Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 89303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Daisy let herself inside, frantic as if she’d run all the way from the lobby and then down the hallway. “What the hell happened?” She shut the door behind herself, wearing a skirt and a blouse like she’d just left the clinic and headed straight here after a late night at the office. “Dad?”
He sat on the couch with his chin down.
She turned to me, in hopes I might give her an explanation.
I shrugged. “It just kinda happened…”
Like that wasn’t a sufficient answer, she marched over to Dad and sat beside him. “Dad, what the hell were you thinking?”
Dad kept his eyes on the coffee table. “I wasn’t.”
She dragged her hand down her face, sighing loudly. “That was so unnecessary.”
“Did you see the video?” I asked. “Mason made the mistake of calling him an old man…kinda his fault.”
“But how did this happen?” She turned to me. “Did you just point him out to Dad or what?”
“No,” I said. “Mason came over and made the mistake of saying hi to me. Thought Dad was Derek and said he’d heard so much about him from you. And then Dad figured out who he was and just lost it.”
Daisy turned to Dad. “So, he came over to be civil and polite, and your response was to break his nose?”
Dad stared at the coffee table. “If you’re expecting remorse or regret, you will receive none.”
Daisy sighed loudly and dragged her hand down her face again. “Dad…I just can’t believe this. I don’t need you to fight my battles for me. He didn’t even do anything that bad—”
Dad snapped. “He hurt my daughter.” He turned to her, looked her in the eye, furious all over again. “He stood you up and dumped you when he was supposed to meet us. He wasn’t there for you, humiliated you, and didn’t deliver on his promises. Fucking prick.”
Daisy looked at me, accusation in her eyes because he’d obviously gotten that information from me.
I shrugged in guilt.
“He broke your heart,” Dad said. “That’s enough reason for me to do far worse than what I could have done.”
Daisy looked straight ahead, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. “Dad—” Her new phone started to ring on her lap. “Great…it’s him.”
Dad grabbed it and answered it with lightning speed. “Bitch, you want some more? Call my daughter again, and I’ll fucking track your ass down.” He hung up and tossed the phone on the table and wiped his hands like they were dirty.
Now Daisy’s face was a mixture of shock and humiliation. “Okay…I need a moment with Dad. Alone.”
Mom and I left the living room and headed into the hallway, but I was too nosy to walk away so I watched them from behind the wall, peeking around the corner.
They sat side by side in silence for a long time.
Dad wasn’t good at this sort of thing when he was angry, so he stayed quiet.
Daisy took the lead. “I know you love me and you’re protective of me, and we all do crazy things in the moment, but…you did not need to do that. I’m a grown woman who can handle myself. Yes, Mason hurt me and it was hard, but I’ll get over it. We all get our heart broken sometimes. It heals, like all things do.”
“I’m not sorry, sweetheart. If you want an apology from me, you’ll never get it.”
“I’m not asking for an apology, Dad. I just… I want you to understand how tough I am, that you don’t need to worry about my broken heart or broken anything. I was raised by two of the strongest people I’ve ever known, and if you think some guy is gonna get to me, you’re wrong.”
He turned his head slightly to look at her.
“I loved Mason, but he wasn’t the one. It happens. I won’t say it was a mistake because there’s no such thing as mistakes. Life is a series of meaningless and unrelated events. This was just an event. I will love someone again, and he will be the one. He’ll shake your hand, and you’ll love him like a son. It will happen. It just didn’t happen today. And you can’t beat the shit out of every guy who doesn’t give me that.”
Dad was quiet for a long time before he responded. “I…I can’t believe you’re my daughter.”
Daisy’s eyes softened as she looked at him.
“I just…” He shrugged as he looked at her. “I just can’t believe that your mother gave me this strong, ruthless, unapologetic, unbreakable woman. In my eyes, you’re that little girl with the bow in her hair, having a smile that outshines the warmth of the sun, and I just feel compelled to protect you…but I guess you don’t need me to.”
“Daddy…” She leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder.
His arm wrapped around her, and he turned his head to press a kiss to her forehead. “I can’t explain how much I love you. There are no words. When it was just your mom and Derek, I thought I’d never be able to love another person the way I loved them. And then Dex came, and I couldn’t believe how much I loved him. But I was certain there was no more room for anyone else. And then the best was saved for last…and I loved you in a way that physically made me ache. My only daughter. Someday, you’ll understand what I mean. Someday, you’ll understand why I snapped the way I did. Someday…you’ll love someone so much it’ll hurt…and it won’t be your husband.”