Damien (Slater Brothers #5)(91)

“She won’t leave you,” I concluded. “She loves you too much.”

Da’s eyes glazed over with tears.

“I hate meself,” he rasped, exhaling a deep breath. “I love your ma; she is me heart. I’m sick with meself that I’ve done this to ’er.”

“Me too.”

My da locked his eyes on me.

“I will never,” he said, firmly, “ever break either of your trust again. I would rather die.”

My heart pounded.

“I can’t forgive you,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “Not until she does, at least.”

“I’ll take it,” Da practically pleaded. “I’ll take any chance, no matter how small, to mend what I’ve done. I miss you so much, Alannah. Not talkin’ to you and seein’ the hurt in your eyes when you look at me breaks my heart. You’re me baby girl, and what I’ve done has hurt you. I swore when you were just born that I would protect you from everythin’ in this world, I … I just didn’t realise I had to protect you from me too.”

Before I realised what I was doing, I abandoned my cup of tea and stepped forward. Wrapping my arms around my da, I burst into tears when his arms came around me. He held onto me so tight, it almost crushed the air from my lungs.

“I love you,” Da cried as he leaned down and pressed his face into my hair. “I’m so sorry.”

“I love you too.” I sobbed, squeezing him.

God knew that I hated what he had done, but I still loved him with every bone in my body, and it was the most conflicted my emotions had ever been. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with us. I wasn’t sure if I would forgive him, if I could ever fully trust him again, but one thing I was certain of was that he was sorry, and that he would never do anything to hurt my ma or me again. I was also sure that I missed him just as much as I loved him, but my anger over what he had done had blocked out those emotions as I focused on the deed he committed.

Hearing him admit his faults, owning up to them and willing to accept whatever my ma or me gave him in return really made it hit home that what he had done was just a mistake. A massive one, a life changing one, but still a mistake. I believed that everyone deserved a second chance, and as I hugged my da, I knew I would give him that chance. Just like I knew my ma would when he and she spoke about his infidelity. That conversation would be the most important one we would have as a family, after learning about my ma’s cancer, of course, but I knew, deep down, that we’d get through it.

My ma was right when she said there was nothing the three of us couldn’t get through together.

“I’m cryin’ all over you,” Da said with a little laugh as we broke apart. “Bronagh and that lad you came with are smilin’ at us, too.”

I could imagine.

“That lad is me boyfriend,” I said, lifting my hands to my face so I could wipe away my tears. “His name is Damien Slater.”

My da quickly rid his face of tears, stood up straight, and said, “Your ma told me about ’im. I’d like to meet ’im, if that’s okay?”

My ma had met Damien a few days ago, and it went off without a hitch. Damien even took it on the chin when she started teasing him over his fight with Dante, assuring him she found it all rather romantic. I was mortified, of course, but Damien thought it was hilarious. By the time we left my parents’ house, he and my ma were practically best friends.

“Of course, you can meet ’im.”

As we walked, I looked down at my da’s hand then without a word, I took his hand in mine, and gave a squeeze as I led him over to the observant duo.

“Da,” I began went we stopped in front of them, “this is Damien Slater, me boyfriend.”

Damien was already on his feet with his hand extended in my da’s direction.

“It’s great to finally meet you, sir.”

Da shook Damien’s hand firmly. “And you, son.”

Son. That one word made my heart melt.

“Bronagh, love.” Da smiled at my friend. “You’re lookin’ as lovely as ever.”

She snorted as she gave him a hug in greeting since she hadn’t done so when she entered the hospital because he was pacing back and forth the entire time. Coming over to talk to me was the first time he took a break from his routine.

“Where were you to tell me that this mornin’ when I was stuck with me head in the toilet vomitin’?”

Da grinned. “I’m sure that lad of yours had it covered.”

Bronagh snorted.

“Congratulations on your pregnancy,” Da continued. “I still can’t believe you have Georgie, and now you’ll have another little one.”

“I’ll have a tribe by the time I’m thirty if Dominic gets his way.”

“He will,” Damien and I said in chorus.

“Well—” Bronagh’s lips twitched “—maybe.”

I moved to Damien’s side, and I watched as my da’s eyes fell to my side. When I felt Damien’s fingers thread through mine, my heart leaped when a smile tugged at the corner of my da’s mouth. I had never thought of what my parents would think of Damien, but knowing that my ma practically loved him and my da’s first encounter with him went well really relaxed me. I couldn’t imagine staying with someone long term if he and my parents didn’t get along, not with how family orientated I was.