CHAPTER 4 ALEXIS
He’s released on Sunday evening, and I already booked the first flight back to Vegas for tomorrow morning so I make sure to arrive on time for my first day on set. It won’t give me time to see Danny in the morning, but at least I’ll be back at work.
Gregory drives us all home. Brooks is in the front passenger seat, and I’m in the back with my dad. I reach over and squeeze his hand.
“You can’t leave me yet, Daddy,” I say softly. “I need you taking care of yourself.”
I know we’re both thinking the same thing. We lost my mom far too young, and he’s the only parent I have left. Life is short, and over the last nearly twenty years since she’s been gone, there were many times we only had each other to lean on.
I have Danny now, though my dad doesn’t know that. Danny has been nothing short of completely amazing since all this happened. He’s been checking in on me, calling me, and sending donuts and bacon and flowers to the house through Gregory.
I lied and told my dad the flowers were for him.
But I didn’t share the bacon.
I feel a huge sense of relief that my dad is back home now, though worry still plagues me. I know I lost my mom years and years ago, and it should’ve given me this sense that my father won’t live forever, but it didn’t. We never think they’ll leave us until they’re gone.
All this situation is doing is making me see how short life is.
It’s making me see how important my father is to me.
He’s been there through every major milestone in my life—personally and professionally–and he’s the only person in the world who hasn’t wavered.
My high school friends wavered. They didn’t understand what I was doing.
They didn’t know what the future held, and back then, it was easier just to let go of friendships.
They were jealous, and I didn’t have the power to make them feel any other way.
I’d love to get closer with Reese—the lead singer of Vail’s wife. She’s always been so friendly to me, and she understands what this life is like.
Or maybe even Anna—Danny’s sister. She’s got a famous brother, and never once in the short amount of time I just spent with her did I feel like she wanted my money or my fame.
She’s just a down to earth, sweet lady doing her best with her kids as she explores this thing with her brother’s best friend.
But those thoughts are put on hold as I head down to my dad’s office to tell him goodnight.
“Shouldn’t you be resting?” I ask as I walk in.
“I’m fine,” he says, a touch of petulance in his voice.
“You just got out of the hospital, Dad. They told you to take it easy.”
He gives me a pointed look then nods to the chair across from his desk—his silent way of telling me to sit. I do.
“Are you doing okay with all this?” he asks.
I shrug. “As okay as I can be. I don’t exactly want to leave tomorrow to go film a movie when I know you’re not going to take orders from anyone other than me, and I want to make sure you’re healing and happy.”
He rolls his eyes.
“Just please take your medicine,” I beg. “Okay?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Dad,” I say firmly, and he glances up at me. “We already lost Mom, okay? I can’t lose you too. Life is short, and I need you here with me.”
“I know it’s short,” he mutters. “All too well.” He folds his arms across his chest and leans back in his chair. “Which is why I want to be sure you’re taken care of.”
“I am taken care of,” I say, thinking of how Danny really did take care of me over the last few days even from a distance. “I promise. I’m happy.”
“Since you just said you want to make sure I’m healing and happy…I want you to consider doing something that will bring me joy.”
My brows dip. “Like what?”
“Go through with the wedding…and sooner than I first said. If you’re really worried about me and my health, I feel like this is the thing that will give me the comfort I need. We need to get this thing wrapped up.”
Jeez. Talk about controlling me with fear combined with obligation.
“Really, Dad? Me marrying Brooks is what will give you the comfort you need after a bout of pneumonia?” I ask.
I don’t need to wait for his answer. I already know what it is.
I’m not sure why he’s so desperate for this, but he’s right about one thing.
I just said I want him to be happy.
And if this is the thing that’ll make him happy…what choice do I have?
“Please, Alexis. Just do this one thing for me. It’ll take a whole lot of stress off me to get this merger to go through, and marriage is the next phase of your brand development anyway.”
It can be temporary. It can be for show. It can be for the brand.
It sure as hell won’t be for me.
I stare at him for a long time, not sure what to say.
He keeps talking before I get a chance to. “Then after the wedding, we can discuss who you’d like representing you as your agent. Perhaps someone from D3 once the merger goes through, or maybe someone at Bodega. It’ll be your choice.”
My choice.
Nothing about any of this feels like my choice.
It’s a terrible idea. I don’t want to do it.
But this whole health scare could’ve been a lot worse. I could’ve lost him. We got lucky that I didn’t, but it sort of feels like we’re on borrowed time now.
Is it really that big a deal to go through with this for him, for the media, for the merger?
It’ll give me what I want in the end—control over my own career.
And with that in mind, the word slips out before I can stop it.
“Okay.”
I regret it the second I say it, but it feels like there’s no turning back now.