Page 19 of Return To You

He’s sitting in his chair, his arms crossed.

“Have you spoken to Noah?” he asks coldly.

Hurt shoots through me and I rasp, “No, Daddy, I haven’t,” he flinches at my term, and I whisper, giving him my hurt, “I love you, Daddy, so much, but you’ve disappointed me.” My tears fall, and a crack in his façade appears. “You just railroaded over mylife without giving me a second to process what I was told after I woke in the ER, confused and scared.”

He flinches. “I, Rose, you're seventeen….”

I nod. “I know, and we used protection." He flinches again but I push through. “We did, Daddy, but fate had other ideas. Mom was seventeen, too, with Al….”

His throat bobs. “She was, and I lost her, Rose.”

I nod. “I know, but not because of Al, but because of me.” He squeezes his eyes tight. “I know why you’re acting this way, but this baby, it’s my decision, it’s Noah’s, not yours. You had no right to use your wealth and power the way you did in that hospital.”

He shakes his head. “I’m doing this for you, Rose, and if you don’t abort, it’ll ruin your relationship, and I-I can’t watch my daughter die. I’ll cut you off, Rose, if you go through with this. No college funds, no home; you’ll have nothing.”

I see the pain flowing off him. He hates giving me this ultimatum, but his trauma at losing my mother, who I’m a spitting image of, is clouding him, and this is something he’s going to regret for the rest of his life.

Yes, Mom died of preeclampsia, but it’s unknown whether it's hereditary, it’s not been confirmed. He shouldn’t be taking his fears out on me because now, he’s fractured our relationship more.

Sniffling, I slowly walk over to him, rounding his oak desk. I gently kiss his head and whisper, “I love you, Daddy,” before turning and walking away without looking back.

I hear loud bangs as I walk out the front door, and I let out a sob but don’t stop moving. Instead, I climb on the bike I bought Noah and start revving it. I'm a little glad I know how to drive it right about now, otherwise I would be stuck.

With a deep breath, I spin out of the drive, hoping I don’t fall.

It doesn’t take me long before I pull up in front of Noah’s trailer.

I know my hair is a mess, mascara is most likely dried on my cheeks, and he was supposed to pick me up in thirty minutes, but right now, I need him.

I need him to tell me it will be okay, and whatever we decide, we’ll get through it together.

I need his strength right now because mine is fading quickly.

Wiping my tears, I climb off the bike as the door opens. Gina stands on the top step, wearing basically underwear, curling her lip at me.

“You might as well turn and leave,” she sneers.

I flinch internally, hating that she’s allowed Piper to get in her head and rasp, “I need to see Noah….”

She smirks. “You're too late. By at least an hour and a half. He’s gone.”

I frown. “Gone where?”

Absolute glee bursts from her, and my heart starts to thump, my stomach pulling.

“He left for LA with his band and Piper. He got signed and decided she was better for his life than you,” she crows.

Like hell!

I shake my head. “I don’t believe you; he’d never leave me behind, and your jealous bitterness is getting old, Gina.”

She curls her lip at me as she takes her phone out of her shorts, does something on it, and then turns it to face me.

Noah is staring off into his bedroom wall, a bag packed on his bed, with Piper hugging him, his arm over her shoulder.

I don’t say anything, and she just grins. "Like I said, you’re not wanted, so go back to your rich daddy, and leave my brother alone.”

With that said, she goes inside, slamming the door.

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