Page 98 of My Silver Lining

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Lulu

I senta few designs off to the team I’d be working with in Paris and remembered that I had a missed call from my father when I was in the meeting.

Rafe had worked at the office today, and I was surprised at how much I missed him.

It was actually a little terrifying how much I missed him, if I were being honest.

Henley told me not to overthink it, but my brain couldn’t shut off these feelings lately.

This was not part of the plan.

And now I was missing a man that I wasn’t supposed to miss.

I tried to push the panic away as I dialed my father back.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said, but there was an edge there.

“Hi, Dad. How are you doing?”

“I just saw that your ex-boyfriend has gotten a woman pregnant, and it’s all over the news.”

For once, I wasn’t part of Beckett’s story, yet my father still sounded irritated.

“Yes. I heard about it. I think it’s great. Hopefully, he’s moved on.”

“Your name was mentioned in the article. People suspect he isn’t marrying her because he still has feelings for you.” He sighed. “I don’t know what the public’s fascination is with this young man. He’s nothing but trouble. It bothers me that people think of you every time his name is mentioned.”

“It’s not really my problem, Dad. I’m not sure what you want from me regarding Beckett. I dated him in college while he was studying jazz and I was studying dance. We had a lot in common back then. And he turned into a big, famous rock star, and we grew apart. He changed, and if I’m being honest, I probably changed, too. It happens all the time.” My tone was much harsher than I intended, but I made no attempt to tone it down. “But it’s been over for a very long time, and I’m tired of constantly worrying about him being in the press. Not because I care if my name is mentioned. I don’t. I’m worried about getting an angry call from you after you hear about it. I can’t control what Beckett says or does. All I can control is what I do. So you don’t need to tell me every time he’s interviewed. And you don’t need to remind me that you’re disappointed that I dated a guy you didn’t approve of when I was younger. I’m more than aware. But I’ve moved on, and I would appreciate it if you would do the same.”

It feels good to get this off my chest.

“You think I’m disappointed in you?” He sounded wounded, and it made my chest squeeze.

“I know you are. And I understand it to an extent. I should have left the relationship much sooner than I did. I embarrassed the entire family. But young people make mistakes, Dad. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I haven’t made all that many if you take a look at my track record.”

“Lulubelle,” he said, his voice softening now. “It was never about being disappointed in you. It was about being scared foryou. Wanting more for you. Do you have any idea how proud I am of the business that you’ve built?”

No, I can’t say I do.

“I don’t know, Dad. We don’t really talk about my business. You’ve been pretty focused on my ex-boyfriend and the media this past year. I’ve been doing everything I can to make it go away, and I’m just ready to move on to new things.”

He was quiet for a few beats, and I knew my father well enough to know that he was processing what I said. He would normally bark at me and defend himself, so he clearly knew that there was truth to my words.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I am so proud of you, and I’ve failed you if I haven’t shown that. You’re correct. You have been doing all that you can to separate yourself from a bad situation, and I should have praised you for it and not made you feel like you’d disappointed me. And as far as the media goes, it’s out of your control. I know that better than anyone. I’ve lived in that light most of my life in this family.” He sighed. “Let’s talk about Paris. Mom showed me the products that you’re going to be launching, and we were both blown away.”

“That means a lot to me. They believe in the MSL line, and I think it’s going to do big things in that market.”

“You’ll stay for at least six months to start?” he asked.

“The Paris apartment is in the city, so that will make things very convenient for you.”

My parents owned a gorgeous flat in Paris, and that’s where I’d be calling home for the next several months. I loved it there. I spent summers and holidays in Paris growing up, and it felt like my second home.

“Yes. I need to polish up on my French over the next few weeks.”

One month.

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