Page 59 of Live Like Legends

“You want me to tell you that I wish my dad had told me the truth? You want me to tell you that I feel like I’ve been lied to by the one person that I trusted more than anything in the entire realm? You want me to say that sometimes I’ve considered never speaking to him again and then hated myself the minute it crossed my mind? There I said it!” I heard my voice start to shake and I didn’t feel better saying it. I thought I would feel better.

Why didn’t I feel better?

Elise put her hands over her face, letting out slow breaths. “Your honesty is riveting but this isn’t like Purgatory where just speaking it into existence is all it takes. You felt all the thingsyourselfwhile you were there, it was all internal. You had to forgive yourself.” She pressed her index finger into my chest. “Everything you just said is all about someone else. It needs to be directed atsomeoneelse. That is the only way it will attempt to resolve itself. That is the only way you are making it in Hell.”

I ran my hands roughly through my hair and turned around, catching Beetee’s eye. She looked sympathetic but it also looked like she agreed with Elise.

“You should really give him more credit. You want people to just be ready on your timeline Elise and that’s a bit fucked up,” Reese insisted.

“He isn’t going to ever beready. You know your best friend better than any of us and he is going to put it off. Please, Blondie look me in my face and tell me I’m wrong.”

I waited for Reese to say the things he always did, find some way around her statements, but all I did was hear him sigh. I fucking hated this. I hated knowing that in a way, I was being forced to do something, but on the other hand I understood why. I wanted to find Dani and bring her back to me, keep her safe. There was a tiny part of me that almost wanted her there when I decided to speak to my father, but then I would second guess and think that it would be better if I went alone. I would wish that I had never questioned him about anything and been left in the dark. I had even considered leaving things and just moving on, attempting to carry on a relationship without ever bringing my mother up ever again.

My head hurt from my thoughts and my skin felt overheated. Hands were on my arms and my body was being turnt so that I was facing Elise yet again. She didn’t look any less irritated but something about the look in her eyes told me that she was forcing herself to soften just a tiny bit. “I am going to say this and you are going to nevereverfucking ask me about it.”

I waited patiently as she pressed her lips together, tucking a piece of her dark hair behind her ear. “I know what it’s like to have a less than great parental figure and I am more than aware of what a major fuck up in that department looks like. I stare my resentment in the fucking face and it runs and hides from me. Let me be super clear when I say that your father is far better than great. I hardly believe in second chances, Nicholas, but in this case and for the sake of saving my…friend, I can make an exception.” She scratched at her neck as if admitting that Dani was her friend would give her a rash.

I peeked over at Reese who looked just as surprised as me. He lifted one his shoulders in a shrug. “You know my parents aren’t the greatest but I’ve owned that. Do I wish it was better? Yes. But I’ve come to terms with it. I think it’s time you come to terms with this too. If we cry, we cry, right?”

I let out a choked laugh. Beetee crept up to my side. “As much as you think she’s being a bully, which she kind of is…” The pink haired demon side-eyed Elise who rolled her eyes, “but she isn’t wrong. Maybe you can go there and knock on the door, if you want to turn back then turn back. If he answers the door and you can’t do it then, okay, you took that step. It’s just time you took any type of step in general.”

Elise dangled my portal key in front of me. “We all sat around and heard your father’s hot little heart break over your past and your mother. You are allowed to be upset with the man, you are even allowed to hate him, but what you aren’t allowed to do is hold him accountable for the actions of someone else. Your mother made the decision she did. He was honoring what she wanted because helovedher Nick. Take pride that you came from a fucking man who honors his word even at the expense of his son’s trust.”

Her words caused my breath to catch in my throat. My hands shook as I grabbed the key from her. The chain swung in my grasp as I tried to control my trembling fingers. My mind started replaying the last thing Dani had said about my father.

You don’t have to forgive him entirely but go scream at him, stomp around your house, something…. he’s given you all his love and attention for twenty-four years, you owe him at least some of yours back.

I was doing this because I was in love with her and even before she had exceeded in learning her powers, she was worried that I would falter and she wouldn’t be able to help me. I gave a quick look around the room at people worried about the same thing. It wasn’t that they thought that I couldn’t do it, it was simply that they knew Icouldbut I was the only one who needed convincing.

“Do you need us to go with you?” Reese asked.

I shook my head. “No, just umm, let everyone know to be ready when I get back. We’ll meet outside of Natalia’s, okay?”

He nodded, along with Beetee. Elise wiggled her fingers in a goodbye gesture.

I made my portal and held my breath the entire time.

I landed near the back door, outside my house. I let my eyes roam over the exterior wanting to take in everything I hadn’t seen in what felt like forever. It had been only about a month, but this was probably the longest amount of time we’d gone without speaking. I rolled my shoulders, taking in a deep breath.

One deep breath in, one deep breath out.

I heard voices inside and I recognized them easily. It felt like a weight on my heart. I rubbed my hands together, feeling how sweaty they were. I could turn back now, but something in my gut told me not to. I was doing this for the sake of my own mental state and my life when going to Hell, but I was also doing this for—me. I was doing this for the relationship I legitimately wanted to mend, but I was afraid.

Elise was right. I wasafraid.

I curled my hand into a fist and without thinking I knocked on the wooden door. I heard footsteps on the other side. I realized how fucking late it was and I started to feel like this was a mistake.

“Coming!” I heard Daya yell.

I counted backwards from ten in my head, but didn’t even get a chance to get to one when she opened the door and I was met with her stunned face. Her shiny dark hair was pulled over one shoulder and her nose ring twinkled in the tiny lights my fatherdisplayed no matter what time of year it was. Her olive skin looked smooth and untouched with age, except for the crinkles around her eyes.

Her shocked expression morphed into something else. Her eyes started to water but the way she smiled looked as if she was trying to hold the moisture from leaving her bottom lids. She placed her hand on her chest and I had a feeling my own heart was beating faster than hers. Her mouth moved but no words came out.

“Daya, who is it?” I heard my father say and I started to chew on the inside of my cheek.

Daya simply looked at me, as if she was asking me for permission. If this was what I wanted.

“I want to talk to my dad.” It sounded like I had whispered it, but I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t sure of anything at the moment.

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