Page 38 of Unspoken Confessions
14
Nick
I heard the commotion and raised voices as they drifted up the stairs. I was on my feet within seconds, preparing myself for what was about to hit.
I held back a sigh. Had I known this was going to happen, Imighthave picked up my phone yesterday. I wanted to avoid seeing my father at all costs. Especially now, because everything he had to say was nothing I wanted to hear. And this scene that was about to unfold, I sure as fuck didn’t want anyone to witness.
I was exhausted and stressed out. Of course, I was. For a split second, I almost told Jen to let it ride and not even bother to call my publicist. I knew what staying silent would do. I knew the assumptions that would be fueled by my silence. And for a moment, even with just the thought of letting everyone think I had a boyfriend, it felt like a weight would be lifted even if it would still leave behind a heavy burden. But then I started to freak out to the extreme and didn’t say any of those things. Instead, I sat down and listened as Jen and my publicist drafted up a statement that was supposed to sound as if it came from me. It was released right away, but the damage had already been done.
And now here we were, my father sounding as if he was on a warpath, and I was the one he was charging at.
On the other side of the door, I could hear that Jen was doing his best to argue and keep my father out, but it was clear Jen was no match for the man. I could just see it even though I was tucked away behind a closed door, my father barreled his way in, pushing past anyone that got in his way like a raging bull. Where the hell was Jameson or Austin? Yeah, I wanted to hide behind them right now. Call me a coward but so what? I didnotwant to deal with whatever my father had to say.
The door to the room burst open, swinging so hard that it bounced off the wall behind it. My eyes locked on the dent in the wall where the grayish-beige color of the Sheetrock now annoyingly stuck out against the pure white coat of paint.
“You should answer your phone,” my father said with a rather bored tone as if he hadn’t just pushed his way into my house and stomped up my stairs like he was ready to strangle something. Oh, and I was very much aware that something was me.
“I didn’t know you were in town,” I said back flatly. I was doing my best to hold back my emotions because if I let even one thing slip through the cracks, every single fucking thing I’d ever tried to tuck away would come pushing its way out.
“I had something that required my presence here. I’m supposed to be flying back this afternoon.”
Which meant, he had a situation to clean up that was serious enough that he had to leave the west coast to handle it personally. A situation other than my shit, that was.
Of course he wasn’t here simply for me. He had not one single fucking plan to let me know he was in town. Forget trying to see me, you know, his son. And if shit hadn’t hit the fan, as I was sure he saw it, I would have never even known he was here at all.
Even after all these years and the fact that I hated the man more than I loved him, I still felt this pang of hurt in my chest.
“I assume that you are aware of the photos that have come to light.”
“I’m aware,” I told him with a flat blink. I didn’t bother telling him that in that moment, I had wished Jameson had been kissing me. That I wanted to be free and happy. Because God knew, keeping shit locked up tight and having to constantly hide who you truly were was something that would end up killing your soul.
“Then you know that you need to get on top of this. Release a statement that doesn’t sound like pure bullshit and back up what you mean,” he said, and only then did I let my eyes slide over to take in the scene filling up my doorway and beyond. “What the hell was going on in that picture anyway? And shouldn’t you know better than to put yourself in that kind of position?!”
My father stood there framed perfectly by the doorjamb. His suit held not one wrinkle and despite the fact that he was in mission mode, the man looked cool and collected. Bored almost. There was just the slightest hint of irritation that flashed in his eyes as my gaze met his. It was gone as quick as my attention on him was. Because behind him stood more people than I wished to witness this oncoming car crash.
Jen was right at my father’s back, his face half-hidden by my father’s arm. Jameson stood a few feet behind that, eyes locked on mine, body looking as if he would kill if only given some kind of signal.
Part of me wished I knew what that signal was.
A bigger part of me knew there was no way out of this conversation.
And to my surprise, Austin came into the shot, his body sliding right up next to Jameson. I would have sworn I’d never seen the two that close before. It looked strange, yet it did something inside of me. For once, I felt like I had this force on my side, and they were willing to fight for me. And I wasn’t all that sure what the hell to do with that.
“He’s my bodyguard,” I told my father. Though I sounded calm and even-toned, I was shaking with rage on the inside. The words tasted bitter as they came out. Jameson was more than just my bodyguard, even if he shouldn’t have felt like it. “I tripped while jogging and he was checking to make sure I was alright.”
My father shook his head at me, disappointment clear in that one move.
“Do everything you can to distance yourself from whatever this is. Fire him. Have him release a statement. Whatever you have to do,doit.”
My jaw clenched at my father’s words and all I could do was look at the man that was supposed to love me unconditionally like he was a bad stranger.
Jameson shifted and I slightly shook my head. This was something he couldn’t help with. I simply had to let it play out.
“No,” I said flatly.
My father’s lips pressed into a thin line and his jaw bulged as he stared me down. I wasn’t a child anymore but he still had the ability to make me feel like one.
“People can’t think you’re like that,” he said like it was an okay thing to say. “This could kill your career. You’ll lose support. Lose fans.”
