Page 5 of Heart on Ice

“It was the stupidest thing I have ever done. I love your daughter, sir. I, just …”

“You fucked up,” he yells at me as he slams his hand on the desk again. “You fucked up so badly that my girl fled to the other side of the world to get away from you.”

“I wish I could turn back time and not make those stupid decisions.”

“You’ve disrespected me in my own home.”

“I never meant any disrespect.”

“But you did disrespect me,” he says, pointing his finger into his chest, “you made my little girl fall in love with you behind my back.” Tears well in my eyes. I hate the way he looks at me like I am dirt. I deserve it, but it still hurts.

“How could I not fall in love with your daughter? She is the most extraordinary girl I know.”

“And yet you cheated on her.” I nod as a tear falls down my cheek. I feel like the worst person in the world. “Why?” he questions.

Swallowing hard, I confess to him, “I got swept up in the fame.”

He shakes his head, disappointment lacing his face. “I thought you would be different, Pierre. This is going to be a hard lesson to learn. The fact that you hurt my baby girl to learn it kills me.”

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Alessi. Please, I need to make it right with her,” I plead with him.

He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, son, I won’t tell you where she is. The best thing I think is for the two of you to be apart.”

“I have to tell her how sorry I am,” I exclaim.

“Now isn’t the time. She needs space.”

“I don’t want space. I love her.”

“Too little, too late, boy. I will not let you hurt her again.” My stomach sinks. No. I won’t give up. “I think it might be best if you go back to Quebec for the summer.”

“You’re kicking me out?”

“Out of my house, yes. Out of school and training, no. I am still your manager,” he states.

“You asked my father.He knew about us?” Issy asks.

“Yes, I asked him where you were. I was desperate to find you. He refused to tell me and then he kicked me out.”

“He kicked you out of New York?”

Did she not know? “Yes, I spent that summer in Quebec after coming back from London. I returned to school in the fall, but was never welcomed back for family dinners for a long time. He continued to manage me, but I was no longer like a son.”

Issy shakes her head. “He knew all this time, he never once said anything to me.”

“Guess that’s why he took pride in telling me about your accomplishments, he liked letting me know that I messed up. He didn’t have to remind me, the fucking ache in my chest that’s never gone away is a constant reminder.”

Issy gasps at my confession. “Until Kitty.”

“Not even Kitty can fix this. We aren’t in a good place. I’m having second thoughts about the wedding.” I don’t mean to blurt the last bit out, but I need her to understand I’m not the bad guy here, even though it looks like I am.

Issy shakes her head. “You shouldn’t be telling me this.”

“Perhaps not,” I say, my shoulders sagging. “Everything is a mess at the moment, and I don’t know what to do.”

“That has nothing to do with me,” Issy snaps.

She’s right, the problems Kitty and I have are nothing to do with her. “I’m sorry, Issy. I’m sorry for the way I treated you when we were younger, you never deserved that. I hope my immaturity and foolishness didn’t change you. I couldn’t live with that.”

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