by E. L. Todd
***
My dad arrived in less than two hours. He didn’t understand speed limits or basic laws. They didn’t apply to him. He knocked on my door. “Pumpkin, it’s me.” Fear was in his voice.
Even though I looked like shit, I answered the door. “Hey…”
He stared at my tear stained face and he immediately mirrored the look. Pain flooded through his eyes, just like Cayson’s, and he looked like he lost the world. Wordlessly, he shut the door behind him then embraced me, pulling me to his chest and squeezing me hard.
My dad held me and rubbed my back gently. Feeling him surround me with unconditional love made me upset all over again. Zack never loved me. He didn’t care about me. He used me, took advantage of me, and I let him. I started to cry.
My dad guided me to the couch and set me down. Then he sat beside me with concern still in his eyes. He put one arm around my shoulder, tucking me into his side. “Tell me.”
I didn’t know where to begin. “Dad, have you ever been used…because of your money?”
His hand stilled on my back. “More times than I can count. Why?”
“Did you feel stupid?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“Why are you asking?”
“I’m just curious. You’re so withdrawn and cold. Whenever you’re in public, you’re a different person. Your walls are always up and you’re untouchable. You’re suspicious of everyone and you don’t extend any warmth. But when you’re home with us…you’re different. You’re happy. What happened to make you that way?”
He processed my words for a long time. “I don’t have enough time in the day to explain every incident that has made me so hateful toward other people. Unlike your grandfather, I’ve had a hard time seeing the good in others. They will use you and take you for everything you have. Very few people in the world will truly love you for you. I’m happy when I’m home because your mother loved me from the beginning. She loved me despite my wealth, and my extended family is the same way. No one else in the world treats me that way. I’m lucky I have anyone at all.”
“Has a girlfriend ever used you?”
He stared at me for a moment. “Yes. My last girlfriend before your mother lied to me and tricked me into being with her. She wanted my wealth for security, and she was willing to do anything to get it. She really hurt your mother. And fortunately, your mother loved me enough to forgive me.”
“You cheated on Mom?”
“No,” he said quickly. “Never. But I left her for this other woman—because I thought she was pregnant.”
“Was she?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t mine.”
“What happened to her?”
“I couldn’t care less.” Anger was in his voice. “Skye, why are you asking me this?”
I wiped my tears away. “My boyfriend…or my ex-boyfriend used me.”
He stared me down. “How?”
I never thought I would tell my father this but I was desperate. “We’ve been dating for six months. He kept insisting on meeting you and Mom. I never understood why. He even told me he loved me so he could come to the gala. I didn’t say it back. Then Cayson overheard him talking to a friend in the library…”
My dad’s face was unreadable. He was guarded, but anger was coursing in his eyes.
“He’s just with me for my wealth. He planned on marrying me and then divorcing me, taking half of my assets. He’s been cheating on me the entire time. He never cared about me. He never loved me. I feel so stupid…” More tears bubbled under the surface.
My dad didn’t react. He kept his arm around my shoulder, and I felt it tremble slightly. I expected him to explode, to demolish my apartment, but he didn’t. He kept calm. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Skye. I always feared my wealth would sabotage your life and I’m sorry it has.”
“It’s not your fault, Dad.”
“And I’m sorry you’ve learned that people are innately evil and greedy. That’s a lesson I hoped to spare you from.”
“I just feel stupid…”
“Don’t,” he said gently. “When you have everything, people will want it. And that’s just how it is. Now you understand why I’m so protective of you and your…personal life.”
“Yeah…”
He kissed my forehead. “You’re such a beautiful girl and you’re too smart for your own good. You’re smarter than your mother and I put together. I know this is hard for you. It’d be hard on anyone. But don’t let him bring you down. He’s just one asshole, and there is a sea of great men. You will find someone who loves you for you, someone you trust implicitly. And you will be happy.”
“Like you and Mom?”
“Happier than us.” Moisture built up in his eyes when he looked at me. “I’ve been through a lot of pain, but seeing my daughter cry over a broken heart has to be the worst I’ve ever bared.”
“I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Don’t apologize. If I share the load with you, you don’t have to carry it all by yourself.” He wiped a tear away with the pad of his thumb. “Would you like to know a story about your mother and I?”
I nodded.
“I was with a woman I was in love with. She was beautiful and perfect. I bought a ring and planned on proposing to her. Actually, your mother helped me pick it out. But then she cheated on me, dumped me, and then left me for someone else. I was devastated, heartbroken. Your mother was there for me, being the best friend I needed. And at some point, something changed. She wasn’t just my friend anymore. A night of drunken sex opened my eyes and made me realize what was right in front of me. I fell in love with your mother in a way I never felt for that other woman. And in the end, that heartbreak was the best thing that ever happened to me. Because if it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be with your mother.” He cupped my cheeks. “And I wouldn’t have you.”
His words clenched my heart painfully.
“I know this is hard for you, but you’ll realize it’s the best thing that ever happened to you. You will find a better man, and now you’ll be able to recognize him because of this pain. You will be wiser for it, and of course, you’ll be stronger for it.”
Somehow he made me feel better. Even though Zack was a horrible mistake, he taught me a valuable lesson. I’m glad I learned it early in life compared to my father.
He pulled a strand of hair from my wet cheeks then rested his hand on my shoulder. “Did that help?”
I nodded. “It did.” I wasn’t crying anymore.
His eyes turned serious and malicious. The warmth that radiated from him a second ago was gone. “Tell me his name.”
I hated Zack, but I wasn’t sure he deserved what my father had in mind. “What are you going to do to him?”
“You let me worry about that.” He didn’t touch me, just stared me down. “Skye, his name.”
“You can’t kill him.” I knew it was a ridiculous accusation to make, but my father could get rid of someone if he really wanted to.
“His name.”
“Dad.”
“Skye.”
“Promise me you won’t kill him.”
He clenched his jaw. “I promise.”
“What are you going to do?”
His eyes burned in demonic fire. “Secure his financial future—just like he was doing with you.”
What did that mean?
“He will never find a job when he graduates. He will flip burgers just to make ends meet. He will put in eighty hours a week at minimum wage just to pay his rent. All he will know is the life of a poor man. Every time he turns for help, he’ll never get it. His apartment will be broken into constantly, his prized possessions looted. His record will register him as a sex offender so he’ll never have a date as long as he lives. He will resort to prostitution when his hand isn’t doing the job. Then he will be thrown in jail for his crimes. When he gets out, the cycle will repeat. And he will loathe himself for ever fucking with Sean Preston.”<
br />
My heart accelerated at his words. It was a lifelong punishment he would never escape. My father would ruin his life—literally. “That’s too harsh…”
“Skye, give me his name. If you don’t, I’ll just get it from your brother or your cousins. This will happen.”
“Dad, I know you’re upset but you don’t mean that.”
“I don’t?”
“No…I know you’re protective of me but that’s extreme. You know it is. I don’t want that and neither do you.”
He took a deep breath then held my hand. “You’re right. I guess I don’t know how to control my anger sometimes. People can do whatever they want to me and it doesn’t bother me. But when it comes to my family…I’m harsh.”
I patted the top of his hand. “I know, Dad. It’s okay.”
“I still want his name.” The seriousness was back in his eyes.
“Why?”
“Just tell me, Skye.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Zack Stone.”
“Thank you.” He relaxed visibly then rubbed his palms together. His Rolex flashed in the light. “Have you had breakfast?”
“No.” I wasn’t hungry, not after that threat.
“Would you like to join me?”
“It’s okay, Dad. You should get back to work.”
He gave me a firm look. “Like I’ve said a hundred times, work means nothing to me. Businesses rise and collapse every day. Regimes grow and fall. But my family means everything to me. Now have breakfast with me.”
“Okay.”
We headed to a diner in town then ordered waffles. My dad ate slowly and barely touched his food. He was a health nut. His body was still thick and toned despite his age. He did boxing and martial arts after work for exercise. My mom didn’t exercise as often as he did, but they would run on the beach together sometimes.
When we finished, we went back to my apartment.
“Want to watch a movie?” he asked.
It meant the world to me that he was spending all day with me. He dropped everything in a heartbeat when I needed him. I had the best parents in the world. Not just because they gave me everything financially, but they showed me how much they loved me every single day. “Sure.”
I sat next to him on the couch and covered myself with a blanket. He flipped through the channels until he found something.
His phone rang. He glanced at it then took the call. I know he wouldn’t have answered it if it were anyone else but my mother. “Baby?”
“Mike told me you took off from the office and you aren’t answering your phone. Is everything alright?”
“Skye called and asked to see me.”
Her voice changed. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. I’ll explain when I get home.”
“Okay.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “When will you be home?”
“Late tonight.”
“Can you call me when you leave?”
He smirked. “Why don’t you just check the GPS on my phone?”
“Just call me, Sean.”
“You’re starting to sound a lot like me.” He was clearly enjoying teasing my mom.
“Whose fault is that? Now will you call me?”
“I’ll think about it.”
I rolled my eyes while I listened to them.
“You aren’t getting any from me tonight.”
He laughed. “Yeah right. I’m calling your bluff.”
“I mean it.”
“Please, you’re worse than I am.”
“Do I need to cover my ears?” I said.
“I guess you’ll find out if I made good on my threat when you get home.” My mom’s tone was dark.
My dad quickly changed his tactic. “I’ll call you, baby.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“But you know I’ll always call you.”
Her voice softened. “I do.”
“You guys are going to make me gag,” I said.
My dad chuckled. “I love you, baby.”
“I love you too.”
“Bye.” He waited for her to hang up first. Then he placed the phone on the coffee table.
The door opened and Cayson walked in. He was carrying a pizza and a liter of soda. He stilled when he saw my dad. “Oh. Hi, Uncle Sean.”
“Hey, kid. What did you bring?” my dad asked.
“Skye’s favorite is pizza,” he explained.
“Just like her mom.” My dad smiled.
I rose from the couch then went to him. “Thanks but we ate not too long ago.”
“Save it for later.” He watched me closely with concern in his eyes. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, my dad made me feel better.”
“Good.” He nodded slowly. “I’m glad.”
“Thanks for staying with me last night.”
“You don’t need to thank me, Skye.”
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, suddenly feeling nervous.
“I’ll let you get back to your dad,” he said. “But you can call me if you need anything, even if you just want to talk.”
“I know, Cayson.”
Cayson walked over to my dad on the couch. “Hey, Uncle Sean.”
My dad rose and hugged him. “Thanks for looking after my daughter.”
“Of course. I always do.”
He patted Cayson’s shoulder. “Having a fine young man like you and the rest of your cousins gives me peace of mind when I’m not around.”
“You can count on me.”
“I know.” He smiled at him. “And don’t worry about Zack. I’ll take care of him.”
Cayson’s face became slightly pale. “Okay. Go easy on him.”
My dad had an evil look in his eye. “I know you don’t mean that.”
“You’re right. I don’t.”
My dad put his hands in the pockets of his suit. “I’ll tell your father I saw you and you’re doing well.”
“Thanks. Tell him I said hi.”
“I will.”
“Bye, Uncle Sean.”
“Bye.”
Cayson walked toward the door then gave me one final look before he left.
My dad sat back down on the couch. “Cayson is a good kid. I like him.”
“I like him too.” I sat back down and pulled the blanket over me.
“He could be a good influence on Roland. I wish Cayson would rub off on him.”
“Roland is a good guy too.”
“I know he is, pumpkin. I’m very proud of my son. His maturity level just isn’t the same.”
“Weren’t you reckless and wild when you were young?”
He smirked. “Yeah…”
“Roland will grow out of it.”
“I’m sure he will.”
My dad and I watched the movie then TV for the rest of the night. When we got hungry, we devoured the pizza, leaving nothing behind. I started to grow tired but didn’t want him to leave.
“I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”
“Okay.” I lay on the couch and he tucked the blanket around me. He sat in the other chair while he waited for me to fall asleep. It was already eleven in the evening and he had a two-hour drive but he didn’t seem to mind.
Because my father would do anything for me.
***
The next morning, my father was gone. But he left a gift behind.
A vase of white lilies was on my counter, and there was a note.
A father loves a daughter
Like no other love on earth.
From the day that he first meets her
Nothing can compare her worth.
Forever are they bonded
With a love that never fails.
For always he will hug her
And kiss her goodnight with fairy tales.
He will love her and protect her
With strong arms just in case
But will also hug her tenderly
With a fatherly embrace.
Es
kimo kisses touch her nose
With a giggle and a squeeze
And that sparkle in her little eyes
Could bring him to his knees.
What more could any father want
Than a daughter so sweet and pure
There's nothing in this world so rare
Of that he can be sure.
A fathers love is so unique
It cannot be replaced
He will always treasure times with her
And the memories embraced.
A smile stretched my lips when I read it. Then I looked at the flowers again, remembering every time he’s given them to me. They were always white lilies, the flower that reminded him of me. He always did sweet things like that, making me feel special.
In that moment, I realized how stupid it was to be upset over what Zack did to me. He didn’t care about me but I had people who did. I was fortunate enough to have a family that loved me for me, not the money in my father’s bank account. Zack couldn’t tear me down and I refused to let him.
I showered then went to class, suddenly feeling rejuvenated. I didn’t think about Zack at all. We would cross paths eventually, and I looked forward to it. He was the one who hurt me and made me feel small, but I would do the same to him at the first opportunity.
I was studying in the library when Zack made his appearance.
“Hey, baby.” He leaned down to kiss me.
I turned my head. “God, your breath stinks.”
He flinched. “What?”
I waved the air in front of me. “Gross.”
The library was silent so everyone could hear me even though I didn’t raise my voice. People at the nearby tables glanced at us, eyeing Zack.
Zack stepped back, embarrassed at my words. “Uh, sorry.” He cupped his mouth then breathed, trying to smell it.
“What do you want?” I blurted.
He cocked an eyebrow. “What do you want? Just to say hi to my girlfriend.” He lowered his voice to a whisper.
I didn’t lower my voice. “I’m not your girlfriend anymore. I’m dumping you.”
“What?” Fear moved into his eyes. “Why?”
“Because you’re shitty in bed.”
His eyes widened and he looked around, hoping no one heard that.
“You should study the female anatomy because you obviously don’t know how to make a girl come.”
The girls at the nearby table giggled.