouth shut?!"

Those were his son's words to him after getting in the car. Four sentences, each colder than the last, the final one exploding in frustration.

Tarquin was both shocked and surprised at his son's tone; Elijah had never spoken to him like that before!

"Elijah..."

"Ughhh..." Evan scratched his head in irritation. After a moment, he glared at Tarquin through gritted teeth,

"Listen here, Tarquin, I've been holding back for so long, way too long! It's been hard, really hard. You better zip it, or I might just lose it!"

He had indeed been holding back a lot! Seeing Tarquin always made him want to lash out. But his big brother had said, "Tarquin's your dad, you can't hit him!" Hitting him would mean disappointing his mom, and he didn't want to bring shame to her. So, for his mom's sake, he tried his best to hold back.