Ditched Cheating Alpha, I Led My Daughter to Life's Peak novel Chapter 178

She's gone. She's...

"It's fine, Mr. Jones," Carson says easily after a moment. "I didn't mean it as an insult to her, of course."

"I'm sure you didn't," Dad says quietly.

"I don't mind salty things at all, actually. Not anymore..." he mutters to himself.

Dad gives me an apologetic look, but I'm not the one who can accept it. I understand what he's trying to say all the same, though. Sorry for upsetting your boyfriend. Sorry for ruining the nice atmosphere, even if I hate him.

Of course I know that already. My dad is nice under all that... grumpiness.

Dad scratches the back of his head forcefully, staring at Carson. "Geez, kid. You can have another plate to go if you'd like."

"To go?" Carson furrows his brow. "As in I can't eat it now?"

Everyone groans.

Carson looks genuinely confused. He looks around at everyone's one and only helping. Michael got a second one, and so did Dad, but no one else is on three but him. And he's thinking of a fourth one!

"Aren't you guys going to get more food?" he asks.

Everyone shakes their head.

He stares at me, eyebrows knitted together. "Mia?" He looks so concerned. "Is that enough for you?"

I nod. It was more than I needed actually.

His face falls. "I really did take too much, didn't I?" He lifts my empty plate like it's the sign of my starvation. "I ate all my mate's food!" He cries out in horror, putting the plate back down.

"His what?" Dad asks.

I shrug.

Carson turns to me. "Have you not eaten enough, Mia? Do you need me to go out and get you some more food?" He touches my cheek, then my forehead. "Have I not provided for you?"

"My wife and I didn't get our doctorates for you to be providing for our sixteen year old daughter," Dad yells at him. There goes all his sympathy.

Carson doesn't even seem to notice. He's staring at me like I'm about to die.

"I'm fine," I assure Carson, swatting his hands away.

"All he cares about is Mia. Forget the rest of us," Michael grumbles. "What about our hunger?" Michael says despite the fact that he's so full he can't even breathe right.

At this point, Carson's just staring at me. He's just staring at me, and every time I try to look away, he nudges my chin to look back at him.

Omg.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Dad asks.

She ushers "Hugh" to sit down. "Give them some space to say goodbye."

Dad does so reluctantly, muttering about how chivalry is officially dead.

Carson doesn't leave immediately though, like I'd like. He says all of his goodbye, going behind people before talking to them so his eyes aren't that visible. "Bye Charlie, bye Megan." He ruffles their hair. Megan looks like she's gonna kill him. "Mrs. Jones. Micah." He hugs Mom, then jabs Michael in the head.

Michael makes a jab for him too. "Get away from me, Asher." He smirks, albeit reluctantly.

Carson goes to hug my dad. My dad gives him a look that could kill someone. "I do not like you."

Carson frowns.

My dad holds out his arm. "You may hug my arm."

Carson nods and does as instructed. "I'll take this arm hug as my acceptance into the family. I'll make Mia the happiest bride alive-"

Dad chokes on the water he's drinking. "The happiest what?" he fumbles.

I drag Carson away. We escape through the front door by the hairs of our necks. "Okay, listen Carson," I say as politely as I can. "You have got to stop with this wedding idea. You're freaking my family out."

He pulls me close to him, ignoring every word I said. "If you were hungry, you'd tell me right?"

Here we go. "Yes," I sigh. "I'd tell you." Whatever he needs to sleep at night. "Now can we talk about something else? Like the bride comment?"