Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
LYDIA
My feet pound against the pavement. The sound of my breathing echoes in my ears as I fill my lungs. Cold stings my cheeks from the wind whipping across the water. It’s the only thing keeping me going right now. Because focusing on anything else is going to pull me under.
Damn it.
Grinding to a halt, I rest my hands on my hips as I take in the bay.
It’s been a long week. And this morning feels like the longest part of it. I keep looking at my watch, wondering if her meeting has ended.
I hate this. I hate that we’re in this situation and that there’s no way out except to deny it or for her to be fired.
Do I want her to deny our relationship? No, of course not. But if it means she keeps her job and stays in Toronto? Well, I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
I could be worrying about nothing, but why would they call her into their office if they didn’t have something?
Why can’t I have everything I love? Hockey and Delaney?
As if I didn’t have enough to worry about, I’m still working through processing my feelings about cutting my dad out of my life.
Not that he would know. That would require him to acknowledge me in any way. It shouldn’t hurt, but it does.
Between that, worrying about Delaney, and focusing on practice, I’m ready for the week to be over.
Turning back, I run all out toward my apartment building. It’s cold and I’m ready to get inside and warm up.
But when I get to my building, I’m shocked at who’s at my doorway.
“Derek?”
My stepdad is there waiting for me, knocking on the door.
“Lydia.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Thought you could use your dad.”
I rush to him, needing the comfort more than I thought. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Your mom said it’s been a hard week.”
“And I didn’t tell her the half of it.”
“Why don’t I make you breakfast and you can tell me all about it?” he asks.
I nod and let us inside.
Before he can even pull the eggs and bacon out of the fridge, Biscuit is jumping all around him wanting attention. Me? Everything starts spilling out. From dating Delaney to my dad to Delaney’s future with the team.
One thing that Derek is good at doing is listening. Whenever I was having a hard time, he was the person I would talk to.
“That’s quite a lot to process.” He passes over a plate of sunny-side up eggs with a side of bacon and a mug of coffee.
“Sorry, that was a lot. Why’d you come out here?”
He settles onto the barstool next to me with a mug of coffee.
“I thought that much was obvious.” He smiles, waving a hand in the air. “After all that, I figured you’d be trying to process everything with your dad.”
My lip quivers. “I think that part stings the most.”
“I never liked him.”
“That’s because he ran out on Mom and me.” I roll my eyes and bite into the perfectly crisped piece of bacon.
“Yes, but he never showed me that he wanted to have a place in your life. You deserve people who fight for you, sweetheart. You don’t want people who don’t care. Who act like you’re not important.”
I swallow down the emotions threatening to take over.
Is that what I did to Delaney?
I was trying to make things easier for her. For us. But was I really saying she’s not important? God, I’m such an idiot.
“I think I did that to Delaney,” I confess, dropping the bacon strip.
“Trying to save a future isn’t the same thing as acting like someone isn’t important.”
I squeeze Derek again, needing another hug. “I’m really glad you came.”
“I love you, dear, and will always come whenever you need your dad.”
A thought occurs to me. Something that I once thought about back in college, but never really revisited.
“About that.”
“About what?” He sips his coffee, his brown eyes studying me with worry.
“I don’t want any connection to the man that doesn’t care about me. I mean, he didn’t even know I was here and called my job nonsense.”
Derek smiles. “I had to hold your mother back from tracking him down and burying him alive.”
“Sounds about right.” I laugh. “But he’s not my dad. You are.”
“And I always will be.” He squeezes my hand. Tears line his eyes.
“You were always the one to bandage my bruised knees and take me to hockey practice. You cared when I came home from school upset about something. You were one of the first people I told about getting the position with the national team. You’ve been there for every important moment in my life.”
“Where are you going with this?” Now he’s really confused.
“I want to change my name.”
“You do?”
I nod. “I don’t want to be a Bishop anymore. That man deserves nothing from me. You do. My real dad.”
Derek pulls me in for a tight hug. “I would be honored if you took the Hollins name.”
“Good. Because I want to officially be a member of the family.”
He laughs, pulling back and wiping a few tears away. “Like you weren’t the one that welcomed me into the family first.”
“I was six when you met Mom.”
“And if you didn’t like me, we wouldn’t be here today.”
I smile at him. “I think I liked you because I really wanted a sibling.”
“The truth finally comes out.” He bursts out laughing. “Whatever name you have, you are always my daughter. That will never change.”
“Thank you, Dad.”
Before I can give him another hug, the buzzer from the front door sounds. “Sorry, let me get that.”
As I’m walking over to the door, Delaney’s voice echoes over the intercom. “Let me up?”
“Yeah.” I press the button. “Do you think that’s a bad sign?”
Derek shrugs a shoulder. “Don’t jump to conclusions just yet.”
“Easy for you to say.”
He sips his coffee as the elevator door dings. Delaney comes rushing out and sweeps me into a hug before I can get a word in.
“What happened?”
“I—”
“Sorry to interrupt, but I’m going to head out.”
Derek grabs his bag from the entryway before stopping.
“But you just got here.”
He kisses my head. “And I have to check into the hotel. I’ll get settled in and then why don’t we all go out to dinner? Or I can pick something up and bring it over here.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you too.”
He’s gone, shutting the door behind him. Delaney looks at me with confusion lining her face.
“What happened here?”
“C’mon. We have a lot to talk about.”