Page 79 of Only If You Dare

“I’m so excited about it, too,” I confessed.

“Desiree…”

I whipped my head to the person who’d called my name and froze. After my initial shock, I sucked in a frustrated breath.

“You just won’t let me be will you?”

Before Cameron could respond, my eyes landed on the man standing next to him. Like an apparition, he stood before me, and I’m sure my face drained of all heated blood cells.

“Daddy?” I choked, as the words croaked from my tongue. “Oh… my… God…”

“Baby girl I can explain,” my father started.

I held my hand up to silence him. “You don’t get to call me that. You don’t get to call me anything. What are you doing here and with him!?”

My heart drummed in my chest. These two appearing together had to be the cruelest of jokes. They were both trying to give me heart attacks. Of that I was sure.

“Throughout the years, I’ve been keeping an eye on you,” my father said, “and your sister. It hasn’t been easy since you live in two different states. I hadn’t been able to watch you while I was watching Claudia in Chicago, so I thought you and Cameron here were still together. I reached out to him, first, wanting to reconcile with you. I thought you guys were married, and I knew it would be easier if your husband explained my reappearance before you met with me. If you decided to.”

I was baffled; my mind in utter shock. “Cameron is not my husband,” I said through clenched teeth.

My father nodded. “I know that now, even though he led me to believe otherwise.” This time my father glowered at Cameron.

“I’ve told you, I didn’t mean to. I wanted to reconcile with Desiree as well. I figured we could do it together.”

I tossed my hands up and quickly began gathering my things. I snapped my notebook closed practically throwing it in my briefcase along with my notes. I grabbed my café expresso and stood to my feet.

“Wait, please,” my father said.

I shook my head. “You’ve had over a decade to come to me,” I snapped. “A decade! I looked for you every night for ten years!” I stuttered as tears ran down my cheeks. “Now you want to reconcile?” I pointed first at my father. “No to you! And damn sure no to you!” I said, pointing to Cameron.

“Desiree!” They said in unison.

“Stop, okay just stop it!”

Cameron stepped in front of my father. “You can’t keep this up,” Cameron said reaching out and grabbing my arm. “You have to listen to me!”

“Get off of me!” I yelled. Our raised voices brought the attention of the waiter and manager.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry for the confusion but I’m going to have to ask you all to leave,” the short, stocky brunette said.

I pushed off Cameron, wiggling my arm free. “Don’t ever touch me again!”

“Desiree—”

“You heard the lady.”

Everyone turned to stare at Julian. He past Santana approaching like a brooding bull with brows knocked together and flared nostrils. He stepped in front of me, and Cameron took a step back. So, did my father.

“Don’t ever fuckin touch her again,” he said through a locked jaw. The distress I felt just moments before diminished like it had the last few run-in’s I’d had with Cameron.

“Baby,” I laid my hand on his shoulder to calm him. “I’m okay, let’s go, I can’t stand here another minute.”

It was true. Although Julian had completely consumed my madness, I was still on edge. I turned making sure to slip my hand in his and pull him away as I walked.

“Oh wait,” I stopped and turned back for Santana who was right behind us.

“I’m here, go,” she said shooing me forward. We exited the building going for the parking lot.

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