Page 71 of Great Pretender
He can go fuck himself for all I care.I’m just glad I got to put his ass in his place, even if I was in the wrong.
“What will you do?” I ask. We haven’t spoken about that yet.
“Already looking for a job, but was hoping you’d come back to the one we both love.” He smiles.
“Sorry, man.”
Footsteps shuffle behind us, and I turn to see my angel.She smiles sweetly at me, and I fall for her all over again, just with that smile.
However, an anxious look washes over her face, and when she glances over her shoulder, I’m surprised when Dad walks up behind her.
“Look who I found when I went outside,” Piper states.
My nerves spike, then scatter.Dad gives me one of his trademark authoritative stares, but it’s without the hardness.This is just him in business mode.
“Dad,” I say.
“Hi, I was hoping we could talk.”
“Of course.”
“I’ll come back tomorrow and help with the floor,” Murray says, giving me a reassuring nod.
“Thanks.”
“And I’ll go wait for you upstairs,” Piper adds and gives me another smile before sauntering away.
I don’t doubt she would have probably spoken to Dad before they came in.They looked like they did, and I don’t think it went badly.
Dad walks into the room, and tension weighs me down.
I don’t know what he’s going to say to me.I've spent most of my life not caring how, when, and why I've pissed him off.
However, as I look at him now, it matters, and in my heart, I’m disappointed in myself because I know I hurt him.
“Room looks good,” he says.
“I'm fixing it up for Piper. I figured she’d need somewhere to keep her research and paperwork.”
“So it’s not over?” Hope fills his eyes.
“No, it’s not. I’m trying to fix us.A fake relationship is not how I should have gotten together with the one woman who mattered.”
“No, it was not.”
“And I should never have tried to fool you.”
“I agree, but I’m here today because you didn’t fool me.”
I narrow my eyes. “What do you mean?”
“The relationship wasn’t fake, son.It never was. But the way you got into it was the part that was wrong.”
“I definitely know that now.”
“Good. When I made the request, I was hoping you would find someone like Piper because, at the time, she was with Heath.You might have thought I didn’t see how much you changed, but I did.”
“I thought you didn’t.”
