Page 84 of Just Another Meet Cute
I did. She posted about it for weeks both before and after their win. There was even a post about her family and how she—
“She thanked her dad. Herotherdad,” Dad softly said without looking over at me. “Her mom remarried pretty soon after we got divorced. To a friend of mine. A good friend, so it wasn’t like she married a complete stranger. And I’m happy for them. I really am. But … I do miss them. A lot.”
“Then why don’t you call them? Or see them?”
“’Cause I think they’re probably mad at me.” He let out a soft laugh. “No, Iknowthey are. Even when we were still a family, we didn’t—I wasn’t a good dad. We weren’t happy. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were happy when we split up. That’s partially why I’m determined to make it work with your mom. And with you. To make sure I don’t mess up my family like I did before.”
I swallowed at the lump in my throat. Now that I could see how vulnerable he was, guilt burned away at me at all the times I avoided him. Blamed him for no reason. “Lucy seems very cool. I wish I was as motivated as her. I still don’t know what I want to do with my life.”
“You’ll get there someday. It’s not a requirement to have things figured outright now.” He shook his head. “In fact, I think it’s better that you don’t know what to do yet. This way, you can grow a bit first and live life. It’s better than rushing into a decision and regretting it later on.”
“You mean it’s okay if I just drive along aimlessly and waste gas?”
“It’s not wasting gas if you’re moving. Sometimes just the drive alone can be good enough.”
Besides Ryan, this was the first time that someone ever told me that what I was doing was okay. That I didn’t have to have everything figured out and it was fine to not have a goal in life right now. And the fact thatDadwas the only person who actually understood and accepted me made my chest tighten almost painfully for a second or two before all the air and stress flowed out of me.Whoosh!
For the first time in over a year, my shoulders felt light. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He grinned at me. “Besides even if you have a plan, it doesn’t mean that it’s always the right one. Believe me. Things have a way of surprising you.”
“You mean like suddenly finding out you have two teenage daughters instead of one?” I was proud of the fact that we were able to joke about this now.
Dad let out a bark of laughter. “Yeah, pretty much.”
With a deep breath, I took the plunge and reached out to take his hand. This was the first time we had touched each other, aside from the occasional bump in the halls or passing the remote or ketchup bottle. “I’m sorry I was being such an ass—sorry, a brat—before. I was scared that you would abandon us like your other family. And in a way, I think I was mad at you for choosing them over Mom.”
“I didn’t.”
“I know.”
He let out a sigh. “But I did abandon them. Even if it was for their own good.”
I shook my head. “Still, it wasn’t fair of me to be that way. Especially since I didn’t know the whole story. And maybe they don’t know the whole story either. Instead of wondering if they’re still mad at you, why don’t you ask? The worst thing that could happen is that you’re right. If you ask me, wondering is worse than actually knowing.” For some reason, Ian’s words rolled off my tongue as naturally as though they were my own.
“Maybe you’re right. Not today, though. I think reconnecting with one daughter is enough for one day.” He squeezed my hand when I opened my mouth. “But soon. I promise I’ll call them and I’ll tell you all about it afterward. Deal?”
“Deal.”
Letting out a deep sigh of relief, Dad let go of my hand and stood up. He lifted his arms over his head and stretched from side to side. “Now I have to go and attempt to pry your mom away from that massage table. Are you going to stay here?”
Nodding, I saluted him. “Good luck with that. Maybe we could get some ice cream later?”
“I’d really like that.” Dad started to walk away when he stopped and turned his head back to smile at me. “You know, I think you and Lucy would get along pretty well. Maybe someday you can meet her. And Adam. Although I think we should keep him away from Linh. Just in case.”
Even though I knew he was joking, I snorted with laughter at how accurate he was. Dad didn’t know, but I had shown Linh a picture of Lucy and Adam before, and she swooned onto the bed before calling dibs on Adam. It didn’t matter to her that he was over a year younger than her and sort of my brother.
After Dad left, I pulled out my phone to text Ian to tell him about what happened. I had to tell him about the tiny step that Dad and I took together. It wasn’t much, but it felt like the start of something. I knew Ian would be proud of me, and most importantly, Iwantedhim to be proud of me.
It wasn’t until I pulled up his number that I realized with a pang that we weren’t talking anymore. Or rather,hewasn’t talking tome.
But overshadowing my disappointment was the sudden realization that I had automatically turned to Ian first. Why was my first instinct to talk to him and not Linh or even Ryan? When had Ian become so important in my life that he was the first person I turned to? When did I start depending on him so much?
Almost in shock, I slumped back against the cushions. The edge of my Kindle dug into my side, but I didn’t move, because the answer to my own question was staring me smack in the face.
I didn’t just like Ian, I was in love with him. He became my person.
I’ve liked people before, but it wasn’t the same with Ian. My previous boyfriends didn’t make my heart swell three times its size just thinking about them, like I was the freaking Grinch on Christmas Day.
