Our eyes meet, and he recognizes that he has crossed some invisible line which we never even came close to, let alone discussed.
“What do you mean if something happens?” I ask, frantic. “What could happen to you?”
He shrugs as if he doesn’t know, but I’m sure he does. He just doesn’t want to discuss it, either with me or in general.
“You never know,” he says, and although that means very little, I know exactly what he’s referring to. The worst things happen when you least expect them. That is how you never know, and your life changes in a flash. “I just want you to know that I am grateful for everything you’re doing with her.”
Somehow, we’ve switched topics. I can’t say I mind, although I want to hear more about that kidnapping but I don’t want to force him to talk.
“Honestly, being with Marley is barely work,” I say with a smile, and he returns it. He knows exactly how I feel. I don’t have to explain it.
“You’ve really been a godsend, Lilly, and I– “
“Daddy?”
A tiny little voice belonging to a sleepy girl rubbing her eyes in the doorway interrupts him. Her eyes are half closed, and she is barely keeping herself up, without slumping down onto the floor, asleep.
“Yes, princess?” He jumps to her immediately, wrapping his arms around her.
“I had a bad dream,” she admits, looking both asleep and uneasy at the same time, obviously unwilling to go back to sleep on her own.
“Come,” he says softly, taking her into his arms.
They pass me by. Marley smiles at me lovingly, her little hands gripping her father around his neck. Instantly, she closes her eyes and she’s half-asleep.
I am overwhelmed by the depth of this man’s love for his daughter, and now more than ever, I know he would never do anything to jeopardize that, to risk being taken away from her.
I slowly tiptoe to the living room and grab my bag. Then, I open the front door, allowing it to lock closed behind me. I’m afraid of spending the night there, not because I think this man is dangerous, but on the contrary. I’m afraid that he would do exactly what I want him to, and I will fall even deeper into this hole, without ever seeing the bottom of it.
Chapter Fourteen
Dominic
“That is bullshit!” I shout much louder than I intend to, but I can’t control myself at this point.
I’ve heard this accusation three times already today, and it’s only eleven o’clock. I’m afraid to think what the afternoon might bring.
“I know,” Hank Turlington, my lawyer, nods.
His glasses are giving him an old wise sage look, although he is only two years older than I am. His clothes have the same effect, a dark and light gray plaid suit, with a white shirt. I’m sure that his sartorial style suits the courtroom, but here, it’s only exacerbating the situation.
“But it’s his word against yours,” he continues.
“That motherfucker,” I growl through clenched teeth. “Why would he want to pin this on me?”
Hank shrugs. As my lawyer, he should trust me. But we’re not friends, although we’ve known each other for quite some time. All we share is a business relationship, like most of my relationships.
“You’re not under arrest,” he reminds me. “But you’re not allowed to leave the city.”
“Which means that the police are doing their best to gather non-existent evidence against me,” I snort angrily.
“Don’t get upset,” he tells me, but it means nothing.
“How the fuck am I not supposed to get upset, when someone is accusing me of a crime I haven’t committed?” I shout again, as loudly as before, but I don’t care if anyone can hear me.
This isn’t how I imagined my day to be. It all started so pleasantly, with Marley jumping into my bed and showering my face with kisses, pulling my hair a little as she did so. I had breakfast, and even managed to have my morning coffee in peace, instead of in the car, because I woke up earlier.