Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
DADDY, I’M OKAY
Ella
“Sometimes in life, you have to close the door on something that hurts so another door can open. The door that leads to happily ever after.” — E
“ Y ou know, sometimes people say stupid things when they’re scared, right ?” My cousin Willow uses sign language to communicate, looking so sad that it makes my heart ache. We’ve been video chatting for less than ten minutes, and she’s already managed to get me to spill everything to her.
Everything that was said by Shaw and how it made me feel.
My younger cousin’s mass of wild, light brown curls—-the same shade as her fathers’— frames her face, making her look ethereal and angelic. But what makes Willow even more beautiful in my eyes is the warm light that shines from within her. There’s no one like her in this world. At least not in mine. That’s why, when I have a bad day and don’t want to worry my parents, she’s the first person I call. Her sweet aura makes me feel like maybe not all is so bad.
Like now.
It’s been a whole day since I last saw the grump who has taken permanent residence in my head. Part of me is still mad at him for the harsh way he spoke to me, but honestly, I’m more embarrassed than angry.
I know I shouldn’t take it personally. He’s right. I’m not his friend; I’m just his client, and I need to come to terms with that, even though it hurts my heart. I had hoped we could at least be friends, but he doesn’t see me that way anymore, and we’re not who we once were.
Time has passed, and the bond we created during that year of my life is no longer there.
Was it ever?
“Scared?” I sign at the same time I speak out loud. “Why would a six-foot-four man who looks like the god of thunder himself if he had a ranch in Montana be afraid of me?” That can’t possibly be it. The Shaw Banning I knew back then was fearless—fearless and strong as an entire army. I don’t think time has changed that.
“ Ella ,” my cousin signs at the same time she presses her gorgeous face to her computer screen, taking over my entire screen. I laugh at that.
“Low…”
“ Remember what my dad always says ?” She raises a thin eyebrow.
Uncle Riagan says many things. Some things are hilariously crude, some sweet and inspiring, but most of what my uncle says comes from a place of love. Always.
Leaning back in my seat, I let out a deep breath, feeling defeated. “I don’t think that’s the case here, Low.”
“Even grown men are afraid of wild hearts.” Willow smiles softly as she signs the words her father once told us when my other cousin, Raiza, asked if he was afraid of anything in this world. Willow’s dad had said that the only person he feared in this world was my Aunt Mila. He had explained that she was the only person who could ever hurt him.
Could it be true?
Is Shaw Banning afraid of me?
“Perhaps he’s afraid of what you represent…” A thought suddenly pops into my head, taking me by surprise. Is that why he was so dismissive and angry yesterday? Or maybe I’m just reading too much into it.
Maybe I’m just a silly girl… wanting to think that it is more than what it really is.
A movement on my screen snaps me out of my thoughts, and I focus on my cousin once again. My heart feels heavy now, but for a different reason. As I glance at Willow, I notice the sadness in her eyes, and then I see the dark circles underneath them.
“Is it the kids at school again?” I whisper, but I sign for her as well.
She shrugs.
So, it is the stupid kids again.
Dammit.
She won’t tell Uncle Riagan or Aunt Mila. This is the third school they’ve transferred her to in less than two years, and the last time it happened, Uncle Riagan threatened to visit every kid who had ever hurt his little girl’s heart, while Aunt Mila suggested homeschooling. I know my cousin, and she worries too much—maybe even more than I do.
I need to do something, but what? How do I tell her parents without making her feel like I didn’t respect her choice? She’s an only child and has only her parents in Philadelphia. She has no one to have her back while in school. I had my siblings to help me get through the hard teenage years. Raiza has her brother, Azariel, but not Willow. She had her foster brother for a while, but that didn’t end well.
So, until I find a way to help, I’ll do what she does for me. I’ll be her safe place.
“You know your voice is as beautiful as you, Low. There’s no one, and there’ll never be anyone quite like you.” I hope my words make her feel better. I’ve never felt hatred before, not even towards people who have hurt me or my family, because I believe in forgiveness. But lately, with Willow, I can’t seem to shake off the anger I feel towards the world we live in—a world where people with rarity are mocked and hurt instead of celebrated. My cousin is perfect as she is. She’s smart, funny, sweet, but most of all… Willow is a rare soul. A kind one who has so much love in her heart, not only for her people but for those who don’t have anyone to love them.
You see… Willow loves broken things. She doesn’t love them because she’s obsessed with fixing them, no. She finds beauty in people, things, and animals that aren’t perfect. She’s that sweet. So, it hurts me. It hurts me and angers me how someone can be so cruel as to mock her for something she has no control over.
My aunt Mila had complications during childbirth. The air wasn’t reaching Willow and they had to do an emergency C-section. The lack of air and the trauma contributed to hearing loss. She uses cochlear implants and is able to detect and understand sounds.
Still, she believes her voice is ugly after a bad experience at school with a bully.
Anger simmers in my belly, but I breathe through it and try to calm myself, not wanting to worry her.
My eyes catch the white and red poster on her wall. A poster of her favorite F1 driver, someone my little cousin once cared a lot for. I guess that’s why Willow and I gravitate towards each other more than my siblings and a bit more than with Raiza.
We both know what unrequited love feels like.
She too surrendered her heart when she was too young to understand what true love was.
Life has reunited me with the one man who’s ever made me feel like I could fly, the same can’t be said for Willow.
Maybe he’s just one chapter in her book, or maybe it’s not their time.
Only time will tell.
A slight buzzing sound lets me know that there’s an incoming video call from my father.
“Have I ever lied to you, Low?” I ask my cousin.
She shakes her head, looking adorable yet still so sad.
“Then believe me when I say there’s no one like you, and that’s what bothers them. Those kids are all bland. They don’t shine, and if you believe their words, then you’re allowing them to steal your shine. Don’t let them win. Aunt Mila never did.” I sign while staring straight at her, not paying attention to Dad’s video chat request. I’ll call him back as soon as I know Willow is okay.
“ One day everyone will be kind ,” she signs, looking so much like her mother at that moment that it brings a smile to my face. Aunt Mila reminds me of the sun, while my mom and Aunt Kadra remind me of the moon and the stars. They all shine equally and just as beautifully, but there’s something about Aunt Mila that makes everyone feel like they’re basking in the sun when they’re around her. There’s never a dull moment with her, and to me, Willow is just like that. I hope one day she sees herself the way I do. But until that happens, I’ll keep reminding her.
With a bright smile on my face and my heart less heavy, I repeat the words we were constantly told by Willow’s mom while growing up. “One day, Low.” After ensuring she’s no longer as sad as she was when we first started chatting, we bid our goodbyes with plans to talk soon. She hangs up and I call Dad back.
I glance at myself in the mirror to ensure I look okay, not wanting to worry him. Then, I press accept and wait for the chat to connect. As soon as it does, the most handsome man over forty appears on screen.
Sebastian Kenton is not only the best father a girl could ever ask for but also the best man I’ve ever known. He has the most stressful job in the world, and yet he manages to come home to his wife and kids every day and be our champion and our safety net.
Pushing my notebook and colorful highlighters aside, I lean forward on the desk to get closer to my father, even if it’s through a screen. I make a mental note to continue with my assignment and school schedule after I’m done chatting.
I’m already behind after deciding to switch majors from criminal law to astronomy. I made sure to reach out to the university and my professors. Thankfully, my professors understand my situation—or at least what they think is going on. I couldn’t exactly tell them that I had to leave D.C. and relocate to another state because there was a stalker after me and my family. I’m also pretty sure Uncle Benjamin had a hand in making this transition a lot smoother. I wouldn’t put it past him to threaten anyone who could compromise my safety.
Whatever the case, I’m grateful I finally have the chance to do something for myself—something I love. Now, I just need to find the right time to tell my father that I no longer wish to follow in his footsteps.
But judging by the look of things, today doesn’t seem like the day. Despite how handsome he still is, my father has dark circles under his eyes.
“Are you sleeping okay, Daddy?” Yes, I’m daddy’s girl. Well… I’m a mommy’s girl too. I’m not ashamed to admit it. I have the best parents, and I’m one lucky girl. They deserve all the love in the world, and I make sure to give it back as much as they do to us.
Dad’s face shifts from worried to happy as soon as he sets her eyes on me. “My darling girl,” he says, sounding relieved to see me. “Your job is not to worry about me. Let me worry about you, yes, ma fille .”
“You don’t need to worry, Dad. I’m fine, truly.”
“And why do your eyes tell me another story?”
That’s just like my father. If anyone in this world could notice my sadness without me having to say a word, it would be him.
“Dad…”
“It won’t be forever. We’ll get the fucker. Your aunt and uncles are all working tirelessly to catch him. Nothing will happen. I promise you,” he says fiercely, his eyes narrow, resembling exactly what my mother calls him: a ruthless tyrant. “In a matter of weeks, you’ll be back with us.”
I know that. I do.
All my life, my family has always kept us safe from every threat that came with the public and celebrity status our family reached. I also have uncles and an aunt who are part of crime families. My mother didn’t want us raised in that world, so she told us little to nothing about her life before she met Dad, but we all know about the Parisi legacy and what Uncle Riagan and Uncle Vitali do for a living yet none of us find an issue with it. We know their hearts, and that’s what that matters to me— someone’s heart, not their past or their mistakes.
But that’s not what has me feeling down.
I can’t exactly tell him that I have feelings for my bodyguard, someone he’s not that fond of to begin with.
“Is it Banning? Dad asks, sounding a bit angry.
“No.” I blurt, forcing a wide smile to reassure my father. “Banning is the perfect gentleman and I'm fine here, really. I just miss you all so much.” My shoulders slump. I do miss them terribly.
Dad’s face softens, and his eyes shine with love. “Soon, my girl.”
I let out a sigh of relief after talking to two of my favorite people in the whole world. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you more than life, my darling girl.”
We both smile at each other.
Thank you, my lucky stars, for the life I have and for this man that means more to me than all the chocolate cupcakes in the world.
“I will castrate him, you know.” Dad warns.
My brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“If he ever hurts you, I will make sure to personally fly to the location and castrate him.”
I hold in the laugh that threatens to slip free from my chest.
And he would too.
My father hates the sight of blood, but I believe if someone ever hurt his wife and kids, he would get his hands dirty. Of that, I have no doubt.
“Okay, Daddy but that won’t happen.” I don’t tell him that said man has already hurt my stupid feelings. I like Shaw Banning way too much to allow anyone to hurt him, not even my number one man. “Hey, Dad.”
Dad leans forward, and gives me his entire attention, though I notice his eyes occasionally drifting to something on his desk. “Yes?”
“How’s everyone? How are the girls? Are the boys causing trouble?” I smile fondly, thinking about my siblings. Evie is the youngest, and she’s a sweetheart. Mom says she reminds her so much of me when I was younger— a blonde, green-eyed version of me. Personally, I think Evie looks just like Aunt Mila, I’m happy about it. Mom got a mini version of the sister who brightened her darkest days.
Evie brings that same light to all of us.
The twin girls are like night and day, yet the only one that gives Daddy the most headaches is Ambrose. She’s most like Mom, while Haven is calmer and more reserved. Then there are the boys. The three of them are so much like my parents that I know it scares them. Kyrin is Mom’s twin in looks, but he’s too wild to ever be like her— wild, reckless, and devious. But there’s more to him that not many see, though his family does. Then there’s Kael and Royal, the oldest of the boys. Both look like replicas of my father but with a little more of my mother’s personality.
They’re both quiet but deadly.
One more than the other.
Those two, along with Royal and Ambrose, will send my father to an early grave.
But I know their hearts.
They all have different personalities, but they all possess pure hearts.
Hearts of gold.
Only those who truly deserve it get to know those beautiful hearts of theirs.
“They’re…” Dad begins, then stops abruptly, glancing down at his phone with a curse. “This kid… No.” His eyes darken with fury.
I straighten in my seat, feeling a knot in my stomach. “Dad, what’s going on?”
His blue eyes, the same shade as mine, pierce me with a look that told me that something was terribly wrong before he masks it. “Nothing, baby. Just your brother is a pain in the ass.”
I frown at that, not convinced at all. “Which one?”
“Royal.” He sighs, looking exhausted.
Royal…
My brother has made mistakes—some out of love, and others because he’s a bit reckless.
“What did he do?” I whisper, knowing that Dad was not okay but was hiding it from me. I guess I know where I got that tendency from.
“Don’t worry about it, kid. You worry about yourself and school, yes?”
I force a smile but nod regardless. “Yeah, Dad.”
So many things were left unsaid as we both fell into silence.
“I’ll call you tomorrow, my girl.”
“Until tomorrow, Daddy.” I blow a kiss as he offers me a loving smile, and then we hang up.
I don’t have time to worry about my brother or sort through the thoughts racing in my head. As soon as I close my laptop, there’s a knock on the door.
There’s only one person in this house with me.
Shaw.
My heart thumps wildly in my chest at the thought of him waiting on the other side.
I quickly glance at my reflection in the floor-length mirror, fix my hair, and make sure I don’t look sloppy before moving toward the door and opening it.
Disappointment hits me when I don’t see him standing there. But then my heart gallops in my chest when I look down and find a bouquet of pink tulips.
Bending down, I pick them up and hold them close to my heart, feeling butterflies cause a storm in my belly. “Shaw…” I whisper, a smile on my face.
Noticing a small white note, I flip it open to find a doodle of a constellation— a constellation that looks just like the one that reminds me so much of him.
The bear in the sky.
Tears well up in my eyes as I hold the note and flowers close. “Sweet, sweet grump,” I whisper, my smile widening with each passing second.
Then a familiar scent reaches me— a scent that makes my belly grumble with hunger.
The same delicious aroma that brings back some of my favorite memories with the man downstairs.
With newfound determination, I quickly find a vase and place the flowers by the window. Then I follow the scent of my favorite dish until it leads me to him—to the grumpy man who gave me pink flowers and doodled my favorite constellation for me.