A Cosmic Kind of Love(88)

Pressing soothing kisses to her lips and along her jaw, I felt her relax into me again, and relief moved through me. Clasping her face in my hands, I stared into her eyes and said, “We’re only human. So I get it that jealousy happens. But I promise you, you have no reason to be jealous of Darcy. And I need to know you trust me.”

Hallie nodded slowly. “I do. Old insecurities kicking in there.”

“You have no reason for them.” I nipped playfully at her mouth. “You’re all I think about. You’re all I want.” My kiss was hungrier now, deeper as my exhaustion gave way to something more powerful. I started walking her backward toward the bedroom. “And I’m going to show you just how much.”





THIRTY-THREE





Hallie


It would seem this was the week for unannounced visitors to my office. When Navid informed me that my dad was at Reception, I had to ask him to repeat the information. But sure enough, my dad was at Reception.

Stomach rioting with butterflies, I walked out to meet him, and my heart lurched in my chest as our gazes caught. Dad’s expression wasn’t hard to read. He looked ill at ease and forlorn.

“What are you doing here?”

“I stopped by your place last night, but you weren’t home.”

The apartment buzzer had gone off last night, but Chris and I ignored it because he was passionately endeavoring to show me how little need I had to be jealous of Darcy, and there was no way either of us wanted to stop for a door buzzer.

Trying not to blush, I looked away. “Yeah, I was out.”

“With your boyfriend?”

Disappointment crashed through me. “Is that why you’re here?”

“No,” he said hurriedly before glancing around. “Is there somewhere more private we can talk?”

Nodding, I told him to follow me and led him to my office. I caught Althea’s eyes across the room and gave her a slight nod to reassure her I was all right.

Safely enclosed in my office, I leaned against my desk as my father took in my space.

“I’ve never been here before. The place looks great.”

“Thanks.” I studied him while he wasn’t looking. Dad appeared exhausted. The vitality that had glowed from him these past few months had disappeared. He seemed dejected and weary again. “Why did you come?”

He exhaled slowly. “I had a conversation with your mother yesterday that woke me up.”

Surprised, I could only raise my brows.

Dad chuckled humorlessly. “She called me yesterday to see if I knew anything about your relationship with this astronaut because you weren’t answering her calls.”

“Chris.”

“Right. Chris. And I told her I hadn’t spoken to you in weeks. I told her why. And I told her that because of your visit to the house, what you said, Miranda left me and that I was angry with you.”

I flinched. Not from guilt.

From unbelievable hurt, that he would dare to blame anything in his life on me.

Dad grimaced. “Your mother tore me one like she never has before, and you know that’s saying a lot. She told me I was a selfish asshole who’d neglected the one person in my life who had loved me and would always love me despite my many mistakes. The one person in both our lives who, until recently, never failed to show up. She also blamed me for you not calling her.”

Wow. My mom had actually said that to my dad about me? “I stopped taking her calls because I just wanted out of this wreckage you two have created.”

He nodded, taking a step toward me. “I know you’re right about all of that. I knew the night you came to the house. Your mother and I have been so unbelievably selfish with you, Hallie, and I recognized that. I was just . . . it was just easier to be angry at you once Miranda walked out than to deal with the fact that I had damaged my relationship with my daughter so badly.”

“I’m sorry about Miranda.”

Pain flickered in Dad’s eyes. “I love her, but she was right. You were right. I wasn’t myself with her. I was trying so hard to be someone else, someone your mother hadn’t destroyed, that I lied about so many things.” He scrubbed a hand down his face.

“Did you tell Miranda all of this?”

“She didn’t want to hear it.”

“She didn’t want to hear it in that moment. Maybe she’ll want to hear it now.”

Dad huffed. “Even now you’re being kind to me. I don’t deserve you, Hallie.”

I took a tentative step toward him. “Dad, Mom’s right. I will always love you. And as long as you keep me out of the toxic relationship between you and Mom, you and I will be okay.”

“Toxic?” He raised an eyebrow.

I nodded somberly. “Yeah, Dad, I realize now that it is pretty toxic. And it damaged your self-esteem. If it hadn’t, you wouldn’t have felt the need to buy that house and pretend to be something you weren’t for Miranda.”

The bleakness in his eyes turned into something more pensive. “I sold the house.”

“You did?”

He nodded. “Got something more affordable back in Newark.”

“Dad.” I touched his arm. “Miranda loved you. Not the house.”

He gave me a sad smirk. “I think Alison liked me better for that pool though.”