“Son, you fucked up big-time,” he continued. “I may be Naomi’s father, and that might bias me, but I know my daughter is one-of-a-kind. A once in a lifetime woman. Just like her mom. And I don’t like what it says about how you feel about yourself that you don’t think you deserve her.”
I put my glass down. He hadn’t said that I didn’t deserve her. He’d said I thought I didn’t deserve her.
“Do you deserve Amanda?” I asked.
“Hell no! Still don’t. But I’ve spent every day of my life since I met her trying to be the kind of man who does. She made me a better man. She gave me the kind of life I never dreamed I’d have. And yeah, we’ve had our rough times. Most of them revolving around Tina. But fact is, I’ve never once regretted sticking.”
I remained stalwartly silent, wishing I could be anywhere else but here.
“Sooner or later, you have to accept that you’re not responsible for other people’s choices. Worse, sometimes you can’t fix what’s wrong with them.”
He looked me dead in the eye when he said it.
“I’m not responsible for my daughter’s choices or the outcomes of those choices. You’re not responsible for your father’s. But you are responsible for the choices you make. And that includes walking away from the best thing that will ever happen to you.”
“Look, Lou, this has been a nice chat and all—”
He clapped me on the shoulder. His grip was solid, firm. “You couldn’t save your mom from an accident any more than you could save your dad from addiction. Now you worry you won’t be able to save anyone else. Or stand losing someone else.”
My throat was tight, and it burned.
Lou’s grip tightened. “Somewhere, deep down is a man stronger than your father ever was. I see it. Your grandmother sees it. My daughter sees it. Maybe it’s time you take a look in the mirror.”
FORTY-ONE
THE NEW NAOMI
Naomi
Knox: Look. I know I could have handled things differently. But trust me. It’s better this way. If you or Waylay need anything, I want to know.
Knox: Liza probably already
told you, but the security company is installing the alarm at the cottage Saturday. What time is Waylay’s soccer game?
Knox: Are you okay?
Knox: Just because we’re not together doesn’t mean I don’t still want you and Waylay to be safe.
Knox: You can’t avoid me forever.
Knox: Can’t we be fucking adults about this? It’s a small fucking town. We’re gonna run into each other sooner or later.
I pried open one bleary eye and peered at my phone screen.
Satisfied it wasn’t a certain dead-to-me Morgan brother, I swiped to answer. “What?” I croaked.
“Wakey wakey, Witty,” came Stef’s cheery voice from half a world away.
I gave a muffled groan in response and rolled over.
I had the covers pulled over my head in a juvenile attempt to block out the entire world. Unfortunately, it had the unintended consequence of also surrounding me with the scent of him. Sleeping in a bed we’d shared while I’d fallen for the farce was not conducive to anything but a downward spiral.
If I was going to survive this, I needed to burn these sheets and buy Liza a new set.
“Judging from your effusive greeting, I’m guessing you haven’t yet dragged your Definitely Getting Over Him Today Ass out of bed yet,” Stef surmised.
I grunted.