She looked down at her hands, twisting the hem of her shirt, but she didn’t argue.
Her father’s stormy eyes softened. “If it weren’t for you, I would never have let her get away with that damn alimony payment in the first place. Now that you’re no longer in her care, I have half a mind to contest it on principle.”
She sucked in a breath, clearly ready to implore him again despite his objections, but he raised a hand to stay her.
“But I won’t,” he said, “as I know it would distress you. Calm down.”
She sagged back against the carved back of her chair in relief. “Thank you.”
He nodded tightly. His holopad flashed twice in quick succession, drawing his gaze. “I have a meeting to attend. Can you see yourself out?”
“Yes, of course.” She rose stiffly, hugging her elbows to her chest.
Sam couldn’t resist the temptation to press a hand to the middle of her back, gratified when she swayed toward him, clearly hungry for the consolation he longed to give her.
“Ophelia?” her father called out just as they reached the door.
Woodenly, she turned back to him. “Yes?”
“Don’t only come by when you need something from me.”
“Oh. Of course. I’m sorry.”
“Come by for lunch sometime. How’s two weeks from now?”
Her eyes widened. “Sure, that’s… that’s good.”
“I’ll see you then.” He looked back down at his holotab.
Ophelia held her breath as they walked back to the elevator. She looked up at him when they were alone. “That went… surprisingly well.”
“It did? But he refused your request.”
“Yeah, I kind of knew he would,” she said, watching the digital floor numbers tick down. “But he invited me to lunch.”
“And you like that idea? Even though he clearly intimidates you?”
“He’s my dad,” she said simply, as though it explained everything.
At his confused look, she sighed.
“I know he’s not a good person.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “And I don’t even think he’s a particularly good father, but… he’s the only one I have. I didn’t get to choose. It doesn’t make sense, but I don’t think it has to. He’s my dad, so I love him. I want him to love me. It’s… elemental.”
Sam tried to relate. The closest thing to a parent he had would be his creators, but he felt no similar affection for them now that he was freed of his moral bindings. They were just people who had contributed to his existence for their own gain.
The soft, crooning elevator music filled the silence that fell between them as Sam tried to make sense of her reaction.
“I’m glad you came,” she said suddenly, looking up at him with a tender expression. “It helped. I didn’t feel so small with you sitting next to me.”
Her brows climbed, and her teeth clicked shut, as though her affectionate words had surprised her as much as they did him.He leaned toward her, intent on rewarding her with a toe-curling kiss, but the door binged open.
She ducked away from him in a hurry, skittering out of the elevator.
CHAPTER 17
Ophelia wasbone-weary by the time they made it back home. She stumbled over the threshold, and Sam caught her by the arm, steadying her a moment longer than was strictly necessary.
“Thank you,” she mumbled, bracing herself against the wall so she could pull off her shoes and put them in the sanitizer. He followed suit, setting his new boots next to her sneakers.
