Page 17 of Daddy Vibes (The Anti-Bachelorette 2)

Chapter 7

Eric

“Fuck!” I reach for the glass on the counter and smash it against the wall. I run my hand down my face and blow out a breath. How did things go to shit so fast? Oh I know how. I choked. I should have told her I wanted to be with her, but I chickened out.

What would people think? I know I shouldn’t care, but what if it affects my business? It’s not only that she’s so much younger than me. I’ve also known her since she was very, very young. Of course I never looked at her that way back then, but that’s not what people would think.

I grab a broom out the closet and start sweeping up the broken glass when the door opens and Alaric and Emory walk in probably to get some breakfast. Emory sees me on the ground sweeping the glass into the dustpan and raises an eyebrow at me. “What happened here?” She looks around. “Where’s Angie?”

I stand and walk over to the trash can to dump the glass in and mumble. “She left.”

Emory’s eyes pop open wide. “Already? What did you do?”

I groan and face her. “I didn’t do anything.” My voice comes out angry and Emory leans back in surprise. “Wow. What’s that tone? Sounds like you did do something?”

I can’t help my rising anger, and I don’t mean to take it out on my daughter, but I do. “Look, she fucking left! I got my night and now it’s done. She’s not coming back!” I turn and run my hands through my hair in frustration. “Fuck.” I grit out again.

I hear Alaric behind me talking to Emory. “Why don’t you head back to your place? I’ll bring breakfast over in a minute.”

I turn back around, and he kisses her head. Then she heads out the door. He walks further into the kitchen and leans on the kitchen island across from me. “What’s going on?”

I sit on the bar stool and lay my head on my arms on the counter. “I don’t know. One second everything was perfect, and then the next she’s leaving my bed telling me this can never happen again.”

Alaric chuckles. “Couldn’t keep up in bed huh?”

I glare up at him. “Fuck you.” He just laughs, and then I continue. “She thinks I just wanted to have sex with her. She implied I thought she was loose.” I blow out another breath. “I feel like such a dick.”

Alaric leans closer. “I’m sure she doesn’t think that. She knows you like her.”

I groan. “I told her it was just sex.”

Alaric stands up straight and widens his eyes. “What the fuck did you do that for?”

I groan again. “Because I didn’t want to let her go last night, and then I fucking effed everything up this morning. She gave me an out to change my mind about her, and I choked. I just let her go.”

Alaric just laughs again. “So call her and tell her you changed your mind. Why are you sitting here sulking?”

I look up at him. “Because she was right. I can’t date her. I need to let her go. She doesn’t really want to be with me. She was just caught up in it all.”

Alaric narrows his eyes at me. “Did she say that?”

I sigh. “No, of course not, but she’s young. She isn’t thinking about her future. Like what, she’s going to marry me or something? She going to try to have kids with me?”

Alaric just shrugs like what I said was no big deal. “Yeah maybe. Did you ask her?”

I just roll my eyes. “We haven’t even gone out. When would I have had all these deep conversations with her?”

He smiles and grabs some cereal out of the cupboard. “Exactly.”

I groan again. “Fine. I’ll talk to her.” I grab my phone out of my pocket, but then I stop. I’m not sure what to say to her. “I probably should talk to her in person huh?”

Alaric raises his eyebrows at me. “You’re stalling.”

I get up. “I have some work to do. I want to be able to fully focus on her. I better wait to call her after I finish.”

I start heading toward my office and hear Alaric call out. “Fucking pussy!”

I laughed at the time, but then I literally kept finding things to get done the whole day. I really am being pathetic. I just need to man up and talk to her. I think I’m just nervous about what she’s going to say. What if she doesn’t even want to be with me like that?

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