Page 26 of Keeper of Hearts
"But—"
"Inside," he orders her, his eyes locked on me like he's trying to decide if he wants to choke me or run me over with my own truck.
Troian grumbles softly and then scurries to my side, flinging her arms around me in a fierce hug. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, butterfly." I brush my lips across her forehead, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She looks so beautiful with her face flushed and her lips swollen from my kisses. "I'll see you in the morning."
She hesitates for a long moment before huffing a loud sigh, shooting a glare at her dad that's more warning than anything, and then stomping toward the house.
I watch her go. Her dad watches me.
Neither of us says anything until she's inside, the front door closed behind her, and then he turns to me, blowing out a sharp breath.
"I like you, Gage," he says. "You've always been good to my daughter."
"I love your daughter, sir," I say, my voice firm. "I'm going to marry her one day."
"Yeah? Does she know this?"
"She's catching on."
He's silent for a moment, watching me. His eyes are so much like hers, it's a little unnerving. But Troian is like her mom, all softness and sweetness. Her dad is different. He knows how special she is, so he's fiercely protective.
"Not knowing if we were going to lose her when she was younger is the hardest thing we've ever gone through," he says suddenly. "I always promised God that, if he just let us keep her, if he just let her grow up, I'd be her biggest cheerleader."
I stay silent, not entirely sure where this is going.
"I realized about a year ago that I'm not that person any longer." He meets my gaze again, resignation heavy in his eyes. "You are."
"Sir, I—"
He throws up a hand, silencing me. "I'm not mad about it, Gage. I've seen the way you look at her. It's the same way I've always looked at her mom. She looks at you the same way. I appreciate that you love her. I appreciate that you look out for her the way you do. But she's still my little girl. It's still my job to protect her." He pauses. "I know what the two of you were doing in that truck. I'm not stupid. You're both adults, and I know damn well I can't stop you. But…I need you to hear me, all right?"
I nod silently.
"An unplanned pregnancy wouldn't ruin her life. She's too goddamn smart for that. But it could kill her," he says, her voice soft. "She'll be on immunosuppressants for life to ensure her heart keeps beating. If she ever decides to have kids, it's going to take an army to ensure she survives the pregnancy, and she isn't ready for that right now. So I need you to promise me—fucking promise me—that you'll remember that, and you'll do everything in your power to ensure that you don't put her life at risk."
My heart thuds like a jackhammer against my ribcage. "I swear to you," I whisper, my throat raw, "I'll never do anything to put her at risk."
He jerks his head in a nod, his jaw clenched. "Good. That's all I'm going to ask of you. Just…take care of her. Remember what's at stake. We almost lost her once. I'm not sure we'll survive a second time."
"I'm not sure I will either," I admit, swallowing hard.
Mr. Alessi claps me on the shoulder, squeezing gently. "You're good for her, Gage. Keep being good for her." He narrows hiseyes at me. "And don't make her cry again or you'll be removing my boot from your ass, understood?"
"Yes, sir," I promise, smiling because I know he means it.
He cracks a smile, nodding toward the house. "You want to go say bye?"
I nod, and we walk toward the house together.
We're not even to the porch before she flings the door open, stepping out to meet us. Her eyes immediately come to me, her expression worried.
"Were you listening at the door?" her dad teases her.
"Maybe."
"Why am I not surprised?" He laughs softly, stroking her head as he passes by into the house. A second later, the door clicks closed behind him, leaving the two of us alone.
