Blossom in Winter (Blossom in Winter #1)(77)

He hands me the refilled glass and invites me to sit in one of the chairs in front of his office desk.

I unbutton my jacket and take a seat. “Well, I’m listening.” My tone comes out a bit broken and nervous. I take a gulp of my new drink as he walks back to his chair. “You look quite serious. Is everything alright?” I ask.

“Well…” He takes a deep breath, pondering for a moment, then leans against the back of his chair. “It’s about your daughter.”

My eyes open wide in astonishment. Petra? I run through several scenarios in my head. “Don’t tell me she did something bad. Is she okay? Is it about Columbia? Does she not like it?”

He chuckles and shakes his head. “No. Petra is fine, and so far I think she’s enjoying Columbia.”

I heave a quick sigh of relief. “So, what is it about? Everything has a solution; you can trust me.”

“Roy.” He pauses, trying to find the best way to put it. “We have been friends for over twenty years… and this is going to be the most difficult talk I’ve ever had to have with you.”

My jaw drops instantly. “Now you’re scaring me.” I take another swig of my whiskey—bigger than usual.

“Do you remember that day you asked me to spend more time with Petra and take care of Emma?”

“Of course I do. And I owe you a big one.”

“Well, today is the day I’m asking you to return the favor,” he continues.

“I see.” I take another sip, swallowing hard. “And what can I do for you?”

Alex notices my glass is already empty. He stands up, takes it from me, and goes to the bar again to refill it. “Here.” He hands me the new drink and goes back to his chair. At this point, I wonder why is he giving me so much whiskey. Is it for the sake of courtesy, or because of what he has to say? “First, I want to tell you I never expected this to happen. And believe me, I tried to fight hard, very hard, to avoid it. But we are just human, after all, and I won’t disappear again.”

“Okay…” I take a drink, a failed attempt to calm myself down. “What about getting to the point?”

He takes a deep breath, looking steadily at me, his face unreadable. “Petra is in love with me.”

“What? Are you sure? Again? Oh God!” I sigh angrily. “Alexander, I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry for her behavior. I thought after ten years she would be fine. What can I do?”

“Let me finish, Roy. Here’s the hardest part.” He takes a long sip from his own glass and swallows hard. My heart begins thundering as I observe him searching for the words. “I love her too, Roy, and not in the way I should.”

“Oh dear Lord,” I shout before rubbing my eyelids. This is a nightmare, right? That’s all it can be! I’m going to wake up in a moment, for sure. I try to breathe slowly, dragging some precious air into my lungs.

“We spent the night together in Rio, but nothing serious happened, I promise. I would never go further without talking to you first.”

THEY WHAT? I gasp. My heart freezes immediately at his words. I blink many times, hoping to wake up, but I’m still here in his office. “This is a joke, right? So, you brought me here to get my blessing before fucking my daughter?” I yell, squeezing my glass so tightly that it breaks in my hand. Blood starts oozing from the cut, my anger consuming me. I jump out of the chair, knocking over a pile of papers that falls immediately to the floor. I would’ve preferred to slap him in the face, but I start pacing around instead. Needless to say, Alex seems glad to be sitting on the other side. “I understand where your disappointment is coming from—”

“You are her godfather!” I shout at him. “My fucking best friend! What’s wrong with you?” I close my eyes once more, trying to contain a headache. “This can’t be possible! I’m… I…” I search for words, any words. “I’m in shock, Alex. I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. You broke all the confidence I had in you. I trusted you! I trusted my daughter! How could she do something like this to me? How could you do something like this to me?” I ask, pointing a finger at him. “How could you let this happen?”

“I silenced my feelings, and hers, for months, Roy. It’s not easy for us either. While I cannot explain to you why Petra and I feel this way toward each other, I can tell you one thing: one day or another, she’ll be with someone. Either a random guy you know nothing about and who couldn’t care less about you, or with someone you know and trust, who has the guts to come here to talk to you first.” I huff loudly. This guy is surreal. “She’s not a child anymore. She’s turning eighteen next week.”

“Please, tell me we’re not having this conversation. I’m so disgusted by all of this.”

“I’m afraid we are, Roy.”

The room falls into a freezing silence. I’m blank, mute, totally exasperated with his disgusting talk. Goddammit! “How can you even imagine your life with her, huh?” I shake my head. “Twenty-three years’ age difference is a lot,” I snap, trying to keep my temper in check.

“I know it is. I thought about all of this,” he replies quietly, his face as serene as usual. “I just want to make her happy.”

“What if she wants a serious relationship? Or even to get married?” I ask, aiming to bring some common sense to his madness. “You’ve never wanted to settle down with anyone! You know Petra is not like Amanda, Rafaela, or your random encounters.”