Page 14 of Forget

“Sophia can show you where her room is,” my father says, a frown marring his smooth forehead.

Is it too dramatic to want the floor to swallow me whole? That’s what I get for my first foray into buying sex toys.

As Hayes strides away to find whoever Sophia is, my fingers pull my knife from underneath my skirt before I can help it. It’s leaving my palm before I can reel myself in, but he drops into a squat as if hearing it fly through the air, so it drops to the floor harmlessly.

My lips twist in displeasure as he glances over his shoulder and scoffs at me.

“Have to do better than that to get the drop on me, Princess,” he mutters. I can’t find the words to curse him out before he disappears around the corner, which is unfortunate. Maybe next time.

My father glances at me as he walks over to pick up my knife.

“Let’s please pretend you have selective hearing loss,” I beg, heat high in my cheeks.

“You’re an omega and just turned eighteen,” he says, shrugging as he hands my weapon back to me, handle first. “It’s normal, and he’s a dick for flaunting his position on it. I think a thrown knife was a perfectly acceptable response. But yes, we can pretend if it makes you feel better. Let’s go sit outside and talk. It’ll make him have to hunt for us, or decide to leave us alone entirely.”

It’s almost five in the afternoon, and the sun will be going down soon. As I begin to follow him, I shiver as I snuggle into the hooded-sweatshirt I threw on. I didn’t have a chance to change out of the skirt I was wearing earlier though.

“Won’t it be getting cold soon?” I ask, dreading the cooler air that’ll undoubtedly be blowing through the backyard. I have a newfound aversion to the cold after the nights I spent at the park, sleeping against trees or in my sleeping bag.

“I have heaters and blankets that have been freshly laundered placed outside for you,” he says, shrugging as if this is normal as I blink against the threat of tears.

“Why would you do that?” I ask softly as he opens the large French doors to the covered deck.

My lips part open as I walk outside, taking in the pristine white couches, curtains along each column, and the pretty Edison bulbs hung along the edge of the roof. The air feels warm,heated by the heaters surrounding the area, and there’s a fire pit just in case it’s needed. God, can I just sleep here?

“You’re my daughter, and this is your home,” he says softly. “I want you to feel comfortable, happy, and safe. I missed out on so much because your mother never told me about you. She explained in her letter that she was afraid of my life, and bringing up a child within it. When Bea must have found out that she was pregnant, we had children go missing from the families. Some were an attack against us, while others were strangers who saw a pretty girl and took her. The world is very uncertain, but I would have moved heaven and earth to keep you safe.”

“Mom did move heaven and earth,” I rasp, my steps heavy as I move toward one of the couches.

Slipping out of my boots, I tuck my legs under a blanket to snuggle into it. As promised, the smell of fresh laundry detergent wafts up to my nose, comforting me. Unknown scents would make me feel ill right now.

I’m sitting in a corner, surrounded by two walls, and I feel safe. My father watches me carefully as he sits in another chair to give me space, but he also chooses a spot where he can see everything.

“She was always very protective of the people she loved,” he says sadly. “I’ve asked my wife to leave our home, Aisling, and she’s not welcome back. Nancy and I never had children, and after this latest betrayal, I know I won’t be able to get over this.”

As he speaks, an angry fire spreads through his hazel eyes. A shiver runs down my spine, because I can recognize violence and death. Somehow, I know she’s either dead or soon will be.

“I’d say that I’m sorry to break up your marriage, but I don’t know if it was happy or not,” I say softly. “My life isn’t the worst that it’s ever been…”

“I don’t see that as a vote of confidence,” he growls. “You were working two jobs, Aisling.”

“My bosses made sure I took today off,” I state with a shrug. “I take as many shifts as possible to make sure that I won’t ever be homeless again, Dad. You don’t understand what it’s like to have to hide everything about yourself because you could end up in foster care, or get caught climbing a fence to sleep in a park, or any of the other things that make me move a little faster when I’m walking home late at night.”

I swear my father stops breathing as I stutter to a stop, gazing at me intently.

“Fuck, that’s a lot to unpack,” he whispers, clearing his throat. “I swear, my daughter, that you will never have to worry about being homeless for the rest of your life. Nor will any children you have, or their children. My hope is that you find a loving pack, but I know better than anyone that shit happens. I will be obsessed with your safety, happiness, and mental wellbeing. Being an omega comes with challenges, just like anything else, and you’ve had a lot of traumatic moments in your past.

“Your room is set up, yet I don’t know what you like, so you can redecorate it. It will not offend me. I’ve opened an account in your name with money for you to use. I can see how overwhelming all of this is. Please, give this life a chance.”

Tears stream down my face as I feel how sincere he is. It’s scary to believe this could all be true, that this man actually wants me to be his daughter and is excited about it.

“Ditto on all of that,” I sob, swiping my face with my hand. “I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that.”

Smiling at me indulgently as he hides the tears in his own eyes, he nods. “I’ve wanted to have a child my entire adult life. It just so happens, you’re coming to me as a grown woman, so I’m going to have to change my perspective on fatherhood,” he says. “Having you call me ‘Dad’ was even better than I thought it would be, though.”

Hayes steps out at that moment, appearing disgusted when he sees me sitting in tears. God, I really hate this fucker. Sticking my tongue out at him, I ignore my dad’s bemused expression.

I don’t think Hayes and I will ever get along.

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