Page 87 of Latte Girl
“Anything.” His voice is stiff and brittle, but in the word he says there’s a promisetobend.
My mom turns back to me. “Come...back,” she says, placing her other hand on topofmine.
“Of course. I’ll come back as often asyoulike.”
I stand up and she lets my hands go. I shift back and forth on my feet, waiting for someone to break the silence, when the nurse clears her throat. “I think Rosalind could use arestnow.”
Mom nods her agreement. We say our goodbyes and I turn to leave, avoiding my father’s eyes as I walk past him and into the hall. I’ve just stepped into the elevator when I feel a hand clamp down on myshoulder.
“Do not consider yourself forgiven,” my father growls, as the doors slide shut. “You made a fool out of me by leaving your job, and caused damage to the company I still have yet to repair. If you’re expecting any kind of financial support from me you can forget it. All the terms I set out when you left still stand. You’ll get nothingfromme.”
I shrug my shoulders, knocking his hand off before I turn around to face him. “All I wantedwasher.”
His eyes narrow. “I hope you realize what a dangerous stunt you just pulled,” he says, pausing to give me time to consider my actions. “I would do anything for that woman. If she wants to keep seeing you, so be it, but if she shows any signs of getting worse, even the smallest indication, Iwillmake sure you never see heragain.”
“I care about her too. I’m willing to let you live your life if you let me live mine. That’s what shewants.”
I square my shoulders and we lock eyes. I’ve never noticed before, but he and I are exactly the sameheight.
The elevator reaches the groundfloor.
“So be it,” he repeats, and then exits into thelobby.
I follow behind and watch him storm through the front door of the centre, staring after the back of his coat that’s as grey as the buildings of 19thstreet.
Then something crashes into me and my face is buried in a tangle of strawberryblondehair.
“What happened?” Hailey demands, her arms locked around my neck. “Iseverythingokay?”
I pat her ontheback.
“Everything is fine. Everything is betterthanfine.”
