Page 10 of #Resort Love
I heard Liam’s footsteps coming down the hall. Looking into my office, Liam stopped, his eyes widening when he noticed my swirling anxiety. Whipping his head to the door, he started, “Is that?—”
“Yes,” I said quickly, my body starting to shake.
Liam looked back to me, uncertainty filling his eyes as he waited for me to decide whether to open the door or let my father walk away. Meeting his gaze, I nodded, telling him to open the door.
Taking a deep unsteady breath, I stood and walked to Liam’s side, coming face to face with the man who abandoned me as a child. “John,” I said slowly, taking in the haggard figure in front of me.
“Sybil,” John paused. “It’s been a while.” His voice was timid, his bright blue eyes misty as he studied me.
A cold, mocking laugh escaped my lips. “What are you doing here? How did you even find me?”
Clearing his throat, my father shifted his eyes between Liam and me. “I heard you were considering a job from a man named Ambrose Farra. I wanted to talk to you about it before you decide to accept it.” His voice quivered, but at least he had the decency to look ashamed.
Stunned, I could only stare at him with wide eyes. Luckily, Liam answered for me. “How do you know about her offer?” he asked, his voice flat.
Straightening, John looked at Liam, fixing him with a rigid glare. “I have my ways, son.” He looked back to me, his voice softening. “I know I don’t deserve to be given a chance, but please hear me out. I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t important.”
I winced at his words, my heart breaking slightly. The job offer was important, but I wasn’t. He abandoned me all those years ago, yet I had always hoped that one day he would find me again and apologize for what he did. Now, even though he had found me, it wasn’t to apologize or explain why, and that realization left a gaping hole in my heart.
Dazed, I looked up to Liam, hoping he could tell me what to do. Liam grimaced slightly and exhaled. “I think you should listen to what he has to say,” he whispered.
Slowly, I nodded, standing aside to allow John to come inside. Making our way to the kitchen, I offered him a drink, though he refused. John sat at the table as Liam came up behind me, his hand meeting my lower back. The warmth of it felt reassuring.
“This might be hard to hear, but you can’t take that job with Ambrose Farra,” John said without a hint of remorse or hesitancy.
A laugh crawled up my throat at the audacity of this man. Of course, he would come here after twenty years just to dishout commands. “How did you even hear about this?” I asked flatly.
“Like I said, I have my ways,” John stated, his lips thinning.
“No, that’s not enough,” I hissed. “You don’t get to disappear for twenty years of my life and then randomly show up one day demanding that I say no to a job. That’s not how this situation is going to play out.”
“Look.” John hesitated, his eyes flashing with guilt. “I can’t go into details, but youcannottake this job, Sybil. Very bad things will happen if you do. I won’t let you do this.”
I huffed another cruel laugh at the severity of his tone. “I’m not twelve anymore, John, and I’m sure as hell not going to listen to you.” I could feel my temper fraying, the heat climbing up my neck. “Your opinion has no standing here, and I’m going to take this job whether you like it or not.”
“Sybil, I know that my words will mean nothing to you, but please reconsider this,” John begged, his breath becoming uneven. His gaze wavered, though I couldn’t tell if it was anger that caused his face to flush or panic.
My body felt like it was vibrating, like the adrenaline running through my veins sparked an emotion that I had buried deep inside. I had never been good enough in his eyes, never worthy of his love, and this was just a reminder of that. My head dropped and I squeezed my eyes shut as my body started to shake.
“Get out,” I whispered quietly, so quietly that I could hardly hear it over the sound of my blood ringing in my ears. Twenty years. Twenty fucking years had passed, and he came here like none of it had ever happened. My heart rate spiked, and my breathing felt erratic. My body felt like needles were pricking me all over.
Looking back at my father, he was still sitting, but hisfingers were nervously tapping the table. A muscle in his jaw feathered and tension grew in his shoulders. There was a hard glint in his eyes, like it was an inconvenience that he had to come out of hiding just to see me. Seeing him there, watching the way his eyes were narrowing like the last night I saw him, made my patience finally snap.
“Get out,” I roared, my chest tightening painfully at the shame I’d pushed down all these years now bubbling up. My body felt like it was throbbing, and the prickly feeling grew as it crawled down my arms and into my hands. My blood hummed with a rage I hadn’t felt in years, not since that night in the forest with Micah.
Slowly, John stood from the table, his body rigid, his face muddled. He walked to the hallway, brushing past me without even a glance. Stopping at the door, my father paused for a moment, his hands clenched in a tight fists before walking out, slamming the door shut behind him.
Chapter 6
Sybil
The rest of the day was quiet. Seeing my father only worsened my bad mood, along with my headache. But now it wasn’t just a migraine. My whole body ached, leaving me feeling like I had been hit by a bus.
Liam gave me space after my father left. Though I couldn’t tell if it was because he was still upset about our conversation from earlier, or because my father had shown up out of the blue and he wanted to give me time to process. Either way, I decided that I was going to take the job, no matter what he or my father thought about it. Something in my gut still warned me about Mr. Farra and his offer, but being able to test out different jobs until I found one that I enjoyedwhilegetting a pay raise was an opportunity that wouldn’t come often, if at all.
By the end of the day, I felt so sick that I had to take more Tylenol. Hobbling up the stairs to the bedroom, the sun was still up, so I pulled down the blinds, turned off the light, and pulled the blanket over my head, praying the pain would go away soon. This wasn’t like any cold or flu I had ever experienced,and my anxiety was steadily growing. The intense pain had become more constant, making the world feel too bright and loud. Everything I touched felt like it grated against my skin. Tucking the blanket tightly around me, I took a few slow, deep breaths, relaxing my body enough that I eventually drifted off to sleep.
The next morning came fast, but I woke up feeling refreshed. My body felt strong and light, especially compared to yesterday. I wrote off that thought, telling myself it was because I was no longer in pain. Looking around my room, my brows furrowed as I noticed that the soft blue-green walls looked more vivid. There was also a crack in the ceiling that I had never noticed. Sitting up, I glanced to the other side of the bed, finding it empty. I sighed and reached over to my nightstand to check the time. It was 9:30 a.m. My heart thumped heavily in my chest, my stomach flipping. Today was the day, and I had a feeling Mr. Farra wouldn’t wait long to contact me.
