Page 126 of The Tempted

Not just physically but emotionally too. I wanted him in every way it mattered and I was tired of running in circles. Life is too short to not go after what you want. Why have one night when we could have forever?

I pulled into the parking spot and got out of the car knowing I had already wasted too much time. By now Anthony would be awake already letting his head get the best of him. I half walked, half jogged towards the front door of his apartment complex, reaching to pull open the glass door only for it to fly open before my hand reached the handle. I looked up and froze in my tracks as I stared into my father’s eyes.

“Adrianna?” he spoke my name sounding shocked and confused then paused for a beat repeating my name in a more controlled voice.

“Adrianna.” I had heard that tone a lot growing up, it’s the tone he used whenever he was suspicious of me. His perceptive gaze perused me and nervously I shifted from one foot to another, tucking my hair behind my ears as I normally did under my father’s uncomfortable scrutiny.

“Uh…I tried calling Anthony to see…,” my words trailed off as I watched my father cock his head to the side and study me.

“Your mother’s had Luca all night hasn’t she?”

“Yeah well after what happened with Vinny I was pretty upset, she offered to watch him so I could regroup.”

“Regroup,” he repeated before reaching out and touching my ear gently.

“You seem to have lost an earring,” he said slowly.

I took a step backwards as I saw realization flicker in my father’s eyes.

“What?” I said reaching my hand to touch my ear. “Oh. It’s probably in my car. I should…,” I pointed my thumb behind me to the vicinity in which I parked my car. “It may have fallen out when I got out of the car.” I glanced behind my father at the apartment complex.

“It wasn’t important anyway. I’m going to go.”

We stood silently for a moment, my father knowing I had spent the night with Anthony, me pretending like he didn’t.

“You know Adrianna, there’s a lot going on that you’re unaware of, certain things that don’t concern you. Anthony’s life isn’t stable.”

“Don’t,” I said, holding up my hand.

“Just don’t. I don’t want to hear it and you won’t want to hear what I’m going to say in return so let’s just end this right now.”

“You used to be my best pal,” my father said. “Your sister was always closer to your mother. I figured that was because she’s the baby, but you, you were my little pal, the little girl who thought I could do no wrong,” he smiled sadly. “You used to look at me like I was the greatest man in the whole world. I can’t even tell you how that made me feel, every time those big brown eyes looked up at me with adoration,” he shook his head. “I’d give anything for you to look at me like that once more.”

I looked away from him deciding that this was either God’s plan or some greater force intervening, fucking up any chance me and Anthony had moving forward with this. I shouldn’t have turned the car around the same way last night should have never happened.

I lifted my gaze to meet my dad’s.

“Goodbye dad,” I turned around on my heel and started for my car leaving my father standing as a barricade blocking the path to my happiness.

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