The Princess and The Game's Rebel (Book 2)

Wits End

|Paul's POV|

Sometimes, I completely lose my shit. This time happened to be one of them. I try not to discipline my children in anger. I was really trying not to do that with Aurora. I saw red by the time I got to her and saw what was on her neck.

"What is that on your neck."

"I-I burned myself with my flat iron this morning. It's just now starting to bruise."

I took a closer look and then looked at her hair. While it was easy to believe her, she was lying. That's a fucking hickey on her neck.

"I love how you all think it's ok and acceptable to blatantly lie to my face. That mark on your neck is from a flat iron?"

"Y-yes daddy."

"You flat ironed your hair this morning?"

"Mm hmm."

"So when I came upstairs from the gym this morning, your hair wasn't in a high ponytail?

She looked like a deer in headlights.

"Dad, I..."

"Go ahead and change your story. What, you were at your friends house and she did your hair?"

She just stood there. I watched the tears form in her eyes.

"No."

"So then, what the hell is on your neck Aurora?!"

She jumped at the sound of my voice. I took a deep breath and took a step back.

"Go to your room."

"Daddy..."

"Aurora, go to your room!"

She moved around me and ran up the stairs. I then heard her door slam. I was briefly lost in my thoughts before I realized Zach was still in the kitchen. As soon as we locked eyes, he left. I stood there for a few more minutes before going to my man cave. If they kids really need me, they'd know where to find me. I just needed a few minutes alone before going to talk to Aurora.

I poured a drink and took a seat in my chair. I sat in complete silence for a solid 15 minutes before my phone started buzzing. I know it's Stephanie.

Hello.

Paul. What's going on? Aurora just called me hysterically crying. I couldn't make out what she was saying completely. She just said she was sorry.

Of course she called Steph. Although I have an issue with my wife for lying to me about the situation with Izzy, I wasn't going to fight fire with fire. In the end we were a team and we'd discuss the other matter later. For now, I'd fill her in on what's going on.

She asked to go hang out with her friends after school today, I said yes. She was supposed to come home with Zach. She was nowhere to be found when he was done working out and even told him she was somewhere she wasn't. I gave her 10 minutes to get here. She showed up a half hour later. She was in the kitchen with Zach when I heard him yelling at her. I went to resolve the issue when he said it was something on her neck. Sure enough, there was a hickey forming. She told me it was from her flat iron, but that's a lie because she went to school with her hair in a ponytail.

I took another sip of my drink and watched as Steph sat there quietly on the other end.

You're telling me she has a hickey on her neck? Are you sure?

You have got to me kidding me.

Stephanie, it sure as hell wasn't a burn from a fucking flat iron. Do you really think I wouldn't know what a hickey looks like? It's a fucking hickey!