Page 57 of When Love Changes Everything

I look my father in the eyes. “Mateo might have humbled himself and begged you to be my father," I say, my voice certain, "but there’s no way in hell he would have bribed you to show up for me on one of the most important days of my life.”

Before my father has time to react, the light knock on the door pulls my gaze away from his disapproving glare. I take a step back to answer, and I hear him huffing and puffing behind me, as though he's being inconvenienced by the interruption.

I swing the door open, and the sight of Mateo standing there makes my heart stutter in my chest. He’s as devastatingly handsome as ever, and the vulnerability in his eyes hits me like a wave. My pulse quickens, and every ounce of anger and doubt I’d been holding onto fades, replaced by an overwhelming rush of love and regret. I realize, now more than ever, that this man has never lied to me. I feel terrible for doubting him, for questioning whether his love and commitment touswere strong enough to withstand Marian.

Chapter 22

Mateo

"Hi," I say, hoping she’ll let me in. She's been crying, and the thought of her father doing anything to hurt her ignites a fire in me.

"Hi," she responds, her gaze as blue and beautiful as ever. "You want to come in?"

I step into the living room and come face to face with Stan.

"Stan," I say, keeping my tone neutral. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see my daughter," he sneers, his anger toward me clear in his voice.

"You said you came to see Mateo," Lisa says, confusion clouding her expression.

"What else did he tell you,hermosa?" I ask, struggling to maintain control, my temper barely in check.

"Nothing," he says, his eyes darting everywhere but never landing on me. "Do I need an excuse to visit with my child?"

"Actually, yes," I reply, raising an eyebrow. "Lisa and I just got married, and we’re on our honeymoon, so your timing is less than ideal."

"Your husband offered me money to be here!" Stan exclaims, finally revealing the true reason for his visit. The only thing missing is the finger pointing. The sight of him reminds me of my little brother, running to Mama to tattle on me, crying and pointing, demanding I be punished for some imagined transgression.

"Stan, Stan, Stan," I say quietly. "If you recall, I visited you several times during my stay in LA and made every effort to convince you to show up for your daughter." I glance at Lisa to gauge just how much this is wounding her. Her expression gives away little.Good job, hermosa.

"And I said no!" Stan blurts, his dull blue eyes widening.

"Yes, you said no," I remind him. "And then you demanded a payoff in exchange for your appearance at the wedding, remember that?"

"That’s a lie!" he protests. "You offered me the money. Even after I said I’d do it because it was the right thing to do, you insisted on paying me."

"Your memory is failing you, my friend," I reply coolly. "I never offered you money. In fact, when you demanded it, I told you absolutely not and walked away."

"Then why am I here?" he asks, as though that somehow explains everything—and, worse yet, explains his presence here at all.

I lock eyes with Lisa before continuing. I don't want to hurt her more than I already have, and knowing how deeply this must affect her makes my heart ache.

"You showed up because you thought you could extort money from me after the fact," I say, keeping my gaze on Lisa. I long to reach out, to comfort her. "You approached Aaron at the reception and told him that if I didn’t pay you twenty thousand dollars to keep your mouth shut, you’d find Lisa and tell her I bribed you. And when Aaron told you not to waste your time, you decided to follow through on the threat. That's why you're here. To hurt your daughter one more time."

"I'm okay," Lisa says, her voice quiet, but steady. "Dad, I've seen your greed firsthand. I don’t believe a word you’ve said."

She crosses her arms and walks towards the door. "I love you, Dad," she says, "but I’ve realized that I need to love you from afar. You might love me in your own way, but it’s not enough for me. I need more. I need something you're simply incapable of giving me. I hope, someday, you'll recognize how your words and actions have affected me."

"Well, I never!" Stan says, his lips trembling, as though holding back words he wants to unleash.

"This breaks my heart, Dad, but I have to ask you to leave."

I watch as she opens the door and waits for Stan to leave. She's not crying, not emotional. She's calm, stoic, and the strength in her gaze makes me admire her more now than ever.

Stan stands and walks out the door without another word. She shuts the door before turning her attention to me.

"Are you okay?" I ask, my heart aching to comfort her. More than anything, I want to convince her that her father’s indifference, cruelty, and bad behavior say everything about him and nothing about her.

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