I looked at Kendall, and then at Amanda, making sure they understood. They both nodded, seemingly pleased with what I’d told them.
“Good,” I said simply. “And girls, I’m going to make sure you’re safe. As long as you’re with me, you’ll have anything you want, and you’ll be safe.”
Amanda pulled Kendall in, and my girl let her. She burrowed her head in Kenny’s shoulder and cried openly, as if she were only now realizing her own mother had meant her harm, not good. It was fucking heartbreaking to see, but there was nothing I could have done to help in the moment. Amanda needed her sister, and I needed to take a step back.
Leaving them in the guest bedroom, I slipped out and walked into the living room. I poured myself a glass of Scotch and slowly sipped it, staring out into the city below.
God, what a fucking mess we’d gotten ourselves into. Poor Kendall and Amanda. My sweet girls… I couldn’t believe the things I’d heard not even an hour ago. The horrible things that Barbara had made Amanda do sickened me.
Just then, I heard a slamming door, and I looked up to find Kendall standing in the doorway of the room.
She looked wild. Her eyes were brimming with tears, and her hands were curled into fists.
“What’s going on?” I asked, right away afraid of the worst.
Was Barbara back somehow? Had she done something again?
“You fucked her,” Kendall spit out, glaring at me. “You fucked my sister!”
I felt the color draining from my face as Amanda ran up behind Kendall. There were still tears streaming down her face and she looked desperately upset as she looked at me for forgiveness.
“It slipped,” she stuttered. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“I hate you both,” Kendall cried out, and before I could stop her, she dashed out of the apartment in a haze.
I stared at Amanda, my blood fucking boiling in my veins.
“How could you?” I snarled at her. “There’s a time and place to tell her, and it’s not now.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said defeatedly, and even though I could see it hadn’t been a malicious act on her part, I was fucking pissed as hell.
I ran after Kendall, getting into the hallway just in time to see the elevator doors shut with her inside. I cursed out loud. We were on the fifty-seventh floor – I’d have to wait for the next car, running down the stairs would be fruitless. But she could be gone by the time I got there.
I paced the hallway, panic rushing through my body as I realized just how bad this situation was.
Kendall wasn’t going to understand, and she was going to blame me. She’d never accept my apology, and she wouldn’t believe I hadn’t initiated whatever happened between me and her sister. But what the fuck did I even want? I was irrevocably in love with my little girl, but Amanda had a charm I was finding impossible to resist. And for the first time ever, I wondered whether I’d be able to fully keep my hands off her.
But I knew if that was what Kendall wanted, I’d do my fucking best.
I jabbed my finger into the elevator button again, and thankfully it appeared a few moments later. I stewed in the ride down, and as soon as I got out, I started frantically searching for my girl. I’d just gotten my hands on her, I wasn’t about to let her slip through my fingers.
I roared her name as I teared down the street, rushing into women who could never compare and men who gave me strange glances. I was desperate. I’d never been this fucking desperate in my life. I realized with a start how attached I’d gotten to her. Sweet, innocent little Kendall had taken hold of my heart, and she fucking owned me already, even if she didn’t know it just yet.
Then I saw her.
Just the back of her, her long, flowing brown hair and that ridiculous dress of Amanda’s. I rushed after her, my fingers wrapping around her arm just as she turned into an empty side street. I forced her to turn towards me and when I saw her tear-streaked face I felt guilty as fuck. What was I doing to this girl? Before she’d met me, she’d been innocent, fucking innocent. And now I’d messed her up completely.
“I’m sorry, baby girl,” I said. “I’m so sorry for what happened. I wish I could take it all back.”
She didn’t fight back, she just stared at me as if she didn’t know me at all, and that hurt most of all.
“Please come back with me,” I begged her. “Please, just come upstairs, we’ll sort this whole mess out, we’ll be fine, baby girl, please…”
“You always liked her,” she said, her bottom lip trembling. “You always liked Amanda.”