Chapter Seven #2
I sit down and finally make eye contact with my dad. “Daddy, I’ve missed you. How have you been?” I use my best daddy’s girl voice—the one that could get me out of any trouble when I was younger.
“Don’t try and sit there and daddy me, Reilly Lili.” He nods his head in the direction behind me, staring daggers at the man sitting behind me. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up, and I can feel Bray’s gaze penetrating through my back.
“Care to explain to me why that guy looks like he wants to pick you up and drag you out of here, while killing every male in the room in the process?” He brings his gaze back to me and smirks, which he only does when he’s trying not to laugh. What the hell? Why is he laughing at this?
“He’s nobody. My friend Alyssa is dating his brother and I just started working at his brother’s club.”
“Mmm, have you told him he’s a nobody?”
I nod my head. “He knows. Anyway, tell me about how you’ve been?” I attempt to change the subject.
“I’ve been good. I’ve missed you. How’s your mum and Holly doing?” It looks like we are back to safe conversation territory. This I can handle, even with the flutters currently in my stomach.
I spend the next thirty minutes catching my father up on all the happenings from the last month. I know my time is nearly up. It always breaks my heart to leave him here.
My dad reaches across the table and grabs my hands. “Sweetheart, you can only tell yourself that someone is a nobody for so long. You can only push someone away who is willing to be lost. Do you understand?”
I nod my head, not able to form words. My dad has always been able to read me. It’s like he knows my thoughts before I even know them. I don’t want him to know the thoughts I’ve been having about Bray; I don’t even want to know those thoughts.
“Reilly, that boy has not taken his eyes off you for longer than a minute the whole time you’ve been in the room. The only time he’s not looking at you is when he’s looking at every other guy in here with a direct threat in his eyes.”
I shake my head no. I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I don’t want to cry. Not here, where everyone can see me. My dad reaches up and swipes the lone, loose tear that manages to fall.
His eyes scrunching up, he questions, “Has he done something to hurt you?”
“No, it’s not that. He would never hurt me, Daddy. Not intentionally anyway,” I confess.
“You’re scared. I get it, and I know I’m the reason why you’re so afraid to open your heart.” He looks down. I hate that he blames himself for my stupid hang ups.
“No, you’re not. I just don’t need any man in my life. I’m very content with how things are now. Why mess that up?”
He tilts his head at me. “You’re content, huh? So, you wouldn’t mind if Lucy over there follows that guy of yours out of here then?”
I spin my head around so fast in the direction of the Lucy he refers to that I see the blonde bombshell of a guard standing at the far wall currently eye-fucking my Bray.
Wait, hold up, he is not my anything. I shake my head, turning back to look at my dad, who is now laughing.
“That’s what I thought,” he says. “You need to let go of what happened to Dylan, and the choices I made after that accident. You need to let a man into your heart, sweetheart, and whoever you choose to do that for will be the luckiest man alive. You are a beautiful person inside and out, Reilly. Any guy would be blessed to have you.”
My dad looks behind me then adds, “Even if it is Brayden Johnson.”
My head jerks up—Brayden Johnson is the name Bray goes by in the cage. “Wait, you know who he is?”
“Hunny, every inmate knows who he is. They stream the fights from Club M.”
“So, you’ve seen him fight? And you still think I should give him a shot at my heart?
” I ask, shocked. Bray is not the kind of guy you take home to meet your father.
He’s covered in ink up and down his arms. He’s big, built and is as cocky as they bloody come.
Yet, here my dad is, telling me to give him a fair go.
“Well, obviously he’s not the first choice of guy I would choose for you, but what I see in the way he looks at you, that’s why I would be okay with you dating him.”
“What do you see?”
My dad thinks for a moment before saying, “I see a man who is so blindsided by love, he’s willing to single-handedly take on a room full of guards and inmates for that one person.
I see someone who is so besotted, he doesn’t even realise it yet.
I see someone who is looking at you like you’re the reason the earth spins. ”
My mouth is hanging open; there is no way Bray has those feelings for me. He can’t. We barely know each other. I think my dad has nearly lost his mind being locked up in here. “Dad, we barely even know each other. There is no way he likes me like that.” Great, now I sound like a teenager.
“Reilly, I know when a man is in love and that man is very much in love with you,” he persists.
“We’ll have to agree to disagree then,” I tell him and the moment I do, I slam my mouth shut.
How the hell is that man seeping under my skin so badly that I’ve now taken on his stupid phrases.
Agree to disagree, my ass. Just then, the bell rings letting me know my time is up.
I stand up and hug my father, squeezing extra tight.
“I love you, Dad. See you next month.”
“Love you too, sweetie. Think about what I said, please. Give my love to your mum and sister.”
I nod my head. “I will.”
I can’t bear to see how much it hurts him when he mentions my mum and Holly. Holly comes every now and then to visit with me, but she doesn’t like to. It’s usually when it’s been a few months and I drag her along. She loves our dad. She just hates the jail, which I get—I don’t like it either.
As I make my way out, I turn back to look over my shoulder only to be greeted by a pair of green eyes. Bray is right behind me, as he places his hand on my lower back. “Turn around and keep walking, Reilly,” he grunts out.
I’m a little stunned at how close he is and by how pissed off he seems. What the hell is wrong with him? I look around the room, seeing all eyes on us. Do I have something on my face? I look over at my dad, who subtly nods his head at me and gives me his I told you so look.
I turn back to keep walking towards the door. Dave is standing in the doorway with his arms folded over his chest. He does not look happy either. I don’t know what it is with all the men in this place, but I need to get out of here and away from all of their moody asses.
“Dave, it’s been a pleasure as always,” I say to him as I get to the door. He doesn’t answer, and instead he looks over my shoulder at Bray.
“I’m going to have to ask you to remove your hands off the lady,” Dave asserts to Bray.
I can feel Bray’s body vibrating behind me, and I hear him growl.
Shit, I have to do something to put this fire out, before he can do something stupid like start a brawl in the lockup with a guard, which for sure would see him in this exact same lock up.
I step forward putting a slight space between Bray and me, only he steps forward with me.
Damn him and his macho shit. Fine, another tactic.
I step to the side and take hold of his hand.
I wait for shock to cross his face at me holding his hand but get nothing.
He is stoic. Holding his hand is strangely comforting but I don’t have time to deal with those feelings right now.
“Dave, have you met my boyfriend—Bray?” I ask with a huge fake-ass smile plastered across my face.
“Your boyfriend? Really, Reilly? That’s what you’re going with?” Dave asks me while shaking his head.
“Yes, Dave, boyfriend. Now kindly open the door so I can get on with my day.”
“Whatever you say, princess,” Dave replies as he opens the door.
I feel Bray try to slip his hand free. Ahh, no way, mate, not today.
I give him my best glare and pull him out behind me.
I don’t stop to say goodbye to the ladies at the counter, like I usually do.
I head straight for the door and wait for them to buzz us out.
I don’t let go of Bray’s hand as I lead him through the carpark right up to my car.