Chapter 35 #2
“I didn’t, but I suspected.” He shakes his head. “And you just confirmed it.”
It doesn’t matter at this point, does it? I was going to tell him about Gio and me today anyway. Maybe I can make him understand that this isn’t just a hookup.
“I didn’t mean to disappoint you. I met him before you made plans for Eriu. This wasn’t random. I really think I l—"
“Silence.” His nostrils widen as he hunches over the desk. “Do you know what you’ve done to your sister?!”
“Patrick, stop!” Fernanda walks in, tightening a long, white robe around herself, her brown hair up in a low bun.
Her kind eyes greet me before her attention reverts back to my father.
And though I hate seeing her here, in my mother’s home, I get it now—the hurt from not being with the one you love.
They once cared about each other, yet couldn’t be together, torn apart by her family.
And instead, she was forced to marry Gio’s horrible father.
It wasn’t fair what happened to them when they were young.
“I love you, Fernanda, with all my heart,” my father tells her, taking her hand in his. “But this is between me and my daughter.”
“But they love each other, Patrick,” she stresses, begging him for his understanding. “Can’t you see that?” Compassion fills her gaze as she darts her attention toward me. “Let them be together, sweetheart. It’s the right thing.”
“No…” He roughs an inhale. “What would’ve been the right thing was for them to come to me and talk to me instead of sneaking around, bringing shame and embarrassment to the family.” He bounces his attention to me. “People saw you at the wedding. I saw you. There’s no excuse!”
“It wasn’t intentional. I didn’t even mean for it to get this far. It just happened.” I try to make him understand, but he can’t see past his anger.
“While your sister was engaged to him? Is that what you’re trying to excuse?
! What you did was a sin! A vile sin that I cannot forgive.
” He takes a long pause, running a hand down his face.
And when he stares back at me, there’s pain in his eyes.
“Your selfishness has caused your sister to run off.”
“What?” I slowly rise, my heart pounding, my knees going weak.
That can’t be right. She never wanted to marry Gio. Even if she were to have found out about us, she wouldn’t run away because of it.
“That’s right.” My father’s chest flails roughly as he pulls open a drawer and removes a piece of folded-up white paper. “I found her note this morning. She left.” His tone grows exasperated by the second. “She must’ve found out about you two before I did, and she left.”
Oh, God. I’ve got to find her, especially with Sergey looking for me. What if he takes her as revenge for what I did to him?
My throat closes in, thoughts of what Sergey could be doing to her making me insane. She has to be okay. I have to find her. If I had anything to do with her leaving, I have to apologize.
I rush over and grab the paper from his hand. Opening it up, I read the note.
Dear Dad,
I’m sorry, but I needed to go. I can’t marry Gio. I’ll call you when I’m ready to talk.
Rage simmers in my gut, because the more I read the words, the more I realize this isn’t all on me. He has no right to make me feel guilty while he pretends he’s innocent.
“Nothing in here says she ran because of me!” I crumble the paper in my fist, narrowing a glare. “How the hell do you know this isn’t your fault?”
My sneer causes him to grind his jaw, but I don’t care. I continue, boiling over.
“She never wanted to marry Gio! If anything, you have yourself to blame, always trying to do things we don’t want for some guise of family allegiance.
” I laugh bitterly. “You just do things to please you, the almighty. So you can sit there and blame me all you want, Daddy.” I fling a palm in the air. “But she left because of you.”
I point an accusatory finger at him, and his cheeks turn a deep shade of crimson.
“You have some feckin’ nerve to talk to me like that.” He jumps to his feet, fists on the desk. “No daughter of mine would go screwing her own sister’s intended. Get out. I don’t want to see you.”
“Fine.” I shrug. “I’ll go.”
My laughter is cold, but inside every inch of me hurts. I could tell him about my true feelings for Gio. I could try to make him see what he’s starting to mean to me. But right now, my father won’t care. Eriu is gone, and that’s all he sees.
“Don’t expect to see me again.”
“Oh, that’s fine, darling.” He snarls. “Neither this family nor Caellach need you anymore.”
I flinch.
Fucking dagger to my heart.
“Patrick!” Fernanda’s tone is horrified. “Don’t say that. They didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Of course they did, my love.” His voice grows softer for her. “The only reason your son will get to keep his life is because I love you, but their actions are reprehensible.”
The back of my nose burns, but I keep my face together, breaking a little fragment at a time. Everything I was afraid of is coming to fruition, and even if I get to keep Gio, how can I live without everything else that matters?
“Patrick, don’t you do this!” Fernanda urges, her voice anguished as she darts her gaze between us. “He’s my son, and she’s your daughter. This isn’t right.”
“None of this is right. But they did this. And she has to pay the price for her actions.”
“Not like this…” she cries.
“It’s okay, Fernanda,” I tell her. “Now you know who my father truly is.”
Then I turn on my heels and storm out the door, not sure if I’ll ever be welcomed back.