“He blamed you?” I ask, keeping my anger in check. The last thing I need to do is explode right now, no matter how bad I want to.
She gives the smallest nod of her head, and I can’t help what I do next. I wrap her in my arms, pulling her to me, wanting to protect her the best I can from this evil world. Had I known what a horrible man her father was, I would have tried harder to get her away from him. There wasn’t much time she was with him from when I met her, but still. This all goes back to my son and his stupid decisions. How could he do what he did to this sweet, innocent girl in front of me? Harrison was aware her father was a terrible man, yet he had no issue sending her back to him? He couldn’t have asked for help from me? He couldn’t suggest I get her a place to stay?
“I raised my son better than this, and I am sorry for what he did to you.”
She shakes her head, pushing away from me. Her eyes are red, tears pooled in the corners. “What he did isn’t your fault.”
“It feels like it is. It feels like a failure on my part as a parent.”
“You haven’t failed as a father, Elliot. Sometimes people act before they think. That’s all.”
“Will you ever forgive him?”
I’m not sure why I ask. I’m not sure what I want the answer to be.
Harrison spoiled his chance with her, he doesn’t deserve another. And not that I think anything could be between her and me, but my god, I sure wish there would be.
“I don’t know,” she finally says honestly.
“He’s not good enough for you,” I blurt out, the wine getting to my head.
“He’s your son,” she says by way of sticking up for him.
“I don’t care. What he did to you is unforgivable, and he doesn’t deserve the goodness that you are.”
“You don’t even know me,” she says with a little laugh, trying to douse the intensity of this conversation with some humor.
“I do, though. I see you, Seraphine. See what you don’t show others. I see the woman you want to be through the woman you think you are.” I brush some hair from her face. “I see you. Your beauty, your kindness, your confidence. It’s all there, you just have to look for it.”
“You’ve mistaken me for someone else,” she says, again with a tiny laugh. She’s deflecting, not wanting to talk about this, and I get that. But I’m already on a roll here, I’m already spilling this to her.
“No, I’m not.” I cup her cheeks, forcing her to look at me. “You could have the world if you wanted. All you have to do is take it.”
I search her eyes, dipping my gaze to her lips for just a second before going back to her beautiful, watery green eyes. I can’t tell what she’s thinking. All I see in her right now is fear. Worry.
My cell rings from on the table, and I close my eyes, pressing my forehead to hers. I pull away before the call ends. If someone is calling this late, it must be important.
I pull myself away from her, though it’s the last thing I want to do, and answer my phone.
“Yeah?”
“Glad you’re awake,” Jack says. “I just received the letter from Brantly’s attorney.”
“And?”
“It’s a bunch of bullshit claiming there was nothing outlined in the contract about paying more for more work. It won’t hold up anywhere. I’ll try handling it with them first.”
“Don’t give him a penny or offer any more work. I will not allow him to drag my company through the mud over him being a spoiled brat.”
Jack chuckles. “Yeah, I figured you’d say something like that. I’ve got it handled. Don’t worry. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”
I end the call and turn back to Seraphine, wanting to jump right back into our conversation. But I find her sitting at the table, looking over more papers with a highlighter in her hand. So, I sit down and do the same.
Chapter Eighteen
Seraphine
Ever since that intense conversation with Elliot a few days ago, things between us have been different. I feel closer to him, slightly more comfortable, even with the sexual tension between us being ten times higher than it was. Something changed that night… trust maybe? Could it be something so simple?
